GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has unveiled Io Xpand, a high-performance Thunderbolt 5-enabled PCIe expansion chassis for AJA KONA and Corvid video and audio I/O cards, at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

As demand for higher bandwidth, higher resolution content grows across industries, Io Xpand unlocks the performance of AJA PCIe I/O cards for video professionals leveraging Thunderbolt 5 laptops and mini-PCs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Io Xpand is well-suited for creative or live production environments where space is limited and portability matters, including on-set, remote production and live switching. Video professionals can pair the new chassis with either a KONA 1, KONA 4or KONA 5 I/O card and a Thunderbolt 5-equipped computer to create a powerful, compact workstation with advanced throughput and video capture/playback functionality. For AJA Developer Partners, most AJA Corvid I/O cards can easily be used with the Io Xpand enclosure to develop smaller-footprint solutions.

The new chassis includes a 0.8-meter Thunderbolt 5 cable, Thunderbolt cable lock, power cable and universal power adapter. It will be offered as a standalone unit or in three bundles that include the Io Xpand and either a single KONA 1, KONA 4 or KONA 5 card. The KONA 5/Io Xpand bundle provides Thunderbolt 5 laptop and mini-PC users with access to the PCIe card’s high-performance 12G-SDI I/O, additional frame stores and full I/O stack, including AES/EBU audio and machine control in a portable, plug-and-play solution.

Io Xpand features include:

• Thunderbolt 5, 4, 3 and USB4 compatibility.
• Windows, macOS and Linux support.
• Support for full height, half length, x4 Gen 4 PCIe cards.
• Compatibility with double-width PCIe cards and PCIe cards with daughter cards.
• Up to 6000 MB/s of bi-directional PCIe bandwidth to the installed card.
• Support for PCIe 4.0, 3.0, 2.0 and 1.1 cards.
• Nearly silent operation via a temperature-controlled fan.
• Thunderbolt daisy-chaining support via a second Thunderbolt port.
• A portable, lightweight and rugged aluminum internal enclosure.
• A two-year warranty.

Io Xpand will soon be available AJA’s reseller network of resellers for $499. Bundle packages that include an Io Xpand chassis and either a KONA 1, KONA 4 or KONA 5 I/O card are also coming soon, with prices ranging from $1,249 to $4,455, depending on the KONA model.

See AJA Video at InfoComm 2026 booth N7744.

More information is available on the company’s website.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Comprimato, a live video encoding and processing software provider for virtualized and cloud productions and broadcasts.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The move will unify the AJA and Comprimato development teams behind AJA’s Bridge Live family of IP streaming products. Upon closing, it will help accelerate streaming innovation to bring customers enhanced workflow efficiency, improved content monetization opportunities, and more, AJA reported.

As part of the agreement, AJA will acquire Comprimato’s comprehensive portfolio of software solutions. This includes Live Transcoder for video encoding and transcoding, Live Standards Conversion for flexible frame rate conversion, the Twenty-One Encoder SMPTE ST 2110 encoding appliance, and the JPEG 2000 Codec SDK.

Comprimato CEO & Co-founder Jiří Matela and the entire Comprimato leadership, development, and operations team will join AJA once the deal is closed. Comprimato will continue to operate as a separate brand under AJA and retain its European offices. Sales structures, including sales, channels, customer support, and currently shipping products, will not be impacted.

“Comprimato has proven to be a trusted, strategic AJA partner for years now, supporting us through the continued evolution of our Bridge Live line of IP video solutions. This agreement sets our R&D, support, sales, and manufacturing on track to become tightly intertwined, which will allow us to accelerate development of the Bridge Live and Comprimato lines,” shared AJA Nick Rashby. “The synergies between our companies and technology are undeniable, and together, we’ll be able to address rapidly evolving customer needs faster than ever and break new ground in broadcast production.”

“We've built Comprimato with a bold vision for the future of live encoding and media production - making broadcast-quality video processing more accessible, flexible, and powerful. AJA is the ideal partner to accelerate that vision,” shared Matela. “AJA’s global reach, hardware expertise, and manufacturing capabilities combined with our software innovation is expected to enable our team to move faster and bring solutions to market that neither company could achieve alone. The latest agreement marks an exciting next chapter for our team and our customers.”

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has unveiled new conversion and IP video solutions ahead of IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

The new IP25-R Mini-Converter connects SMPTE ST 2110 networks with 4K SDI/HDMI infrastructures, and UDC-4K provides 12G-SDI/HDMI conversion, 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD scaling and frame synchronization.

The AJA Video BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4 brings multi-channel UltraHD support to the BRIDGE LIVE line of IP video devices, while a free Desktop Software v17.6 update unlocks powerful new improvements for AJA’s KONA IP25 SMPTE ST 2110 I/O card, the company said.

“From day one, AJA’s main goal has been to bring customers practical solutions to common pipeline challenges. This mission has become even more critical given the complexity of modern workflows, between the growth in adoption of IP and higher resolution, higher frame rate, HDR production technologies,” said AJA president Nick Rashby. “IP25-R, UDC-4K and BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4 enable professionals to keep pace with the latest industry evolutions while maximizing legacy equipment, by making it easy to integrate a wide array of signal types and equipment into their pipelines.”

The IP25-R allows hybrid baseband/IP facilities to de-encapsulate SMPTE ST 2110 video, audio, and ancillary data seamlessly with frame-accurate synchronization for output to baseband 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 devices.

The Mini-Converter addresses demand for the conversion of SMPTE ST 2110 signals to HDMI 2.0 for confidence monitoring, playout and routing. IP25-R includes dual 10/25GbE network ports, two HDMI 2.0 outputs and four 12G-SDI BNC outputs. It can deliver low latency video up to 4K DCI with advanced HDR metadata.

AJA’s new UDC-4K Mini-Converter provides broadcast, production and AV professionals with a flexible toolset for handling a broad range of signals and equipment in the field. It enables 12G-SDI/HDMI 2.0 conversion, 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD scaling, including frame rate conversion, and frame synchronization.

The new BRIDGE LIVE 12G-4 decreases per-channel video costs for multi-camera/source UltraHD IP video workflows. The high-density IP workflow solution supports a range of applications from synchronous, multi-channel video transport and contribution to backhaul, direct-to-audience streaming, remote production and distribution encoding. It offers a high-density IP workflow solution supporting a range of applications from synchronous, multi-channel video transport and contribution, to backhaul, direct-to-audience streaming, remote production and distribution encoding.

Desktop Software v17.6 expands the capabilities of the AJA KONA IP25. With the update, the IP video and audio PCIe I/O card supports Video+Key playout/TX per SMPTE ST 2110-20:2022 for combining program video with keyed graphics and titles. The upcoming release also adds KONA IP25 support for up to 4:4:4 12-bit 4K and selectable multiple ST 2110-30 audio streams per video modes for routing up to 16 channels.

See AJA Video Systems at IBC2025 Stand 7.B19

More information is available on the company’s website.

AJA has announced that Prague’s Czech Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra has been using technologies and solutions from AJA in its workflows for broadcast, streaming and social media feeds of its concerts. 

In recent years, the orchestra has broadened its global footprint by transforming the Rudolfinum concert hall, where it performs, into an international stage via live video broadcast and streaming technology, which supports concert broadcasts and streams to European Television channels Czech TV, MEZZO TV, ARTE, and European Classical TV; social streaming platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Meta; and many other distribution points. 

To ensure the highest quality experience across viewing platforms and device types, Rudolfinum technical supervisor Dušan Bajtoš explained that he opted to produce concerts in UltraHD HDR end-to-end and has come to rely on a host of AJA equipment for execution.

“When approached for this job, it was one of the first UltraHD HDR projects in the region, and I like a good challenge,” Bajtoš said. “Anyone who has watched UltraHD HDR content can see the difference in quality, not to mention that most consumers already have UltraHD HDR-capable displays at home, so this path made sense. With tools like AJA FS-HDR, we can raise the caliber of our signal output and deliver a viewing experience audiences can enjoy a lot easier.”

To provide global viewers with different perspectives during each concert stream, the team leverages four manned cameras and six robotic cameras controlled from the director’s room on-site, the companies explained. 

Ahead of each concert, they comprise a shot list that describes the angle, timing, and length of shots per camera, as well as the object or artist to be put into focus. From the director’s room, Bajtoš and his team execute the production, leaning on a collection of displays to monitor the feeds and make color and exposure adjustment calls. Signal conversion – between camera log formats, HDR and SDR, and UltraHD and HD – is crucial to each transmission, which is where Bajtoš uses AJA FS-HDR. The HDR/WCG converter/frame synchronizer lets the team convert the output to match each delivery partner’s requirements, be it 4K HDR, HD HDR, or HD SDR.

“Prior to adopting FS-HDR, our committee tested several solutions to assess the quality of conversion, but none compared to FS-HDR,” he explained. “It wraps such an extensive range of algorithms into an affordable device and helps us meet nearly any conversion need. We also love the various modes it offers, from the Colorfront Engine Live Mode to BBC HLG LUTs Mode and the NBCU LUTs mode, which has really impressed us.”

In addition to FS-HDR, across productions, Bajtoš also leverages an AJA KUMO 1616 12G-SDI router, which is integrated into the robotic camera head system to support automatic camera switching. The pipeline further uses an AJA HELO H.264 video streamer and recorder for reliable recording to USB drives that can be handed off to the crew and director after the production wraps. An AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G 4K/UltraHD/HD recorder and player/multi-channel HD recorder is used for Apple ProRes backup recording.

“HELO has proven to be an incredibly reliable streaming and recording device that makes it easy for us to quickly share concert recordings for crew needs and director reviews. Like all our AJA gear, it just works,” concluded Bajtoš.

For more information about the Czech Philharmonic, visit: https://www.ceskafilharmonie.cz/en/. 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has released Dante AV 4K v1.1, the first update for its Dante AV 4K-T and 4K-R transmitter/receiver converters, which enable the transport and control of ultra-low latency, professional quality 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/VESA Dante video and audio to/from 12G-SDI or HDMI 2.0 devices over a 1 GigE Dante AV network. 

Available as a free download, the robust update extends the capabilities of both devices with user-inspired improvements that answer modern workflow demands and provide AV professionals with more flexibility in the field as they integrate high-quality, visually lossless video into a diverse range of AV-over-IP environments.

“There’s no singular path to video over IP, and workflows vary broadly, depending upon the approach, so we’re continuously investing in bringing new features to AJA’s 4K-R and 4K-T that give users the tools they need to achieve their vision,” explained AJA president Nick Rashby. “AJA Dante AV 4K v1.1 boasts a ton of new great features for users to explore, and we’re excited to see how they start leveraging them.” 

With high dynamic range (HDR) workflows continuing to gain in popularity across broadcast, production, and proAV, AJA Dante AV 4K v1.1 delivers support for HDR, ensuring HDR signals pass through the devices seamlessly and that users can easily change the HDR metadata on outputs received, the company reported. 

The release also introduces AJA Dante AV 4K-R support for Ref In, so that a device like the AJA GEN 10 HD/SD sync generator may be used to lock the output of the 4K-R when the signal must be combined with other baseband device outputs and sources. Furthermore, AJA Dante AV 4K v1.1 activates a second locking ethernet port (Eth2) on the device, allowing users to connect a second device to their Dante AV switch, without a second ethernet cable needing to be connected directly to the switch.

