AJA shipped its first Thunderbolt 3 device, the Io 4K Plus.
First announced at IBC, the Io 4K Plus supports 4K/UHD, HFR, and HDR workflow. Up to 12-bit 4:4:4 IO is supported via 12G-SDI or HDMI 2.0, with HFR support at up to 60p at 4:2:2.
The inclusion of two Thunderbolt 3 ports means up to six devices can be daisy-chained.
Here’s AJA feature highlights list:
- Portable 4K/UltraHD and HD/SD capture and playback across Thunderbolt 3
- Backwards compatibility with Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 hosts
- 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 I/O for 4K/UltraHD and 2K/HD/SD with HFR support up to 60p at 4:2:2 (on Thunderbolt 3 hosts)
- Real time 4K/UltraHD to 2K/HD down-conversion
- 8-, 10- and 12-bit 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 over 12G-SDI or HDMI 2.0 workflow support (on Thunderbolt 3 hosts)
- Two Thunderbolt 3 ports for easy daisy-chaining of up to six Thunderbolt devices
- Audio I/O: 16-channel embedded SDI; 8-channel embedded HDMI; 4-channel analog audio In and 4-channel audio Out via XLR break-out
Also released today is AJA’s Desktop Software v14, which adds required support for the new Io 4K Plus as well as some new features for other Io and Kona products, including better audio integration among timeline audio, application audio, and mic inputs. For example, it is now possible to record voiceovers to a project timeline, as well as to play audio files from multiple sources in project timelines.
Again, the manufacturer’s feature highlights list:
- New audio controls to adjust the monitoring mix between NLE timeline audio playback, host system audio and voice over / punch-in mic input
- Ability to audition music or other audio from a web browser/MAM/cloud, while listening to playback from an Adobe Premiere Pro CC or Apple FCP X timeline
- Record voiceovers to timeline with low latency, full duplex audio punch-in with Io 4K Plus, Io 4K and KONA 4 for Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Avid Media Composer
- 12G-SDI, 6G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 I/O configuration controls for Io 4K Plus via AJA’s Control Panel and Control Room Software
The Io 4K Plus is shipping now for $2,495; the Desktop Software v14 is a free download from the AJA website.
