KONA 3G Supports Multi-Format SD/HD/Dual Link/3G/2K I/O; Offers New Stereographic Workflow

AJA Video Systems, a leading manufacturer of professional video interface and conversion solutions, today unveiled its new KONA 3G capture card. The multi-format SD/HD/Dual Link/3G/2K video I/O hardware for Mac and PC-based systems is available next month, with an optional K3G-Box for additional connectivity.
KONA 3G features 10-bit uncompressed video 3G/HD/SD SDI I/O, new HDMI 1.4a output for stereographic monitoring to consumer 3D displays, 8-channel AES digital audio I/O (16-channel AES with optional K3G-Box) and 16-channel SDI embedded audio I/O, real-time hardware-based up/down/cross conversion to support a range of SD and HD, dual-link HD, even 2K formats, a hardware-based downstream keyer and more. Other key features include:
On the Mac platform

  • Seamless integration with Apple Final Cut Studio, Adobe CS5 and more
  • Uncompressed QuickTime and DPX file format support, plus compressed file formats such as
    Apple ProRes 422 and ProRes 4444

  • FCP Dynamic RT Extreme and DVCPro HD / HDV hardware scaling acceleration
  • Broadcast quality hardware-based 10-bit up-, down-, and cross-conversion
  • RED Epic and ARRI Alexa workflow ease with true 2K playback and LUT support in realtime
  • 3D workflow support with discrete left and right eye output over SDI and HDMI 1.4a

On the PC platform

  • Seamless integration with Adobe CS5, Sony Vegas 9, Autodesk Combustion and more
  • Native real-time QuickTime, DPX, TIFF, TGA, AVI file format support
  • Real-time DVCProHD capture and playback

To extend the connectivity of KONA 3G even further, AJA also introduced an optional K3G-Box. This 19-inch, 1RU rack-mountable breakout box adds 8 AES audio channels, 2-channel RCA analog audio monitoring jacks and looping BNC Genlock reference connectors.

“The range of software, formats and resolutions that creative professionals have to manage verges on mind-boggling,” said AJA President Nick Rashby. “With every new release of KONA we work to make sure that they can handle anything that walks in the door, seamlessly. With KONA 3G they can support projects from SD to 2K, 3D via new HDMI 1.4a interface, and now 3G SDI, across ingest, display, monitoring and mastering – in hardware-based real time and at the highest possible quality.”

Both the KONA 3G I/O hardware and K3G-Box will be available in October. US MSRP for KONA 3G is $1995 and for the K3G-Box is $395. For a complete set of features and technical specifications, please visit www.aja.com.