New cropping and scale resizing capabilities for 4K-R, available via the update, let users easily scale 4K to UHD and downscale UHD to HD, with the ability to select between Auto, Native, and Crop 4K to UHD/Scale UHD to HD. AJA Dante AV 4K v1.1 also validates select 4K and 8K 4x4 workflows where AJA 4K-T signals can be sent to four 4K-Rs and all four outputs are confirmed to be in time and in sync, which is essential in live production settings where all four outputs must be perfectly timed. 3G Level B 4:2:2 10-bit high frame rate is now supported as well. Added compatibility with Audinate’s Dante Domain Manager, which is available for purchase from valued resellers worldwide, ensures AJA 4K-R and 4K-T users can take advantage of the solution’s API to control Dante from touch panels, monitor status, and automate workflows, the company explained. 

Commenting on the update, Audinate senior product manager Wim Roose shared, “AJA has proven to be a great addition to the Dante AV family, and we’ve been thrilled to watch customers worldwide embrace AJA Dante AV 4K-T and 4K-R to capitalize on the benefits of Dante audio with synchronized, high-quality, ultra low latency networked video. It’s exciting to see AJA deliver a new update less than a year since launching their products and we’re looking forward to continuing our partnership with them, which will help advance IP workflows across pro AV and media and entertainment.” 

AJA Dante AV 4K v1.1 is available today from AJA’s support page as a free download. AJA Dante AV 4K-T and 4K-R can be purchased through AJA’s worldwide network of resellers for $2495 US MSRP each. For rack-mounting up to two units, the 1RU AJA ​​IOX-RM rack mount shelf accessory is available for $120 US MSRP. For more information, visit www.aja.com/dante-av-ultra.

TOKYO—AJA Video Systems has unveiled DRM2, a rackmount frame that can house and power up to 12 AJA Mini-Converters of any kind, or up to 24 AJA FiDO Mini-Converters with a new optional DRM2 Y-Cable. 

Featuring a 200-watt fanless power supply and sleek 3RU design, AJA DRM2 streamlines broadcast, production, and proAV workflows by enabling professionals to rack mount multiple AJA Mini-Converters for signal conversion needs, the company said. 

The new frame will be on display this week in Tokyo at Inter BEE 2023 in the AJA Booth (#3209).

The next generation of AJA’s popular DRM Mini-Converter rackframe, AJA DRM2 includes customer-requested features like a removable faceplate that allows quick access to the frame. Mini-Converters are mounted to small carriers, which are easily installed or taken out without removing the frame from the rack. 12 carriers are integrated and replacement carriers can be purchased individually or in a 12-pack. The frame’s power cable harness has 13x D5/10-PC connectors and plugs into a connector on the power supply frame, enabling the creation of custom cabling to power whatever users require. A DRM2-AP model includes an optional active faceplate featuring four fans for maximum cooling in higher ambient temperature environments, facilitating high density installation without heat soak concerns, the company said. 

“Power and space remain key considerations across facilities and mobile production environments as M&E and proAV technologies continue to evolve and workflows grow more complex. AJA DRM2 was designed with both taken into account, providing all the power and space needed to support up to any 12 AJA Mini-Converters,” shared AJA president Nick Rashby. “We’re thrilled to launch the new frame at Inter BEE this year and encourage attendees to stop by the AJA booth to check it out in person.

Available next month through AJA’s worldwide reseller network, AJA DRM2 ships with a standard passive faceplate and is $1295 MSRP; DRM2-AP ships with an active cooling faceplate and is $1495 MSRP. The new optional DRM2 Y-Cable is available for $45 MSRP each. For more information, visit: www.aja.com/DRM2. 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems will unveil new products and updates to help media and entertainment industry and AV professionals keep pace with evolving formats, codecs and protocols during IBC2023, Sept. 15-18, at RAI Amsterdam, the company said. 

The offerings include the KONA X audio and video I/O card, new Desktop Software v17, HDR Image Analyzer 12G v3.0 software and several openGear cards equipped with 12G-SDI audio and HDMI conversion functionality, it said.

“Innovation remains a key focus at AJA, where we’re continuously working with customers, product managers, and our engineering team to ensure that we deliver solutions that address the unique needs of the M&E and proAV communities, which evolve rapidly,” shared AJA president Nick Rashby.

“KONA X, HDR Image Analyzer v3.0, and our new openGear solutions provide powerful functionality that will serve AJA customers today and into the future. We’re thrilled to share what we’ve been up to behind the scenes these last few months and invite attendees to come see the results in-person at the show.”

The company released more details on its new and updated product portfolio, including:

• KONA X and Desktop Software v17: Compatible with new AJA Desktop Software v17 and version 17 of the company’s software development kit (SDK), AJA KONA X is a 4-lane PCIe 3.0 card offering ultra-low latency video capture and playback for applications spanning M&E, live production and OEM development. The card offers bi-directional dual, full-size BNC 12G-SDI and dual HDMI 2.0 connections. An optional KONA Xpand board sits alongside KONA X offering additional connectivity, including AES/EBU audio, LTC and REF. KONA X and the software will be available in Q4 for $3,695 MSRP. The KONA Xpand is expected to be released at the same time with a price of $595 MSRP.
• HDR Image Analyzer 12G v3.0 Software: Offering new features for the company’s HDR Image Analyzer, the new software enables new workflow capabilities for live, on-set, quality control and post-production environments. It increases how many video channels can be analyzed at the same time, integrates Dolby Vision tools, adds NDI connectivity options, expands support for the latest ARRI color science with ARRI LogC4 analysis and enhances 8K/UHD2 compatibility. The updated software will be available this month as a free download.
• AJA 12G-SDI openGear solutions: AJA OG-12G-AM and OG-12G-AMA enable 16-channels (eight two-channel pairs) of AES/EBU and analog audio embedding/disembedding, respectively, and support 12G-SDI input and output up to 4K/UltraHD. AJA OG-Hi5-12G and OG-HA5-12G cards facilitate 12G-SDI conversion to and from HDMI 2.0 and are also available in LC and ST Fiber models. Each is built for high-density openGear 2RU frames. Both will be available this month. The OG-Hi5-12G and OG-HA5-12G start at $999 MSRP. The OG-12G-AM and OG-12G-AMA are available for $1,245 MSRP.

See AJA Video Systems at IBC2023 Stand 7.C19.

More information is available on the company’s website.

AJA has announced that the AJA Color Box solution has been used by digital imaging technician (DIT) Sam Petrov on a number of scripted and unscripted projects, including a recent unscripted dating show for a streaming service.  

In describing his work, AJA noted that crafting the look of content before it reaches post requires technical acumen and a creative eye. The DIT (Digital Imaging Technician) is integral to this process, bridging the technical realities with the creative goals on-set to ensure the team can achieve its desired aesthetic early in the process; the role is especially vital now that virtual production has brought typical post production work into the production process. 

Local 600 DIT Sam Petrov has made a name for himself in doing exactly that for a wide range of scripted and unscripted projects. A self-proclaimed technology geek, Petrov stays on top of how the DIT role is evolving within the larger on-set environment and is hyper-aware of the dynamic nature of the technology involved. While he customizes the technology he uses for each project, he’s begun leaning into AJA ColorBox for setup and look management with live grading, AJA reported. 

Petrov recently wrapped up an unscripted dating series for a popular streaming platform, setting the initial look for the season and ensuring it worked across all the different components of the show. The production leveraged more than 30 digital cinema cameras in addition to a similar quantity of robotic (robo) cameras. Several of the cameras recorded up to 70 terabytes of 4K footage to AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G ProRes and DNx recorder/players a day, and the AJA ColorBox in-line HDR/SDR algorithmic and LUT color transform box supported live grading on-set in 1080 SDR, he reported. 

“ColorBox gives us the confidence that the look of all the different camera angles match up; it’s powerful, robust, and cost-efficient, and fills a real niche,” explained Petrov. “Our profession has long awaited a device like this. Just having the ability to generate a signal up to 4K and test a system is invaluable.” 

Working closely with a team, he helped establish the look for a range of motifs and scenes used for the studio portion of the show, such as a lounge where dates are held and the hallway for transition shots. Together, they applied set looks across the different cameras, each with its own unique characteristics and color science. Petrov spent time matching the different cameras in the context of the available hardware on-set. Given the scale and genre of the show, he didn’t reside at his traditional DIT cart but instead worked in an entire tech room, which included equipment like the Ki Pro Ultra 12Gs. Equipment operators ensured that there were no signal errors, and that recordings were happening at the right time, among other tasks, AJA noted. 

The workflow and interactions on-set diverged from traditional film or even episodic projects. With so many cameras, hardware, coloring gear, and other technology on his latest project, Petrov would go into the tech room early and collaborate with the lighting director, technical supervisor, and other team members to examine all the technical aspects of the project from resolution to creative. He was one of several key people involved in executing the creative and technical look for the cameras, the show, and different motifs. 

“In post, it’s important to have a holistic understanding of processes, workflow, and ultimate vision, so as I moved from post to set in my career, I found myself working upstream. When looking at the screen for a project like this, I know from a coloring standpoint the things I need to watch out for and can course correct earlier in the process, and a product like ColorBox is helpful in this respect,” Petrov shared. “It’s really fun to be able to get the dynamic feedback that ColorBox supports in this environment. I'm able to live grade without having to worry about running into limitations. While I’m currently monitoring and coloring most projects in 1080, having the ability to also work in 4K as it becomes more prevalent is a huge advantage.”

For live grading, Petrov set up his hardware, including the ColorBox, in the tech room, and the team provided a line with a dedicated router, so he could choose the sources coming into his system. This made it easier to work with the show director and lighting director to examine all the various setups and cameras. Once they’d established a base look that they were happy with, the team could quickly switch between cameras to compare, with the live grading aspect in mind, so they knew how it would look from another angle in the exact same space or the same angle but in a different room. This flexibility was paramount with filming taking place across a dozen identical rooms, all with analogous camera configurations; Petrov had to ensure everything correlated from one space to the next. 

With ColorBox, Petrov can pull out a single standalone device and get to work. He continued, “ColorBox is just fantastic. I simply navigate to the web UI and can crank out a color test pattern, then change different frame rates to whatever we need for the technical standard. I know we’re getting exactly what’s needed from the hardware before we even get to the creative side of color.” 

He also finds the ability to stack multiple ColorBoxes and generate different signals with different test patterns, resolutions, or frame rates useful. It allows for flawless execution in the moment when Petrov and the team need to shift focus to more time-sensitive work. “Having a tool like ColorBox is a huge boon to my work,” he concluded. “It gives me peace of mind and makes it easier to deal calmly with situations that would normally present nuanced challenges.” 

AJA has announced that virtual production and visual effects producer S4 Studios is using AJA GEN10 HD/SD/AES sync generator to keep its LED walls, cameras, computers, and HTC VIVE Mars CamTrack system in sync.

S4 Studios is a one-stop-shop for virtual production and visual effects, with a studio in Los Angeles and a virtual production stage up the road in Canoga Park. Founded in 1999 as a design and VFX studio, the company moved into virtual production and in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) two years ago and today is widely used for commercial, music video, in-car, film, and TV projects. 

The 2,300-square foot stage comprises a three-wall setup, geared toward in-vehicle processes and smaller budget-conscious productions. 

“Virtual production doesn’t have to cost $50K a day, and we want people to understand that,” explained S4 Studios owner and creative director Geoffrey Kater explained. “Our stage is designed to let clients come in and shoot two or three locations in the same day without having to go anywhere. We swap out the locations for you, and you have complete control over the set. Then you leave with your final pixels.”

In-studio, computers are equipped with NVIDIA Quadro cards with sync options, so that down the chain they can all be synced together on the wall. Getting media into the LED processors is the next step, then projecting that media onto the wall. Tracking is handled by the HTC VIVE Mars CamTrack system. “With the size of our stage, Mars is absolutely perfect,” Geoffrey Kater said. “We hung the base stations up in a grid at about 10 by 10 meters, so it works perfectly for the amount of shooting that you can do in there.” 

