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MillimeterEdit Review — AJA Kona 2
Sep 1, 2005 12:00 PM, By Steve Mullen
PCI board does HD I/O for Apple editing systems
The Kona 2 from AJA Video Systems is a 133Mhz PCI-X board that facilitates HD-SDI and SD-SDI input and output for Apple editing systems. Kona digitizes SD or HD to any 8-bit or 10-bit uncompressed SD or HD format, and to DVCPRO HD.
At NAB 2004, AJA Video Systems introduced its second-generation Kona product, the Kona 2. It is a PCI capture board designed primarily for HD-SDI transfer into and out of Final Cut Pro. Kona 2 also supports Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Apple Motion, Apple Shake, and Discreet Combustion. In my tests I worked with 720p60 video in Final Cut Pro and encountered no problems.
The first-generation Kona PCI board was designed and built by AJA, but the software was an OEM purchase from Blackmagic Design. As you likely know, Blackmagic makes the prime competitor to Kona 2, the DeckLink.
In creating the Kona 2, AJA decided it wanted to have the degree of control that comes from creating its own software. This project was obviously a major one, as the Kona 2 did not ship until late 2004.
The Kona 2 is a 133MHz PCI-X board that supports up to 800MB per second (bidirectional) bandwidth between the host memory and the Kona's own onboard DDR video memory.
Two BNC connectors support three types of inputs: SD-SDI, HD-SDI, and dual-link HD-SDI. Dual link uses two coaxial cables to connect to a Sony VTR that supports HDCAM SR. Each cable carries 400MBps for an aggregate transfer rate of 800MBps. Currently dual link is used for 10-bit 4:4:4 1920×1080 interlace video. However, it is possible that dual link will be used to transfer 4:2:2 1080p from future Sony 1080 progressive products. (Progressive 1080p HDCAM would require 280Mbps recording.) AJA says that the bandwidth is there, so when the equipment exists the company will do everything it can to support it.
Three analog BNC output connectors support a range of options: composite analog SD via one BNC, or SD S-Video via two BNCs, or analog component SD/HD via three BNCs. Kona 2 also provides two SD-SDI/HD-SDI video outputs. Each output connection is independently switchable between SD and HD. (Both BNC connectors are used for dual-link output.)
Kona 2 supports eight-channel, 24-bit 48kHz AES audio via four XLR connections, as well as eight-channel, 24-bit 48kHz embedded SD-SDI/HD-SDI audio.
K-Box is AJA’s breakout box for Kona 2. Retailing for $299, the K-Box attaches to Kona 2 with just two cables. It provides unbalanced audio output—though for HDV camcorders unbalanced input would have been welcome.
The board also includes a BNC for reference input (although none is required) and a nine-pin D connector for RS-422 machine control.
The AJA K-Box for Kona 2 ($299) simplifies interfacing by offering a 19in., rack-mountable breakout box that attaches to the Kona 2 with just two cables. The K-Box provides unbalanced audio output. Frankly, for working with HDV camcorders and decks, unbalanced audio input would be infinitely more valuable.
Kona 2 digitizes SD or HD to any 8-bit and 10-bit uncompressed SD or HD format. Formats supported include: 525i29.97, 625i25, 720p59.94, 720p60, 1080i25, 1080i29.97, 1080psf23.98, and 1080psf24. (Unfortunately, neither 23.98fps nor 24fps is supported when in 720p59.94 or 720p60 mode, respectively.)
Kona 2 has hardware to support capture from HD-SDI to the DVCPRO HD codecs at 720p (960×720), 1080i (1280×1080), and 1080i (1920×1080 square pixel). The DVCPRO HD codecs provide online HD quality at remarkably low data rates, allowing the internal Power Mac SATA storage to be used for HD capture and playback, as well as Final Cut Pro's RT effects.
You can use DVCPRO HD as either an online or offline (draft) codec. It is an ideal draft codec because 1920×1080 source material requires only 23MB per second of footage. This allows for an enormous amount of source material to be stored on a RAID. Were you to use 8-bit uncompressed as the codec, the transfer rate would be 124MBps. After editing, the clips used in the timeline can be batch-recaptured to either 8-bit or 10-bit uncompressed video.
When working with any uncompressed HD format, a RAID is required. A 124MBps transfer rate requires 448GB per hour of footage. These values increase, for 1080i, to 166MBps and a whopping 597GB per hour were you to choose to digitize using 10-bit video. (When looking at any disk drive specification, remember the data-rate specifications are typically peak values. Remember as a drive or RAID becomes 100 percent filled, the data rate decreases.)
