The professional's choice for uncompressed SD, HD, Dual Link HD, 2K, and 3G

KONA 3G features 10-bit Uncompressed video I/O, the newest HDMI 1.4a support for 3D workflows, 16-channel SDI embedded audio I/O, and up to 16-channel AES digital audio I/O (8 with breakout cable or 16 with optional K3G-Box). Add to that realtime hardware-based up/down/cross conversion for efficiently working with a wide variety of SD and HD, 3G, dual-link HD, even 2K formats, a hardware downstream keyer for compositing graphics without rendering, and so much more.

• 2 SD/HD/3G SDI inputs and 2 SD/HD/3G SDI outputs
• HDMI 1.4a Output for 3D workflows
• Analog Video Output of Y,Pb,Pr, or R,G,B, or CVBS and Y, C.
• 16-channel SDI embedded audio I/O
• Up to 16-channel AES digital audio I/O
  (8 with breakout cable or 16 with optional K3G-Box)
• Terminating video reference input
• Separate LTC input and output ports
• Master or Slave configurable RS422 control port
• Video up, down, and cross conversion
• Internal hardware keyer
• 2K video format support

3D Stereoscopic flexibility

KONA 3G offers you the most affordable and simplest path through 3D Stereoscopic workflows.

Through SDI, you can output Discrete Left and Right Eye feeds with a simple Stereo button choice in the AJA control panel. In addition, all the muxed feeds for SDI stereo monitoring are accessible through tight integration with CineForm's stereo codecs in Apple FCP and Adobe CS5 timelines for Side by Side, Top Bottom and so much more.

Through HDMI 1.4a, you can utilize more affordable 3D displays for your monitoring needs.

KONA 3G offers you Stereo Simplicity.

Broadcast-quality conversions

KONA 3G features full 10-bit, broadcast-quality, motion-adaptive SD to HD up-conversion, HD to HD cross-conversion, HD to SD down-conversion, and automatic HD/SD 12-bit component analog output. Since all conversion functionality on the KONA 3G is hardware-based, it's available all the time on ingest or playback.

Uniquely, the KONA 3G can even cross-convert 720p 23.98 to 1080PsF 23.98. Cross-conversion is particularly valuable in today's multi-format HD post environment where being able to produce pristine 720p or 1080i signals at-will helps streamline dailies and deliverables creation.

Internal SD/HD hardware downstream keyer

The AJA KONA 3G features a powerful hardware downstream keyer that can place graphic files with an alpha channel over the video being input to the board—or a selectable color matte, or the contents of the card's framebuffer (ex: AJA TV/Apple Final Cut Pro). The downstream keyer can also key a QuickTime video clip that has an alpha channel by playing it in realtime, via the supplied AJA TV application, over live video coming into the card.

Connectivity

For SDI video, the card features two 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs and two outputs, HDMI 1.4a monitoring output, LTC input and output, one connection for Genlock input, and configurable 3x BNC HD/SD analog video output. Also included is a 9-pin connector for RS-422 machine control. If you're using a Digital Betacam, DVCPro50, HDCAM, DVCPRO HD, D5, or HDCAM SR VTR—or any other professional device–you'll have the proper connections.

Dual link HD support

KONA 3G supports Dual Link 4:4:4 HD-SDI, with full bandwidth 4:4:4 RGB at 10-bits for 1080i, 1080p, 1080PsF and 720p formats. KONA 3G can also convert between 4:4:4 and 4:2:2 formats for single link HD-SDI monitoring and output.

2K support

As the most capable 2K card for the Mac, you can use KONA 3G to ingest from 3G or HSDL (high speed data link) equipped sources and record at full frame rate or record simultaneous 2K DPX files and 2K QuickTime reference movies using the AJA VTR Xchange application. You can also work with existing 2K material, like sequential DPX or Cineon files, by using AJA's DPXToQT Translator application to create QuickTime files for a wide variety of applications. RED Epic and ARRI Alexa workflows are eased by KONA 3G, with true realtime 2K playback and LUT support.