The next step in the process is getting the tracking to work on the client’s camera and accessing the media from the shoot. When S4 initially set up their pipeline, they quickly discovered that images were tearing due to sync issues and began searching for a solution. 

“The whole genlock thing is kind of new to me, coming from visual effects, so as I was experiencing sync challenges, I took to the Mars Facebook Group where I found it was a fairly common issue, and that’s where someone suggested the AJA GEN10 sync generator as a solution," he explained. 

“We got the AJA GEN10, configured the little dip switches on the back, plugged everything in, and all of a sudden there was no more tearing, no more lines, everything was synced,” Geoffrey Kater continued. “The walls, the camera, the computers, and the Mars tracking system all synced at 24. And it was beautiful, amazing. We had finally figured it out with this magic box that we could plug in and forget.”

Genlock is now part of S4’s client prep consultation whenever they shoot on the stage, especially when clients haven't worked with genlock. Geoffrey Kater and team make a point to explain why it’s important to the client, then bring them in to test their camera, because every camera is different. Some are fine without genlock, but S4 recommends it as a safety precaution. 

“With the AJA GEN10 sync generator and HTC VIVE Mars CamTrack, I know that we are covered and all of our computer equipment, walls and everything are in sync," he concluded. "That's the most important aspect of it for me.”

AJA has announced that the multi-camera cinematic production solutions shop Funicular Goats has been using its technologies on a variety of productions, including the AJA FS-HDR for live grading, the  AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G ProRes and DNx recorders/players and the AJA KUMO 3232-12G router. 

Since launching in 2019 with co-founding trio Morgan Kellum, James Coker, and Aaron Cooke at the helm, Funicular Goats established a stellar reputation across the live event, broadcast, and streaming production communities. Today, its multi-camera equipment, workflow, and technical management expertise is sought after for a wide array of projects, including big-name concert productions, the annual big game halftime show, comedy specials, and more. 

Its team works closely with all key project stakeholders to plan a well-thought-out, multi-camera workflow design, and the encompassing tech – including cameras, comms, the engineering fly pack, cameras, wireless systems for the cameras, transmission (digital, broadcast, or satellite) fiber infrastructure, and on-set monitoring solutions. Projects average 10-20 cameras per show, but the team has worked on projects involving up to more than 30 cameras, the founders of the company explained.  

Across productions, Funicular Goats must manage different elements and workflow refinement, but ninety percent of the time, the project demands live grading, which means AJA FS-HDR real-time HDR/WCG converters are on set. Running a camera log feed through the FS-HDR allows the team to achieve a more comprehensive range of RGB to build a better look than using just an RCP camera control alone. 

“Productions are often looking for ways to execute their projects but aren’t certain how to do it, so they lean on us. We advise them on how to make it happen and help them achieve the look they’re aiming for in the most efficient way,” explained Morgan Kellum. “We have a comfortable history of doing shows in certain ways and using specific tools (like FS-HDR for live color grading and frame sync), so we'll lean into that, but we also figure out how to modify the workflow and our fly packs and fiber systems to suit each client’s specific needs."

Projects typically require SDR delivery, but Funicular Goats is seeing HDR requests grow, especially for concert productions and larger scale event broadcasts. To this end, FS-HDR has become a Swiss army knife for the team. 

“We love FS-HDR, from its redundant power to the fact that we can count on it to do what it’s supposed to without fail,” explained Coker. “It has great features for everything from embedding to frame syncing and live grading; it does it all.”

FS-HDR also supports conversion needs across Funicular Goat projects. The team may need to use it to help step down a 12G-SDI or 6G-SDI feed from a cinema camera to 1080 for viewing, as well as for coloring and recording. The device also enables frame rate conversion, which the team will leverage when moving from 24p to a broadcast standard for a truck workflow. They might bring back a log feed 23.98p that will hit their distribution amplifier (DA) and into a switcher where they cut 23p. Out of the DA, that feed might go to the FS-HDR, where they can then go 29.9p and elsewhere with it to a line cut, and cut 29.97p for broadcast, the companies reported. 

In addition to live grading, recording is essential to Funicular Goats’ workflow designs. The team often completes 4K recordings with a cinema camera, with a 1080 workflow out for a reference line for added flexibility. If delivering a 1080 project, they’ll record the loaded or color corrected 1080 files to AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G ProRes and DNx recorders/players. This approach ensures they have a master finish of the project as well as the 4K log footage to work with. 

If footage is already color corrected, Funicular Goats can do an online cleanup with those files or edit with them as well, the company explained. They may opt to use Ki Pro Ultra 12G as a quad HD recorder for four 1080 feeds on one project, or for backup 1080 recordings, ISOs of the cameras, or to create multiple copies of a program or multiple views on others. Sometimes, they’ll even do a 6G-SDI or 12G-SDI into the Ki Pro Ultra 12G. When they need to hand off thumb drives with H.264 recordings after an event, they often use AJA Ki Pro GO. 

“We love our Ki Pros because they’re so flexible; they give us a lot of options and provide a cost-effective way to record in different flavors. We get edit ready files that we can have our downloader dump onto a drive to be shared with production,” added Kellum. “AJA gear like Ki Pro Ultra 12G and FS-HDR are staples in our inventory, and we use them on nearly every show because they’ve got such a great track record of being reliable. We also use of a ton of other AJA products – everything from the KUMO 3232-12G routers, to the 12GDA and Hi5 Mini-Converters, throw down distribution amplifiers, and FS2 frame syncs.”

Funicular Goats’ credits span the Elton John concert at Dodger Stadium, “The Weekend: Live at SoFi Stadium” for HBO Max, as well as comedy specials and the annual big game, and more. For the big game halftime show earlier this year, Funicular Goats captured 29.97p from Sony VENICE 2 cameras. 

The feeds were sent to its production truck with an AJA KUMO 3232-12G router on-board. The feeds hit their distribution amplifiers first, and were then sent through the router and Funicular Goats’ 12 FS-HDRs, as well as through 16 additional FS-HDRs on site, and then into the switcher and out for broadcast distribution. The FS-HDRs enabled the DIT crew to work with the log and HDR feeds and bounce them back and forth while also supporting frame syncing to lock all feeds with the main program audio. 

Whether servicing the halftime show production, a concert, or a comedy special, Funicular Goats excels at finding innovative ways to use new equipment to help clients meet and exceed their production goals. Morgan concluded, 

“Our dedication to the technology and craft shines through in the look and feel of every project,” Kellum said. “What gets me excited to come to work each day are the great team of people I work with and the fact that I get to play a part in influencing the look and feel of these projects. Getting to play with cool gear from AJA gear often is a bonus.”

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems will be unveiling a new slate of products and updates designed to meet the evolving demands of Video-over-IP, color conversion and management, streaming, remote production, and data management and curation workflows during the 2023 NAB Show.

Through a partnership with Audinate, developer of the new Dante AV Ultra high image quality solution for standard 1 GigE networks, AJA has released Dante AV 4K-T, which converts 4K/UHD/2K/HD/VESA SDI and HDMI 2.0 to Dante AV Ultra signals, and Dante AV 4K-R, which converts Dante AV Ultra signals to 4K/UHD/2K/HD/VESA SDI and HDMI 2.0. 

AJA has also revealed new firmware updates for HELO Plus, ColorBox, BRIDGE LIVE, FS-HDR, and AJA Diskover Media Edition.

“Between the dynamic nature of the M&E and proAV industries, and the continuous pursuit of an improved end-viewer experience, technological innovation is a constant, and AJA strives to give professionals access to groundbreaking new tools and product updates that help them keep pace with emerging and evolving workflows,” shared AJA president Nick Rashby. “We’re thrilled to roll out our new Dante AV 4K-T and 4K-R converters to the community, alongside powerful updates for some of our most popular products that bring users more workflow flexibility and control.”

The new AJA Dante AV 4K-T and 4K-R transmitter/receiver converters enable transport and control of low latency, professional quality 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/VESA IP video and audio to/from 12G-SDI or HDMI 2.0 devices over a 1 GigE Dante AV network. 

Leveraging the tools and infrastructure of the extremely popular Dante IP audio technology from Audinate, the converters offer professionals a reliable and familiar way to integrate video distribution in a networked facility, and seamlessly incorporate high-quality, visually lossless Dante AV Ultra IP video into environments spanning stadiums, arenas, theaters, churches, schools, office complexes, hotels, conference rooms, and more, the company said. 

AJA Dante AV 4K-T and 4K-R are available today from AJA’s worldwide reseller network for $2,495 US MSRP each. 

Firmware updates on display at the 2023 NAB Show include: 

• HELO Plus v2.0 Firmware. New v2.0 firmware for the AJA HELO Plus H.264 streaming/encoding/recording device includes several free improvements that make it easier for users to deliver more compelling live streams. The update also introduces two new licensable features, including simultaneous multi-channel stereo audio streaming/recording and PlayToStream, which lets users leverage a previously recorded program for a future streaming event. HELO Plus is available today from AJA’s worldwide reseller network for $1,869 US MSRP, with v2.0 improvements (outside of PlayToStream and simultaneous multi-channel stereo audio) available next month for free via the AJA support page. At the same time, PlayToStream and multi-channel stereo audio streaming/recording options will be available for $199 and $99 US MSRP, respectively.
• ColorBox v2.0. Available now, AJA ColorBox v2.0 firmware brings a host of new customer-requested features to the high-performance converter for color-managed workflows, including an add-on license to expand ColorBox’s Colorfront Engine™ video processing options with all-new TV Mode and Live Mode. With the update, the latest v1.6 BBC HLG LUTs are supported. An ORION-CONVERT update is also now accessible with a gamma compensation function to ensure compatibility between different color conversion philosophies. Rounding out the release are improvements such as support for overlaying frame lines or other graphics, five additional built-in test patterns, and Light Illusion, Portrait Displays Calman, and QTAKE Video Assist integrations. ColorBox is available today from AJA’s worldwide reseller network for $1,995 US MSRP, with optional licenses for Colorfront at $995 US MSRP, the ORION-CONVERT pipeline at $695 US MSRP, and the BBC HLG LUT pipeline at $145 US MSRP. 
• AJA BRIDGE LIVE v1.14. A robust firmware update for AJA’s multi-channel UltraHD and HD live video solution for remote production, contribution, collaboration, streaming, and delivery, AJA BRIDGE LIVE v1.14 introduces optional perpetual JPEG XS I/O licenses. Additional improvements include RTMP input, support for ST 2022-7 hitless redundancy, and input auto-reconfiguration, which further streamline user workflows and automate workflow tasks. BRIDGE LIVE v1.14 will soon be available for existing users with an active maintenance agreement for download from AJA’s website. Customers without a maintenance agreement can access bug fixes within v1.14 but will not receive new feature access. BRIDGE LIVE is available through AJA’s worldwide reseller network starting at $15,999 US MSRP. Optional, perpetual BRIDGE LIVE JPEG XS01 and BRIDGE LIVE JPEG XS04 licenses can be purchased for $1,500 US MSRP per HD channel and $6,000 US MSRP per UltraHD/four-channel HD respectively.
• FS-HDR v4.2. New v4.2 firmware for the AJA FS-HDR real-time HDR/WCG converter/frame synchronizer with Colorfront Engine video processing introduces an all-new Colorfront TV Mode, utilizing the latest color science advancements from Colorfront, and powerful Live and Film Mode updates, including support for ARRI LogC4 and Sony S-Log3 transforms. BBC HLG LUTs have been updated to v1.6, including a new combination LUT for camera shading in live productions and a new CAM (Color Appearance Model) based LUT. FS-HDR is available today from AJA’s worldwide reseller network for $9,569 US MSRP. The v4.2 firmware update is now available via AJA’s support page.
• AJA Diskover Media Edition Updates. Additions to AJA Diskover Media Edition sustainable data management and curation software include core software enhancements that provide advanced security, enrich metadata with business context, bring users live insights into their data, and streamline deployment. Expanded search capabilities save facilities time and afford more flexibility, while analytics improvements such as integration with the Xytech Media Operations Platform, and Illegal File Name and Hash Differential plug-ins help provide accuracy and granular data curation. Play and preview capabilities are enabled via the CineSys Cineviewer Player plug-in, and a powerful, purpose-built Oxagile plug-in streamlines arduous content delivery tasks for IMF packages. AJA Diskover Media Edition users with active licenses can access these updates today. The software is available for $11,995 US MSRP per license. For pricing on supported partner plug-ins and integrations, please contact the respective developers (CineSys.io, Oxagile, Qumulo, and Xytech).