The AJA HD10A is a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter that performs a conversion from analog component (e.g., an HDV camcorder output) to HD-SDI.
I connected a JVC GR-HD1 camcorder to an AJA HD10A — a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter that performed a conversion from analog component to HD-SDI.
HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M) is a technology of sending 4:2:2 uncompressed digital video and, optionally, digital audio, ancillary data, and metadata via single coaxial cable. A SMPTE 292M bit stream comprises two interleaved streams, one containing 10-bit luminance (Y) samples, the other 10-bit chrominance (CrCb) samples. I set the HD10A's DIP switch to 60Hz to match the JVC camcorder's analog output. The HD10A accepts HD YPbPr analog input and outputs three duplicate HD-SDI signals.
I connected a stereo 1/8in. mini-jack cable between the camcorder's earphone jack and the PowerMac's analog stereo input. Then I duplicated, and edited, the Kona's 720p60 Capture Template: I set QuickTime Audio Setting to Built-in Audio and Device to Line In. I also set Device Control to Non-Controllable Device within the Capture Template.
In my tests I had no problems working with 720p60 video using the Kona 2. I worked with both DVCPRO HD and 8-bit uncompressed video. Kona 2's hardware takes a portion of the DVCPRO HD codec-processing load off the CPU, allowing more realtime effects in Final Cut Pro 5 when outputting to HD-SDI.
To use the HD-SDI output of the Kona, I used an AJA HD10C2 10-bit HD converter that outputs an analog component (YPbPr) signal to my HD monitor. The HD10C2 outputs full-bandwidth HD analog component or VGA-style RGBHV video. For SDI inputs, component or composite SD outputs are supported.
With an MSRP of $2,490, the Kona 2 is not the most inexpensive HD-SDI product for OS X, but it is a very complete solution. I recommend it highly — especially for those working with HDV, because AJA provides the necessary input converter.
BOTTOM LINE
Company: AJA Video Systems
Grass Valley, Calif.; (530) 274-2048
www.aja.com
Product: Kona 2
Assets: Provides HDV input converter. Digitizes SD or HD to DVCPRO HD or to any 8- or 10-bit uncompressed SD or HD format.
Caveat: RAID storage is required for any projects using uncompressed HD.
Demographic: Mac-based editors who use HD-SDI, especially for HDV.
Price: $2,490
NAB 2005: Kona updated
At NAB 2005 AJA ANNOUNCED version 1.1 for the Kona 2. For OS X 10.4 Tiger and Final Cut Pro 5 compatibility, you must install Version 1.1.2. Version 1.1.2 supports Final Cut Pro 5 (with Dynamic RT, HDV, and DVCPRO 1080i50), OS X 10.4, and provides necessary bug fixes. The V1.1 update provides many enhancements.
High-quality 10-bit hardware upconverters can now be used to convert SD video to HD video seamlessly.
Dual-link 10-bit RGB capture and playback. Capture and play back full-bandwidth 10-bit 4:4:4 RGB video from/to equipment with dual-link capability (such as Sony HDCAM SR decks). New AJA QuickTime codecs allow you to use and create 10-bit RGB clips in any QuickTime application.
AJA has added new RGB-YUV conversion options, enabling the automatic conversion of RGB frames to 4:2:2 YUV for SDI outputs. This also allows increased user control over the colorspace matrix and gamma conversions.
New video-out “Pause on Full Frame/Single Field” mode allows you to select whether Kona 2 outputs full frame (with inter-field motion) or single-field video when in Pause (Stop).
New pulldown pattern can be selected between 2:3:2:3, 2:3:3:2, and 2:2:2:4 pulldown (and reverse pulldown) patterns.
Support for Silicon Color FinalTouch software.
New controls for horizontal and vertical output timing, plus improved PCI transfer bandwidth.
Capture-timing compensation when an up/downconverter is used in the capture path.
AJA also released three new free utilities at NAB:
AJA Kona TV is an application for playing Kona QuickTime movies directly to the Kona Video Output. It is a simple way to put clips “on air” without having to launch Final Cut Pro.
AJA Kona QTToDPX Translator takes a 10-bit RGB QuickTime movie (e.g. one that was captured via Kona 2 dual link) and turns it into a series of DPX files. (The DPX file format is a common interchange format for high-end film and graphics workstations.)
AJA Kona DPXToQT Translator does the opposite of the above: it turns a folder full of DPX files into a Kona 10-bit RGB QuickTime movie.
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