On a PC, KONA 3G can connect to a 2K telecine saving time and steps by directly creating 2K DPX, QuickTime, Cineon, AVI, TGA, TIFF or BMP files. Users can capture directly into the format they need and move files immediately into their editing/compositing environment of choice. These same files can be played out at 2K via 3G or High Speed Data Link (HSDL), offering further synergy with other 2K products already in use in the market.

KONA 3G also allows 2K files to be viewed with a user selected crop function on HD 1080PsF supported video monitors. This functionality helps lower the price barrier for viewing 2K material.

The 1080 HD playout can additionally be down-converted to SD in realtime, giving users a powerful solution for multi-format video playout of 2K material and flexible tape mastering options.

Audio

Tie the KONA 3G to a digital audio mixer or DAW output with 8-channel 24-bit 48kHz or 96kHz AES audio via BNC connections on the supplied breakout cable—or get the optional K3G-Box to output an even larger 16-channels of AES audio.

KONA 3G's high-quality input sample-rate conversion on AES inputs eliminates the need for audio source synchronization.

For multi-channel audio mastering, 16-channel SDI embedded 24-bit 48kHz audio provides the power you need to integrate into any audio environment.

Extend your Connectivity with K3G-Box for KONA 3G

The optional K3G-Box simplifies connectivity in professional post-production environments by offering a 19-inch, 1RU rack-mountable breakout box that attaches to the KONA 3G via an included multi-pin cable and two cables supplied with the KONA 3G. Additional K3G-Box functionality over the standard breakout cable comes in the form of 8 additional AES audio channels, 2-channel RCA analog audio monitoring jacks, and looping BNC Genlock reference connectors.

KONA for Mac Software

AJA KONA for Mac drivers are optimized for use on OSX, with applications and advanced AJA hardware capabilities controlled easily at-a-glance in the application you're using. KONA for Mac software integrates within the native environment where used-whether Apple Final Cut Studio, Adobe Creative Suite, Autodesk Smoke for Mac (coming soon), or myriad other major Mac applications.

Within Apple Final Cut Pro, KONA offers:

• Easy Setups for instant configuration of your workflow in unison with KONA hardware.
• Advanced hardware configuration from the AJA Control Panel can be accessed without leaving your application by simply holding down the command key and clicking into the UI. For example, play back HD media from Final Cut Pro and evaluate what an SD downconversion would look like as an anamorphic, cropped or letterboxed output - all in realtime without ever stopping playback.
• HDV codec hardware acceleration. The KONA hardware allows instantaneous realtime playback for both monitoring and recording. Even KONA's conversions work in realtime with HDV, allowing SD monitoring, dubs, or mastering.
• DVCPro HD codec hardware acceleration. KONA's precision hardware allows capture and playback of HD-SDI video to and from the DVCPRO HD codec at a quality level virtually indistinguishable from native FireWire, while freeing up valuable RT processing power.
• Dynamic RT Extreme video scaling support. Dynamic RT Extreme video scaling is offloaded in realtime to KONA as the "Playback Video Quality" dynamically adjusts. This allows more playback power - and because KONA handles it seamlessly, the Dynamic RT you see on the Mac monitor is the same as that shown on your professional broadcast monitor output from the KONA card

Within Adobe Creative Suite

• Advanced AJA Plug-ins support offering control of KONA using familiar controls and appearance within Adobe CS applications including Premiere, Photoshop, and After Effects.
• Realtime Photoshop broadcast video output to broadcast monitors.
• Realtime Capture, Display and Mastering from within After Effects
• Saved software rendering time with hardware-based KONA Up/Cross/Down Conversion
• Native realtime support for file per frame formats such as DPX, Cineon, TIFF, TGA and BMP.

All Mac Applications benefit

The KONA Desktop feature allows broadcast design elements to be viewed with the proper aspect ratio and color depth on a broadcast monitor via the KONA card. KONA Desktop is available on the entire range of KONA cards, supporting Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Apple Motion, Apple Shake, Autodesk Combustion and more.

Powerful AJA utilities, Easy Setups, and plug-ins round out the Mac environment providing support for all popular Mac application workflows.