AJA is exhibiting at NAB booth #W2600 (West Hall) at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Sure, HDR (aka high dynamic range) is better than SDR (standard dynamic range, a term we didn’t even need until we had HDR), but why?

SDR is regular television—it can produce a maximum luminance level of around 100 nits limited to Rec.709. HDR gives a maximum luminance of 1,000 to 10,000 nits (and a minimum of 400 nits), with brighter brights, more detailed darks and more saturated colors with Rec, 2020 (Fig 1). The more realistic color is due more to WCG (wide color gamut) than to HDR itself. 

Three Formats
There are three main display formats for HDR: HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. As you would expect, each handles HDR differently.

HDR10 is open standard, typically mastered between 400 to 4,000 nits. It’s a PQ (perceptual quantizer) transfer function with static metadata, delivering the same brightness and tone mapping for the entire program. 

HDR10+ is royalty-free for the content creator. TV/display manufacturers pay an annual license fee. Dolby Vision, similar to HDR10+, is proprietary from Dolby Laboratories. Both are mastered from 1,000 to 4,000 nits using dynamic metadata that adjusts the brightness and tone mapping per scene. 

For HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, most content is mastered at around 1,000 nits. While seemingly the same, Dolby Vision is considered better than HDR10+ in areas such as peak brightness minimum, tone mapping, TV support and content availability, according to a number of sources.  

Stretching the Truth
Marketing & PR are one-half truth, one-half half-truths and one half omitting the truth—it all depends on what’s being sold. But sometimes, the people doing the selling don’t really understand what they’re selling.

In a recent “Consumer Reports”’ story, “How to Watch Super Bowl LVII in 4K HDR,” buried deep in the story, there’s an image appearing to be from DirecTV to promote 4K HDR, comparing two images of a colorful parrot to show the better quality of “4K
HDR 2160p.” (Fig. 2)

But that image is being compared to “Full HD 1080p”—not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison with only one image being HDR. The message is clear: This is how great the Super Bowl will look, compared to your old fashioned 1080p SDR TV, if you can get it in 4K. But if the 1080p image had HDR, the difference wouldn’t be so… different.

Do We Really Need 4K if HDR is So Good?
SMPTE Life Fellow Mark Schubin has compared formats, frame rates and HDR to show what provided the best data option.

“HDR offers the most bang for the bit,” Schubin said. Preliminary HDR data that he presented at the annual HPA Tech Retreat in 2016 from EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne/Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne) from 2014 showed a “tremendous improvement and very, very little additional bits required, anything from zero to maybe something around 20%.” 

That improvement was in peak brightness. Schubin compared it to EBU quality comparisons from 2013 between HD (720p, 1080i and 1080p) and 4K showing “very little improvement” in quality, as well as high frame rates up to 240Hz, which showed “a significant improvement [in quality], but you also have to double the bitrate for every doubling of the framerate.”

The greater brightness and contrast range of HDR is key. “What makes it more realistic is the human visual system because we perceive more contrast as spatial resolution,” said Matthew Goldman, senior director, Media Engineering & Architecture for Sinclair Broadcast Group. “It looks more real.”

Returning to Fox’s Super Bowl 4K upconversion, I asked Schubin: “What is
your opinion of the viewer’s quality difference between 1080p60 HDR and 2160p60 HDR on a 4K TV that would upconvert the 1080p
to 2160p?”

“Without knowing the specific equipment involved, I really can’t say which is better, but I’d say the difference is probably negligible,” Schubin said. “It’s not clear that Fox’s technology would necessarily be better than what’s in a TV. Yes, it costs more, but the TV stuff is integrated and amortized over tens of millions of sets. But the production in HLG could be significant. 

“When HDR has been perceived as problematic—such as the very dark ‘Game of Thrones’—the production has not been HLG,” he added. “In the dark areas, HLG is essentially the same as SDR; it’s in the bright areas that it offers much more range, so it’s probably good to use for the live
Super Bowl.”

Schubin didn’t watch this year’s Super Bowl in HDR, but added: “Having watched football in HLG HDR, I think it offers a substantial advantage, visible even on a small screen from across the room. Having watched football in HD, upconverted to 4K, and true 4K, on side-by-side monitors, I’d say differences are perceptible, but just barely—definitely not the big kick added by HDR.”

More Comparisons
1080p HDR, upconverted 4K HDR or native 4K HDR: which is better?

What do you mean by “better?”

Tim Walker, senior product manager (HDR image analyzers, frame syncs, routers, scaling and scan converters), at AJA Video Systems, puts it this way: “There’s broadcasters that are being bullish doing and promoting HDR,” he said. “Others question the extra expense in producing HDR. But for a top-end broadcaster, you’re investing in your archive for generations to come from the moments captured today.” 

That means producing the best possible imagery today: 4K HDR. 

“Doing [less expensive] upconversion at distribution gets you that 4K banner,” Walker added. Upconverters do an exceptional job—that’s one reason people do 1080p HDR and not worry about 4K in the truck.”

Walker, Goldman and Schubin are firmly in the “better pixels, not more pixels” camp.

“Having HDR makes for a better viewing experience from home,” said Walker. “Plus, you can absolutely see a benefit of down-mapping or tone-mapping to SDR. Viewers benefit from the entire signal processing chain using HDR. In live sports, you won’t get the highlights off the helmets, but you will get more detail in the image in the darks and brights. SDR will benefit from a native HDR production.”

Then There's Sinclair
Sinclair is doing HDR 24/7 with ATSC 3.0 over the air broadcasts in more than 30 markets nationwide (and growing).

“We absolutely see it as a business advantage at the end of the day, improving the viewing experience of our viewers,” said Goldman. ”Other than sports, it just looks more realistic—the screen pops. You don’t know you’re missing it until you’ve got it. All I have to do is show it to you. Consumers may not know what HDR is, but they know they like it, so there’s definitely a commercial advantage.”

What makes Sinclair unique is the HDR they’re using is not HDR10. “We’re using part of the ATSC 3.0 standard, A/341, and use Advanced HDR by Technicolor [SL-HDR1], as a transmission format,” said Goldman. “It’s not a new HDR format. What SL-HDR1 lets us do is send SDR video as a base layer plus an enhancement layer for HDR as part of the metadata stream. 

“The reason we do this is that it doesn’t matter how you get to the TV, it’ll display a useable picture,” Goldman added. “It’ll do great SDR—and with the SL-HDR1 metadata reconstruction—HDR with the SDR video without having to rely on the TV. We guarantee that the original artistic intent is maintained for both SDR and HDR.”

Every HDR TV uses HDMI with EDID (Extended Display Identification Data)—that’s part of the handshake between the TV and the signal device. But what are the capabilities of the display? Is it HDR? What formats? What’s the minimum light level, peak white level, colorimetry? The HDR is then adapted for that display. If it’s SDR only, that’s all it gets. Sinclair uses SL-HDR1 because, according to Goldman, it’s the only transport format that’s TV set-independent and delivers a useable picture. 

I asked both Goldman from Sinclair and Walker from AJA the same visual quality question: With all things being equal, on a scale from 1 to 10, if 1080p SDR is a 1 and 4K HDR is a 10, where would you place 1080p HDR and 4K SDR?

Both answered exactly the same: 1080p HDR sits at 8, while 4K SDR sits at 4 (Fig. 3). 

That’s the power of HDR, but it doesn’t negate shooting to archive in 4K HDR. The question is: How do you want your production perceived by viewers today… and in the years to come? 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.—LucidLink, AJA Video Systems and Telestream have announced that they are working together to provide users with a faster way to access, organize and view data in one easy workflow. 

As a result of the collaboration, the LucidLink Filespaces SaaS-based solution now provides rapid access to data through AJA Diskover Media Edition in conjunction with Telestream GLIM and the Vantage platform. LucidLink serves as a central hub uniting what are typically two disparate systems creating seamless workflows for media professionals.

“We are excited to be showing this powerful solution for media professionals at IBC 2022,” said Rupert Watson, LucidLink’s Director of Alliances and Channels, EMEA. “Pulling together the innovative technologies from AJA, Telestream, and LucidLink into one workflow brings new capabilities for creative teams to work in tandem on the same project, giving them the power to truly collaborate and create in real-time, no matter where they are based.”

The solution provides users with one workflow from three powerful solutions, the companies said. 

LucidLink’s centralized data repository provides immediate data access combined with AJA Diskover Media Edition, which helps catalog and find the right file while customers use Telestream GLIM to review the data and Vantage for transcoding. 

The combination offers great speed; LucidLink allows remote workers all over the globe to share and access data with speeds that are normally only reserved for high-speed on-prem storage.

AJA Diskover Media Edition on top of LucidLink allows organizations to very rapidly index extremely large file systems stored via LucidLink and gives users visibility to the data no matter where they are located, but without the security risks associated with full, potentially destructive access to the data.

“The media and entertainment industry is bottlenecked with unwieldy data management across production and post, while remote workflows present additional challenges for managing file locations and metadata on the cloud,” explained Nick Rashby, president, AJA Video Systems.

“AJA Diskover Media Edition removes the hurdles associated with data management, helping industry professionals work more efficiently and make more informed data decisions," he continued. "Our partnership with LucidLink further simplifies navigating cloud storage, enabling remote teams to collaborate via a streamlined workflow akin to using on-premises storage, and even move immediately from viewing of media and metadata to further production of assets with tools like Telestream’s Vantage package.”

LucidLink Filespaces provides an infinitely scalable, centralized repository of data, in the cloud, that can be immediately accessed from anywhere for teams, the companies said. 

LucidLink works on any major operating system. The client can install on any server, laptop, or workstation and mount as a local volume. As a mount point on a server, LucidLink provides a standard directory structure and instant access to data for all these various services that have never been able to integrate seamlessly. LucidLink enables AJA’s Diskover and Telestreams GLIM and Vantage servers, which are located in different parts of the world, to easily access data and work in concert with each other.

Telestream GLIM helps creative professionals quickly preview high-quality media files with color accuracy via any web browser – without generating a proxy file. With direct access to and the ability to launch the player in AJA Diskover Media Edition, professionals can now easily view and validate files located on-premises or in cloud storage as indexed by Diskover Media Edition as associated metadata. All files are shown with SCTE-35 markers, waveform view, and audio metering to ensure compliance standards on-the-fly, for any user, in any location.

Access to Telestream’s powerful Vantage platform via AJA Diskover Media Edition v2.0 gives remote workers access to centralized tools for generating proxy files or transcoding media assets for delivery. Users can now select files and send them to an on-premises or cloud-based Telestream Vantage system to create proxies or transcode the assets, regardless of user, file, or Vantage system location. Coupled with AJA Diskover Media Edition’s global index, the plug-in accelerates workflows by eliminating roundtripping between applications and streamlining files.

LucidLink will be at IBC2022 (Hall 7, Booth B06). 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—ToolsOnAir and AJA Video Systems are highlighting the role that AJA hardware plays in the ToolsOnAir technologies used for audio and video ingest and playout. 

ToolsOnAir launched the first Mac-based client-server ingest, playout, and real-time graphics solutions for broadcast, in 2010 at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Convention in Las Vegas, NV. 

Since then, the Austrian solutions developer has expanded its line of products to support live automated playout and live closed captioning, and launched a Linux-based ingest solution. Broadcasters, production facilities, houses of worship, government organizations, and educational institutions worldwide use ToolsOnAir technology to accelerate audio and video ingest and playout for production with an assist from AJA I/O hardware.

“Whether editing a religious sermon, college lecture, highlights reel, or other content, our ingest solutions help customers capture and turnaround content quickly for post,” explained ToolsOnAir ingest solutions manager Christian Schabasser. “We design all systems with AJA I/O gear to be multi-format, so users have the flexibility to work with industry-standard codecs such as Apple ProRes, XDCAM HD, AVC-I, DNxHD/HR, or H.264/HEVC in the related MOV, MXF, MP4, or AVI containers. Many clients also want to play out material to HDMI and SDI devices while simultaneously recording, whether for monitoring or streaming. In this case, we recommend complementary hardware like the AJA HELO Plus H.264 streaming and recording device.”

Depending upon the customer’s preferred operating system, ToolsOnAir solutions are either built by a reseller or systems integrator, or ship turnkey. Mac customers typically acquire the necessary Mac, AJA I/O hardware (either PCI or Thunderbolt), and a Sonnet PCIe enclosure for PCI cards, and ToolsOnAir provides the software licenses.

“Our Mac-based solution supports a range of I/O hardware, but we always recommend AJA Io and KONA solutions. We recently had a Norwegian customer use multiple AJA Io X3 in their setup, and I suspect they won’t be the last,” said ToolsOnAir Head of Operations Manuel Grund. “Io X3 is a perfect I/O box for HD needs with Thunderbolt 3 support and feature additions via AJA Desktop Software updates. It is modern, quiet, and has nearly everything imaginable, including a multi-viewer feature and many audio input options. It’s also easy to get started; you plug it in, install the drivers, and you’re off.”

ToolsOnAir builds its Linux systems in Vienna and the US, and ships them to customers with an AJA Corvid 88, Corvid 44 12G BNC, or Corvid 44 BNC card integrated.

“For clients working in HD and UltraHD, we use the Corvid 88, as it offers eight inputs, enabling eight for HD or two for UltraHD via quad-link connection. In other scenarios, where four inputs are required we use a Corvid 44 12G BNC or Corvid 44 BNC,” noted Schabasser. “Overall, our customers are enthusiastic about their experiences with these cards, and we’re seeing more demand for 12G-SDI from customers working in UltraHD.”

“As more professionals are working in high frame rate 4K and UltraHD, especially for sports and prime time productions, 12G-SDI is gaining technological favor. About 90 percent of our clients working in UltraHD are using native 12G-SDI tools,” Grund added. “It gives them the power and bandwidth required to move UltraHD signal content through the cable, still keeping the flexibility to work in HD should the project call for it.”

Considering the prominent role of I/O technology in ToolsOnAir’s line of work, the company has been an AJA Developer Partner since its inception. Grund concluded, “When we first got started, we had long discussions about choosing the proper hardware and SDK foundation to build upon, and that’s what AJA is known for in the broadcast space. Their driver base stood out, but more importantly, as a developer, their SDK allowed us to talk directly to the metal. We knew and still know that with AJA, our customers will be able to see how every single frame that goes through the card looks and can easily process each. Having a solid I/O partner like AJA has made our journey from 2010 through today much simpler.”

AJA Video Systems has announced the launch of HELO Plus, a new H.264 streaming and recording device that includes a pair of openGear 12G-SDI to fibre converters for transporting high-bandwidth signals up to 10km.

According to the company, the device is designed to “help video professionals achieve a higher production value with greater cost efficiency and a smaller gear footprint.”

Dual streaming outputs allow users to create assets with different parameter settings per output (bit rate, GOP length, frame rate, picture geometry, b-frame cadence, etc.), and feed each into one of two destinations, making it easier to create assets with different parameter settings from a single input or layered imagery from both inputs with built-in graphics abilities.

HELO Plus enables users can to select either of the encoders to drive USB, SD card, or NAS recording, and can include the output of the graphics layout compositions, said the company. Additional features include SRT support, improved scheduling options and device operation, and group control for triggered start/stop operations with Ki Pro Ultra 12G.

AJA has also unveiled updates for a number of other solutions, including FS4 v3.0 with advanced HDR workflow support; BRIDGE LIVE v1.13 with synchronous multi-channel transport for SDI backhaul or cloud contribution; BRIDGE NDI 3G v1.5 with new NDI 5 support; and Diskover Media Edition v2.0, featuring new plugins for the Telestream GLIM and Vantage software.

AJA will demo the new products at the NAB Show, April 24-27 in Las Vegas.  

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has released v4.0 firmware for its Ki Pro GO multi-channel H.264 recorder, delivering enhanced playback and control functionality to give users more flexibility in the field. 

This free update introduces third-party file playback support alongside a host of new settings improvements that help ensure more seamless setup and operation across production, post, and proAV environments, the company said. 

“Modern production and proAV environments demand flexibility in the field, especially when recording multiple simultaneous HD and SD video feeds, and we designed Ki Pro GO with this in mind. Ki Pro GO users have expressed a desire to play out H.264 files generated within their NLE applications on Ki Pro GO, which this update enables,” explained AJA President Nick Rashby. “Ki Pro GO v4.0 firmware is an extension of our work and continued commitment to helping professionals get the most out of their gear.”

Ki Pro GO v4.0 feature highlights include:

• Intuitive playback of .mp4 files originating from supported third-party applications, including Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer and Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve.
• Ability to set each device to generate 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 B-frames individually on each channel for smaller file sizes.
• New alarm functionality that makes it easy to clear outdated alerts after errors are corrected.
• Updated REST API that enables remote device shut-off.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has released a free Mini-Config v2.26.3 software update offering new functions, such as basic HDR metadata pass-through, for select models.

The software update also offers dual-link capabilities and Dolby audio support for certain models. AJA Mini-Config v2.26.3 highlights include: 

• Basic HDR metadata pass-through and optional override functionality for Hi5-12G, Hi5-4K-Plus, HA5-12G, HA5-4K, 4K2HD and 12GM, as well as new HDMI HDR Infoframe generation for 4K2HD, simplifying HDR pipelines and offering more consistent results.
• Hi5-12G, HA5-12G, HA5-4K, and Hi5-4K Plus support for BT.2020 color space.
• An enhanced Mini-Config GUI to show HDR input and output status, and an HDR metadata override tab in Mini-Config.
• Dual-link capabilities for 12GM, including 2x1.5G, 2x3G, 2x6G for inputs and outputs and HA5-4K, including 2x1.5G output.
• Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus audio pass-through support for Hi5-12G and Hi5-4K Plus.
• Compatible with macOS and Windows.

“As the demand for audio and video has increased dramatically in the last few years across a range of markets and new technologies have emerged, professionals across industries are leaning more heavily on conversion technology, whether for a newscast or live event, post production, virtual instruction, medical training, or a host of other applications,” said AJA president Nick Rashby.

“Our latest Mini-Config release brings AJA Mini-Converter customers new features that make this process much simpler and reflect customer feedback, while also extending the value of their investments, and we encourage all users to download it today," he continued.

A free AJA Mini-Config v2.26.3 download is available on the company’s website.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems today introduced Io X3, a Thunderbolt 3-connected video and audio I/O device offering HDR and SDR 2K/HD capture and output via 3G-SDI and HDMI.

Small, rugged and easy to transport, Io X3 enables high-quality HDR I/O up to 2K/HD 60p on compatible Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac or PC hosts running professional video and audio applications, the company said.

"Today’s production environments demand increased content volume with fast turnaround, and the predominance of HD-centric workflows require[s] flexible tools to support timely delivery of that material,” said Nick Rashby, company president. “Io X3 simplifies complexities of video and audio workflows by providing teams with an affordable and high-quality solution for Thunderbolt 3-connected I/O on SDI and HDMI or multichannel I/O over SDI, helping video professionals at home, on site or in studio work more efficiently and with greater ease.”

Io X3 features include:

• Dual Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports connect with modern Mac or PC laptops and desktop workstations and support daisy chain functionality
• HDR support across SDI and HDMI ports
• Four 3G-SDI bi-directional connections support single-, dual- or multi-link workflows up to 2K/HD p60 YCbCr 10-bit or p30 RGB 12-bit
• HDMI 1.4b I/O up to 2K/HD p60 YCbCr 10-bit or p30 RGB 12-bit I/O; HDR via 2.0 spec implementation
• Multiviewer functionality for displaying up to four inputs for streaming workflows on a single HDMI reference monitor
• The latest macOS Monterey and Windows 11 support and compatibility across both Apple M1 chip or Intel based systems
• Optional rackmount kit for efficient rack mounting of two devices side by side, enabling up to eight channels of HD I/O in 1RU
• Eight-channel analog audio I/O via DB25 connection
• Analog audio ports are switchable between input and output, enabling users to swap between eight channels in or out or split connectivity between four inputs and four outputs
• Up to 16-channels of embedded audio on each SDI port and up to 8-channels on HDMI
• 3.5mm stereo analog audio connection for headphones
• Dedicated reference, TLC input and LTC output connections
• RS-422 control port for tape-based workflows
• Runs quiet for critical monitoring environments where silence is required 
• Includes AJA drivers and software plug-ins with support for Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Creative Cloud, Avid Media Composer, Telestream Wirecast and OBS
• Three-year AJA warranty and technical support.

Available now via AJA’s reseller network, the Io X3 has a manufacturer suggested retail price of $1,500.

More information is available on the company’s website.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has unveiled Desktop Software version 16.2 for all KONA, Io and T-TAP Pro products as well as the 16.2 version of the AJA software development kit for the company’s development partners.

The new release offers workflow enhancements like support for the latest macOS, OBS Studio compatibility, improved 12-bit 4:4:4, RGB workflows for 4K/UHD, upgraded LUT functionality, new codec and special playback support in Control Room and expanded multichannel audio, the company said.

The release is an integral part of the launch of Io X3, the company’s Thunderbolt 3 connected mobile capture and output device, it said. 

Available as a free download, Desktop Software v16.2 includes support for macOS Monterey and Windows 11. When installed on a system running OBS Studio v27.2 or higher, users will have immediate access to select AJA devices for multi- or single-channel capture and switching up to 4K/UltraHD 30p and 2K/HD 60p, the company said.

Desktop Software v16.2 also enables greater flexibility and more accurate, vivid 4K/UltraHD color workflows due to new 12-bit, 4:4:4, RGB firmware for KONA 5 and Corvid 44 12G, with support for a full 12-bit pipeline across capture-to-color-space conversion and output, the company said. 

This functionality is backed by an upgrade to the .cube format for all 12-bit and 10-bit LUT capabilities, bringing greater compatibility between AJA hardware and third-party color and mastering applications, it said.

Workflow options with included AJA Control Room software are expanded through the addition of H.264 and H.265 capture and playback up to 2K/HD 60p, including timecode and closed captioning support, and provide seamless compatibility with mobile devices, PC and AJA Ki Pro GO media. 

The release also includes new deep memory buffer capabilities for Control Room to maintain steady, pristine playback in the event that storage or network bottlenecks interrupt the flow of data from storage to the video output host. With the introduction of Io X3, a new MultiView feature allows up to four incoming SDI sources to be monitored on a single external HDMI monitor, providing a confidence view for multi-channel workflows with OBS Studio and Telestream Wirecast, it said.

AJA’s SDK v16.2 is available via traditional AJA Developer Program enrollment and Open Source. The SDK offers several new features, including 64/32 audio channel support with KONA 5, Corvid 44 12G, Corvid 88 and Corvid 44, enabling users to ingest and output up to 64 discrete audio channels across multiple SDI links, it said.

Participants in the AJA Developer Program can download SDK v16.2 for free. The Open Source Developer community can access the AJA SDK from AJA’s GitHub page.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has launched BRIDGE NDI 3G, high-performance 1RU appliance that enables reliable, high density, and high quality conversion to/from SDI and NewTek’s NDI video over IP protocol. 

The flexible, intuitive gateway device supports multi-channel 4K and HD workflows and is designed to help broadcast, production and proAV professionals move seamlessly between various platforms, protocols, and connectivity types, AJA said. 

“As IP’s advantages become more readily apparent, NDI is picking up steam across the broadcast, production and proAV markets,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “Going all-in on IP, however, isn’t a reality for facilities with significant SDI infrastructure, which is why we’ve created BRIDGE 3G NDI. Facilities can use BRIDGE NDI 3G to easily integrate a range of 3G-SDI sources into NDI workflows. It’s designed to help customers make the most out of their current gear while taking advantage of popular IP video advancements in the market.” 

BRIDGE NDI 3G has dual 10GigE onboard NICs for NDI I/O, as well as high-density SDI connections for up to 16 channels of 3G-SDI I/O – offering up to four channels of 4K or 16-channels of HD, or a mixture of HD and 4K NDI encodes/decodes in a compact form-factor.

The device has an intuitive interface and system administration screen for quick configuration, the company said. Using a standard web browser, technicians, engineers, operators, and producers can access the interface remotely to view and manage content, including local monitoring preferences. BRIDGE NDI 3G can be used to convert SDI camera and playout sources into NDI streams, enabling simple integration into NDI supported workflows, including virtualized productions leveraging NDI-based switchers. 

Using a common network, these sources can be located anywhere within a facility, allowing seamless integration of various production islands into a unified workflow. 

Conversely, NDI streams can be converted back into SDI ecosystems via BRIDGE NDI 3G’s configurable I/O, allowing NDI signals to move back into SDI routing systems and traditional baseband workflows.

Device configuration and management are simple via a local interface, or remotely from a web browser interface or REST API, the company said. 

The rack-mountable appliance supports UYVY and UYVA 4:2:2, 8-bit and P216, for NDI, and for SDI, YCbCr 4:2:2, 10-bit. It simplifies the integration of graphics and/or 4K sources into workflows with one-click grouping controls for video-and-key, and for 4K via 3G I/O. BRIDGE NDI 3G includes dual power supplies for redundancy.

For more information, visit: www.aja.com/products/bridge-ndi-3g.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—Part of AJA Video Systems’ success over the years can be attributed to our strong engineering ethic and attention to detail. We like to work closely with our customers to solve challenges that naturally occur in complex video environments. For us, PHABRIX Qx and QxL test and measurement equipment is a vital part of that process and we currently run 11 of their devices—seven in engineering and four for automated testing in manufacturing.

We probably work with 300-400 different video signal formats, a number that continues to grow as our customers innovate their workflows. To this end, having access to the broad range of signals that PHABRIX covers is extremely useful.

TESTING FOR SUCCESS

When I joined AJA seven years ago, one of the first things that stood out was the sheer amount of testing gear within the company. We’re a company that was founded—and is still run—by an engineer, and he appreciates allocating resources to the equipment budget for test gear. That's critical for development engineering to be successful.

PHABRIX is part of our testing kit and our involvement with PHABRIX Qx came about around 2018, when we also started to focus on 12G-SDI.

Although IP momentum is steadily building, 12G-SDI is popular among many in the broadcast industry, as it solves some of the most pressing challenges they face today. PHABRIX Qx has proven an enabler in validating and testing our complete line of 12G-SDI products, helping us to ensure they’re field-ready

We originally selected the Qx for its comprehensive toolset and 12G-SDI coverage—an offering considered to be well ahead of its competitors at the time. It has been an integral part of our setup ever since, and each department uses the technology in a unique way.

In engineering, it may be used for specific validation tests or to troubleshoot, while manufacturing testing uses it in a more automated way by writing a test script to drive the Qx to perform repetitive testing.

We largely use the Qx’s single link 12G-SDI and quad-link 3G-SDI interfaces. Beyond that, we’ve come to rely on the responsiveness of the PHABRIX team to help sort out any challenges we encounter. Given the scope of our products and the markets we serve—from television broadcasters to Hollywood content producers, ProAV, healthcare, and beyond—you can imagine those challenges are rather wide-ranging.

SUPPORTING MANY SIGNALS

If we were just developing products for television, we'd primarily test YCbCr 10-bit 50/59 fps signals, but since our products end up in so many different applications, we need to support a broad range of signals, raster sizes, frame rates, and color spaces. The Qx has been very helpful in those circumstances.

And while 12G-SDI has been a critical part of our success in recent years, we have also developed a number of well-regarded products in the evolving IP space. As a result, the last unit that we purchased from PHABRIX was an IP-enabled QxL.

The QxL is assisting us on the IP pathway, but the demand for 12G-SDI remains strong, and we will continue to grow our product portfolio to align with industry needs. In this respect, I’m sure we’re not too far off from another QxL investment. 

For more information visit www.phabrix.com.  

BUSAN, South Korea—The Korean Racing Authority (KRA) recently upgraded its broadcast system with two AJA Ki Pro GO digital recorders to streamline fail-proof primary and backup H.264 recording to central network-attached storage (NAS), the company said.

KRA’s Busan branch on average captures 20 live races per day, eight days per month. They range from three to five minutes per video. KRA, one of the leading horseracing companies in South Korea with venues in Seoul, Busan and Jeju, integrated the Ki Pro GO because it needed a reliable, professional-grade recording solution supporting high-quality multi-channel H.264 capture to an internal NAS, the company said.

Simple setup and operation through Ki Pro GO’s web-based UI and intuitive design enable the team to record pristine HD content from 10 cameras, managed via Sony switchers and a 128x128 router. The dual Ki Pro GOs capture races directly to the NAS storage volume, allowing the team to share recordings easily and instantly with multiple users for archival and post-production purposes. Recorded footage is edited via NLEs, then distributed immediately for on-demand viewing via web channels, including the KRA website, YouTube and Kakao TV, it said.

“Ki Pro GO has simplified our recording workflow and saved our team time and money throughout productions,” said Do Cheol Hee, manager, KRA Department of Broadcasting. “We can immediately access recorded content via network drives, allowing us to speed through editorial and more rapidly deliver final content.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has announced the expansion of its lineup of openGear compatible 12G-SDI Fiber Converters with a pair of new OG-FiDO 12G cards for receiving signals from LC Fiber or ST Fiber and converting those signals to baseband 12G-SDI. 

The OG-FiDO-R-12G-ST is a Fiber receiver that supports single-channel conversion from ST Fiber to 12G-SDI. 

The OG-FiDO-2R-12G offers dual-channel conversion from LC Fiber to 12G-SDI. Both new models receive 12G-SDI signals from standard Fiber video sources, including AJA FiDO Mini-Converters.

“Fiber solutions are critical for facilities looking to reduce cable runs while also having the ability to securely send high-bandwidth signals very long distances, and we’ve witnessed a surge in demand from customers looking to upgrade to 12G-SDI infrastructures,” said Nick Rashby, president, AJA Video Systems. “In response, we’ve released two new robust and powerful OG-FiDO 12G openGear receiver cards – joining the OG-FiDO-TR-12G Fiber transceiver – that offer reliable conversion within a compact, high-density, rack mountable form factor.”

In addition to the new OG-FiDO 12G cards, AJA has also released a collection of new firmware updates for select AJA openGear card models, including OG-ROI-HDMI, OG-ROI-DVI, OG-ROI-SDI, OG-HA5-4K and OG-12GM. 

More information is available here.  

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has announced the T-TAP Pro, a compact Thunderbolt 3-connected device designed to simplify 4K/UHD and 2K/HD/SD monitoring and output over 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 on compatible computers.

T-TAP Pro can be used for high-end color grading, audio mixing, editorial and visual effects, as well as on-set monitoring and playback from any location, AJA says. The device powers HDR and high frame rate video monitoring up to 4K/UHD.

On the audio side, T-TAP Pro features multichannel embedded audio on SDI and HDMI, and a 3.5mm stereo analog audio connection for monitoring audio, which allows users to plug in headphones directly to the device or connect to an external analog audio mixer.

Additional features include 10- and 12-bit uncompressed quality; HDR support for Hybrid Log Gamma and HDR10, as well as Dolby Vision; 16-channel embedded SDI audio output; eight-channel HDMI audio output; and front panel audio levels reference display.

T-TAP Pro is compatible with editorial, graphics, effects, color and streaming applications like Apple Final Cut Pro; Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition and Character Animator; Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools; and more.

AJA has announced that Colorfront is among those working to develop T-TAP Pro support across its technology.

T-TAP Pro is now available from AJA for $795. For more information, visit www.aja.com.  

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—Live streaming has become an integral part of how the City of Santa Barbara has communicated with its residents, thanks in part to AJA technology that has been incorporated into the city’s live streaming infrastructure.

City TV Production streams and records all City of Santa Barbara council meetings and other programming to YouTube, which members of the community can watch either live or on-demand. Content is captured using 12 HD cameras across three meeting rooms that are connected to a master control room via fiber and Cat5e cabling. Audio and video feeds are sent out of each room through a production switcher to create the main feed, which is then sent through a router to one of three AJA HELO H.264 streaming devices.

AJA U-TAP SDIs are also used by City TV, connected via USB to local computers to ensure a clean signal for adding virtual participants via apps like GoTo Meeting or Zoom. The received video feed is then sent through an AJA HELO for live streaming to YouTube.  AJA Ki Pro Rack recorders are also in use to backup Apple ProRes codec on AJA KiStor drives.

Other AJA products used as part of the infrastructure include AJA Mini-Converters to support conversion between SDI and HDMI equipment, as well as AJA FS1 converters/frame synchronizers to facilitate conversion of analog component material to HD-SDI for import into the production system.

The AJA HELO also is part of City TV’s live streaming flypack, which includes three HD cameras, a switcher, a router and an AJA HELO in the event of off-site production.

The City TV infrastructure was built by Triton Technology Solutions.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has begun shipping its new 12G-AM, a 12G-SDI eight-channel AES audio embedder/disembedder converter.

A range of models is available, including optional LC Fiber and ST Fiber versions for transmitting and receiving 12G-SDI signals over distances up to 6.2 miles via a single optical cable.

“To further simplify production and streamline workflows with single-cable transport solutions, we’re bolstering our product lineup of 12G-SDI mini-converters with the new 12G-AM and LC Fiber and ST Fiber models, featuring rugged reliability and conversion power within a portable and compact device,” said AJA Video Systems President Nick Rashby.

The new product supports 12G-SDI BNC input and output up to 4K UHD, simultaneous audio embed and disembed functions and eight-channel balanced XLR input and output via a supplied breakout cable. The 12G-AM is also available in five 12G-SDI Fiber model variations, including 12G-SDI Fiber transmitter, receiver and transceiver models and ST Fiber transmitters and receivers, the company said.

With the new AJA Mini-Config v2.26.0 free software update, available from the company’s website, simple control and configuration is available via a USB connection. All models ship with a universal power supply, it said.

The company has announced MSRP pricing for the 12G-AM and all Fiber models, which includes:

• 12G-AM: $995 
• 12G-AM-R: $1,295 
• 12G-AM-R-ST: $1,395 
• 12G-AM-T: $1,295 
• 12G-AM-T-ST: $1,395 
• 12G-AM-TR: $1,395 

More information is available on the company’s website. 

MONTREAL—Four prominent industry companies have joined the SRT Alliance, taking membership to more than 450 firms, the organization said.

With AJA Video Systems, Dalet, NTT TechnoCross Corp. and Ross Video joining the alliance, the number of industry organizations signing up over the past three months has topped 50. Haivision established the SRT Alliance to support the SRT Open Source project.

“We’re thrilled to see how the enthusiasm for the open source SRT technology, and the SRT Alliance, has continued to grow,” said Jesús (Suso) Carrillo, director of the SRT Alliance for Haivision.

“By joining the SRT Alliance, industry leaders like Dalet, Ross and AJA are showing their commitment to addressing today’s challenges in live and remote production and delivering exceptional solutions for their clients,” he said.

The alliance also has announced the return of the SRT Tuesday webinar series and SRT Plugfest, which runs Dec. 8-10, hosted by Haivision and the SRT Alliance. The webinar series examines the SRT innovations of alliance members.

Upcoming SRT Tuesday webinars will be presented by:

• Easyline.io, Nov. 3 at 9 a.m. ET 
• Primestream, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. ET 
• Dalet, Dec. 1 at 9 a.m. ET 
• SRT Plugfest Kickoff Webinar, Dec. 8 at 9 a.m. ET 
• AJA Video System, Jan. 26, 2021, at 9 a.m. ET 
• BirdDog, Feb. 9, 2021, at 9 a.m. ET 

More information is available on the SRT Alliance website. 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—High school AV departments are upping their games these days, like some Texas high schools that are utilizing AJA Video Systems technology for their own TV studios for students to produce and broadcast a live daily news show.

Prosper Rock High School in Frisco, Texas, worked with Digital Resources, a Texas-based AV systems integrator, to construct its on-campus TV studio, while Fort Worth’s Northwest Independent School District collaborated with Digital Resources in constructing the Creative Media Production Academy to train students in 3D animation, live event production, broadcast and more.

With these facilities, students learn how to deliver daily newscasts from start to finish, serving as the production crew, news anchors, director/technical director and floor director. 

Digital Resources installed AJA equipment for both projects. This includes the two AJA Ki Pro Ultra 4K/UHD and 2K/HD recording devices—one for master recording and playback and the other for ISO recording. An AJA Helo H.264 streaming and recording device is also standard at both facilities to stream content to the schools’ websites and social platforms. The AJA Kumo 1616 router was provided for routing signals in and around the studio without degradation.

“We’re helping schools bring that broadcast studio experience to the classroom, including all the standard production equipment, and AJA gear is always a part of our designs,” said Tim Bock, director of marketing and sales at Digital Resources. “It’s a staple in most modern studio environments, easy for students to learn quickly, and highly affordable, which is ideal for schools with tight budgets.”

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has announced that it is joining the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) Alliance, part of what AJA says is its mission to meet customer demand for secure, reliable streaming video pipelines.

The SRT Alliance is an open-source initiative that seeks to overcome the challenges of low-latency video streaming. As a member, AJA plans to explore how it can improve streaming offerings by integrating the open source technology into its products.

This includes the latest AJA product, Bridge Live, a multichannel live video encoding, decoding, streaming and transcoding platform. Bridge Live is a platform for live video streaming to a range of content delivery platforms with support for SRT and other protocols. It can deliver different streaming protocols and packages with ad markers, closed captions, back-hauling broadcast signals, OTT, transcoding and more.

“SRT and the SRT Alliance are more relevant than ever, as organizations, businesses and institutions around the world have embraced remote working and production in 2020,” said Nick Rashby, president of AJA. “Connecting with employees, customers, students and other audiences on a global scale via video requires a secure and reliable transport mechanism, which is why we’ve built SRT support into Bridge Live.”

Haivision founded the SRT Alliance in 2017, and the organization now has more than 400 member companies. For more information, visit www.srtalliance.org.  

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA has announced that it is joining Panasonic’s Kairos Alliance Partners program as a verified hardware partner with the Kairos IP live production platform in an effort to establish Kairos as a new standard for live production 

With this new partnership, AJA’s IP ST 2110 Mini-Converters, which are designed for the transmission, transport and reception of IP video for both encoding and decoding, are compatible with Kairos. This includes AJA’s IPT-10G2-HDMI, IPT-10G2-SDI, IPR-10G2-HDMI and IPR-10G2-SDI transmitter and receiver models.

“As remote production continues gaining traction in 2020, IP solutions are critical for ensuring production crews are able to control equipment from any location and collaborate at safe distances,” said Nick Rashby, president, AJA Video Systems. “AJA’s partnership with Panasonic around Kairos further improves IP workflow for live production, with our powerful fleet of IP Mini-Converters for bridging HDMI and SDI with IP fully integrated with Kairos and Panasonic’s live switching platform.”

For more information, visit www.aja.com.  

GRASS VALLEY, Calf.—AJA has announced that the latest firmware update for its FS-HDR real-time HDR/WCG converter and frame synchronizer, v4.0, is now available. Among the new features included in the firmware is a Colorfront Engine TV Mode and v1.4 BBC HLG LUTs.

The Colorfront Engine TV Mode provides new color and camera correction essentials, adding Knee Point and Knee Slope controls for managing highlights and roll-off in SDR and HDR conversion. The mode makes more HDRimage information accessible for use in SDR down-conversions, as well as help with SDR to HDR expansion. Color fidelity of SDR brand colors are maintained by using seamless round-tripping, per AJA.

The v4.0 firmware also includes 1.4 BBC HLG LUTs and a LUT 9 for HLG to SDR display-light conversions. There is also support for a wider range of camera metadata management schemes to streamline the pass-through of camera and lens metadata through FS-HDR to downstream devices for on-set applications. HDR components of the SDI output VPID can be configured on a channel-by-channel basi as well.

FS-HDR v4.0 is now available as a free download. For more information, visit AJA’s website. 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA is rolling out four new products it says are designed to help professionals stay up to date with the needs for live and on-demand content.

Among the new products is Bridge Live, a turnkey 1RU system meant to simplify the transport of UHD or multichannel HD video between uncompressed baseband SDI to/from different streaming and contribution codecs (H.265, H.264, MPEG-2 and JPEG 2000) in real time. Bridge Live is a plug-and-play unit that supports an array of containers and protocols, including SRT, RTMP/S, RTP, UDP and MPEG-TS, and extends to Adaptive Bitrate ladder profiles and hand off for OTT packaging. The unit provides video processing with SDI encode or decode for one channel of UHD up  to 60p, or up to four channels of 1080 60p HD simultaneously, via four 12G-SDI connections, which are backward compatible to 6G, 3G and 1.5G SDI.

OG-DANTE-12GAM is a new high density, openGear-compatible system for bridging 12G/6G/3G SDI sources with embedded audio to and from Dante IP audio ecosystem with 64 channels of simultaneous bridging. With industry-wide compatibility with openGear frames, OG-DANTE-12GAM allows for up to 640 channels of SDI/Dante audio bridging within a single 2RU frame housing 10 cards.

Also debuting is the OG-ROI-SDI platform, an openGear scan converter that enables conversion of 3G-SDI input and Region of Interest selection to 3G-SDI and HDMI mirrored outputs. It offers audio functionality, image scaling, aspect and frame rate conversion and image rotation, including frame sync functionality. With Region of Interest support, professionals can extract video source signals for scan convert, scaling and conversion to HDMI and SDI from SDI sources.

AJA is also making a firmware update available for the Ki Pro Ultra 12G. Version 2.0 for the 12G single-channel 4K/UHD recorder/player includes new input frame sync for genlock-free recording and 8K link VPID to power 8K/UHD2 workflows.

All of these products are now available. For more information, visit www.aja.com.  

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—Earlier this summer, AJA joined PT SportSuite’s team to help bring the Three Team Cricket (3TC) Solidarity Cup to fans live from South Africa. It did so by utilizing the Helo H.264 streamer/recorder from AJA.

PT SportSuite had three Helo units on hand to deliver live feeds of matches to a microsite the PT SportSuite team developed for the event. Two Helo units were connected to an on-site OB truck via SDI, and streamed footage over IP to the Amazon Web Service cloud-based media processing and content distribution infrastructure. Because of the mobile production, PT SportSuite configured the Helos for redundant inputs, assigning each to a different cellular broadband provider. 

The third Helo was positioned at the PT SportSuite Cape Town office for automatic failover in case of an emergency, AJA said.

Because of the demand for sport, and the current inability to have fans present at events, PT SportSuite believes that similar setups for what it had at the 3TC championship will be necessary.

For more information, visit www.aja.com.  

PALISADES, N.Y.—The Video Call Center (VCC) is assisting content producers in meeting the challenge of integrating video shot with smartphones, tablets and laptop computers into broadcast-quality productions during the COVID-19 pandemic by combining tools like the AJA Video HELO H.264 streamer/recorder and ROI scan converter with its own video call production platform, VCC announced. 

“HELO is one of my favorite tools,” said Jackie Lennon, manager, Marketing & Administration, at the VCC. “It allows us to run our business the way we want, while also allowing our clients to reap the full benefits of our solutions.”

During live shows, the call center optimizes each remote based on the smart device in use, apps used to make calls and internet connections. It adjusts lights and camera angles to ensure clean video feeds—often making these adjustments in seconds, the VCC said.

“We can monitor, take care of quality and framing control from anywhere with an internet connection, without adding additional latency,” said Lennon, who added that the ability to record with HELO has been helpful.

PLUS: VCC Assists With Live Interviews for CBS Animated Series

The AJA Video HELO plays a crucial role in monitoring the quality of all the video calls, the VCC said. Before HELO was introduced into the VCC setup, endpoints and call producers needed to be in the same location. HELO makes it possible to monitor real-time feeds remotely from anywhere.

The AJA Video ROI mini-converter has enabled required video outputs and supports a diverse range of audio formats that clients request, the VCC added.

More than 30 AJA Video HELO units are located at the facilities of VCC clients, and a few more are on-site at the company’s headquarters to enable its Host Automation Tool (HAT) workflow, the company said. 

More information is available on the AJA Video and VCC websites.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA has introduced a handful of new models to its family of 12G-SDI mini converters that are designed to expand fiber connectivity for transferring of 12G-SDI.

Among the new models is the FiDO-T-12G-ST and FiDO-R-12G-ST units, which are designed for single-channel conversion between 12G-SDI and ST Fiber. The FiDO-T model is a single-channel 12G-SDI to single-mode ST Fiber transmitter, with 12G-SDI loop out. The FiDO-R model is a single-channel, single-mode ST Fiber to 12G-SDI receiver, featuring dural 12G-SDI outputs. Both models include ST connectors and feature compact profiles for small spaces.

Then there is the HA5-12G-T-ST and Hi5-12G-R-ST that support conversion between HDMI 2.0 and 12G-SDI and ST Fiber. The HA5 converts HDMI 2.0 to 12G-SDI for 4K/UHD single link outputs and includes 12G ST Fiber connectivity for transporting signals over long distances. Hi5 is a 12G-SDI to HDMI 2.0 mini converter with 12G ST Fiber connectivity that supports up to 60p for 4K/UHD. There is also unique HDR support with HDR10 metadata, as well as HLG over HDMI.

AJA also has the 12G-AMA, a four-channel analog audio embedder/disembedder with support for 12G-SDI BNC input and output up to 4K/UHD. The embed and disembed functions are simultaneously active, and the supplied breakout cable offers four-channel balanced XLR input and output. The unit is also available with 12G LC Fiber transmitter, receiver and transceiver models, as well as 12G ST Fiber transmitter and receiver models.

All of the new models run on 5-16VDC power.

In addition, AJA now has FIBERST-1RX-12G and FIBERST-1TX-12G SFP modules. The 1RX supports 12G-AMA and Hi5, while the 1TX supports the 12G-AMA and HA5.

For more information, visit www.aja.com. 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has announced a firmware update for its Ki Pro Go H.264 recorder and player, v2.0. 

The new firmware is designed to offer improved H.264 recording quality and reliability, including recording support for up to 25 Mbps, 10-bit and 4:2:2 color space. There is also expanded timecode capabilities with LTC, enhanced super out and front panel audio monitoring, in-system drive formatting, network file downloads and gang recording support.

Ki Pro Go v2.0 offers up to four simultaneous HD or SD recording from HDMI or SDI sources. Users can select from five recording settings ranging from Low, which can be used for things like talking heads and security recording, Medium for more complex content and High for things like sports (Med-Low and Med-High are the other two options).

The super out and front panel audio monitoring features display the remaining media percentage and audio meters for all four video channels. The LTC timecode option is available for one of the analog audio inputs, enabling the second to function as a mono input.

Additional features include new in-system media formatting that eliminates a need for a second PC; network file downloading for use in live production environments and allows for moving recorded files to a central server on the LAN; and gang support to connect to multiple Ki Pro Go devices over Ethernet and be able to control the entire group using one unit via Ki Pro Go’s web-based user interface or front panel button controls.

The Ki Pro Go v2.0 firmware is now available as a free download. For more information, visit www.aja.com.  

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has unveiled the Ki Pro Ultra 12G, a single-channel 4K/Ultra-HD recorder and player or four-channel HD recorder with 12G-SDI connectivity.

The new product supports single-channel 4K/Ultra-HD up to 50/60p recording and playback, and playback to and from Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHR. Connectivity options include 12G-SDI, HDMI v2.0 and optical fiber input and outputs. It also can be used to record as many as four channels of HD up to 1080 50/60p with independent ProRes profiles per channel.

“Demand for 12G-SDI solutions is soaring as production professionals strive to create more streamlined workflows with enough bandwidth to carry higher fidelity HDR, high frame rate and 4K/UltraHD signals over a single cable,” said Nick Rashby, president, AJA Video Systems. 

“Building upon the same framework of the production-proven Ki Pro Ultra Plus, we’ve developed the next-generation Ki Pro Ultra 12G to offer recording and playback of the highest quality video signals with 12G-SDI connectivity to streamline recording and playback—whether on set, in live venues or within a broadcast studio.”

Features include:

The AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G is now available and has a manufacturer’s suggested price of $3,995.

More information is available on the AJA website.

LAS VEGAS—AJA will not be taking part in the 2020 NAB Show, as the company announced that it was withdrawn from the annual industry conference in Las Vegas because of the risks from the coronavirus (COVID-19) and for the “health and safety of our employees and partners worldwide.”

AJA’s plans to share its NAB Show product announcements, demos, channel partner meeting and press conference instead as web-based video conferences. No date has been announced for these web-based video conferences.

This marks the first exhibitor to announce that they will not attend the 2020 NAB Show as a result of concerns over COVID-19.

NAB has said that plans for the show have not changed and is set to go on as scheduled in Las Vegas from April 18-22. The organization has made a resource page available for attendees to find best practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19. 

"Our thoughts are will all members of our show community who are affected by the coronavirus and cannot join us this year," NAB Show said on its resource page. "We are in contact with the exhibitors and attendees who are impacted by travel restrictions and working with them on options in the absence of being able to attend in 2020. With the exception of these extraordinary cases, we are not seeing any unusual cancellations from exhibitors. Likewise, our attendee registration continue to pace with the normal patterns we see year-over-year." 

The Las Vegas Convention Center has also announced its efforts in helping to prevent transmission. 

TV TECHNOLOGY: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2020 NAB Show?

NICK RASHBY: We’re going to see momentum for new products and technologies that support 8K/UltraHD workflows continue to build at the NAB Show as broadcasters prepare for 8K production and delivery of the upcoming Summer Games in Tokyo. In line with this trend, 12G-SDI technology will return as a key focus this year, supporting studios, venues and trucks with the bandwidth needed to transport higher raster content with simpler cabling. Though interest in high dynamic range has drawn attention at the show for a few years now, approaches to HDR broadcast, production and post are still evolving, so this year at the show we expect to see a range of advancements geared toward helping professionals perfect how they capture, edit, color, monitor and deliver HDR. Similarly, as adoption of IP continues to grow, a number of hybrid SDI/IP solutions are emerging, and technology providers are likely to demonstrate new tools that help them refine those approaches.

TVT: What will be your most important product news?

RASHBY: The NAB Show is a big show for AJA, and one where we’ve established a history of announcing important technology for our customers. It’s also a time where we’re able to highlight products that have already been market-tested, and speak to how they’re being applied in different environments. Every one of our solutions on display is engineered to give customers more flexibility to create and deliver reliable, high-quality video. Attendees can also look forward to some exciting announcements from AJA at the show, focused on the technologies that our customers have asked for, with several major new products designed to move industry workflows ahead. 

Powering 8K HDR post production with the new Mac Pro, our KONA 5 will be on display driving 8K 60p imagery from within popular NLE software. For the latest HDR workflows, we will be showcasing our HDR Image Analyzer 12G, and the  powerful FS-HDR real-time HDR/WCG converter and frame synchronizer. Our broad range of 12G-SDI gear including Mini-Converters and KUMO routers will also be on display and make it easy to transport higher bandwidth content over a single cable. We’ll also highlight our family of Ki Pro digital video recorders, a variety of solutions for hybrid IP workflows and streaming tools that facilitate a range of workflows, including our standalone HELO H.264 streaming recorder. Drop by our booth in the lower South Hall (SL3316) to check out what we have on display and chat with one of our product experts.  

TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?

RASHBY: At AJA, we strive to develop a diverse range of solutions that answer common demands for professionals from live production to post production and distribution. All of our products are designed, assembled and tested at our headquarters in Grass Valley, Calif. Customers also receive access to our world-class technical support, advanced replacement policies and generous warranties. For more details on our latest product releases, visit: www.aja.com/whatsnew. Stay tuned for updates coming to the page on day one of NAB. 

TVT: What is it about the NAB Show that brings you back every year? 

RASHBY: The NAB Show draws the industry together. It’s a place where technology developers, customers and partners converge to catch up and also form new relationships. The one-on-one face time we get with partners, customers and friends is invaluable. The show is also a good testbed, in that we can talk to customers about the challenges they’re facing and how we can address them, as well as uncover how our products are being used in unexpected ways. Since most communication in the industry is done via email, phone and text, the NAB Show is a welcome reprieve through which we get a chance to put down our devices and engage with the community in person. 

MIAMI—New World Symphony’s mission is simple: to share the beauty of classical music as widely as possible. In today’s digital world where the traditional concert hall model no longer resonates with young modern audiences, it’s critical we make the symphony experience more dynamic and interactive to keep pace with the times.

More than a decade ago, NWS launched the WALLCAST series, using state-of-the-art audio and visual technology to broadcast live concert hall performances via simulcasts to thousands of fans at SoundScape Park in Miami. We recently celebrated our 100th WALLCAST simulcast in October 2019 and finalized upgrading our production to 4K HDR with a range of 12G-SDI technology from AJA. Moving to 4K HDR is critical to elevating the audience experience and enabling NWS to better reach both traditional and modern patrons and donors.

THE 4K HDR SETUP

Each 4K UHD simulcast is projected via three Christie 35,000 lumen 4K projectors as a 100x70-foot video. For video capture, we’ve tapped over a dozen cameras and a range of mini-cameras located throughout the concert hall and on-stage—most on robotic heads, but a handful manually operated or on a jib.

AJA 12GM and FiDO-TR-12G Mini-Converters are attached to each of the Panasonic and UHD micro cameras and transform their 3G-SDI signal outputs to single-link fiber 12G-SDI signals that are sent to the production control room. AJA FiDOs in the control room receive the 12G-SDI fiber signals and convert them to baseband 12G-SDI. Six channels are recorded to servers, with four additional recording channels sent to AJA’s Ki Pro Ultra Plus for ISO and backup records. Our upgraded setup is capable of running three versions of HDR content, though we typically simulcast in SDR.

12G-SDI SIGNAL CONVERSION

We have more than 40 pieces of AJA equipment integrated into our 4K UHD upgrade, and the 12GM Mini-Converters have proven to be an extremely affordable solution to an expensive problem. For our workflow, we chose 12G-SDI in part because of compatibility with our existing HD cable system and for 12GSDI and HD-SDI interconnectivity with simplified cabling.

To upgrade each of our 13 cameras from quad link to single-cable 12G-SDI would have cost upwards of $10,000 per device. For $895 per camera, we can get the same result by attaching a 12GM quad to 12G-SDI Mini-Converter, which combines and converts signals at the same quality level with no latency. Incorporating AJA’s 12GM Mini-Converters into the workflow effectively upgrades camera output to 12G-SDI at one tenth of the price, saving us nearly $120,000 without any loss of quality in the video output.

LIVE PRODUCTION AND BEYOND

By the time a WALLCAST is complete, my team of 10 video pros has spent nearly 300 hours to deliver 800-900 shots, excluding time spent prior to the show creating graphics and interstitial videos. Prior to each performance, we also review the conductor’s score to determine the final musician counts and precise musical arrangement for each piece, in order to create stage diagrams and storyboards to map out each shot’s framing and duration. With our NWS video systems upgraded to full UHD with Ravenna audio, we are taking video production to the next level and even traveling around the world to produce 4K content for concerts.

Dan Slentz is the chief video engineer at New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy. He can be reached at Dan.Slentz@nws.edu.

For more information, visit www.aja.com or call 530-274-2048.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—To help manage its live streaming quality and workload, Cornell University Athletics has added AJA’s HELO H.264 streaming and recording devices as new members of the Big Red team.

With Cornell charged with streaming regular matches of 16 sports and ancillary content to multiple channels—including ESPN+, the international Ivy League Network on Stretch Internet and social media channels—HELO is used to support nearly every live sports production at the university.

To do so, two units are located in a central control room on campus and a third is reserved for a flypack. Camera feeds at each venue are connected to a flypack that travels to every game and can receive up to eight feeds. Signals are transmitted via NDI across the network to the control room and are fed through a video production system or laptop running Wirecast (dependent on number of productions), then are switched and distributed to HELO for delivery to national (ESPN+) and international audiences (Stretch Internet).

When the production team is handling multiple streams, the HELOs are reserved for standalone RTMP streaming to ESPN+.

The Cornell production team is also able to use HELO to help with additional tasks, like providing a live feed of games to talent on site, or for providing recordings post-game to coaches for review.

For more information, visit www.aja.com.

Elite badminton players from around the world congregate each year to compete in the Malaysia Open, an important stop on the circuit of tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Fans unable to make it to Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil this year were kept apprised of the latest updates via high-quality YouTube live streams produced by Macking Domain. Over the course of the six-day tournament, more than 12 hours of match footage across four courts were streamed to the Malaysia Open YouTube channel. Macking Domain relied on a host of technology to deliver the action, including four AJA HELO H.264 recording and streaming devices.

Given a straightforward set of video delivery requirements by its client, Macking Domain set out to establish a workflow built on AJA’s HELO. “We needed to deliver 1080/60p video with audio from each of the four courts and get live scoreboard content from each court integrated into the feed, which is why AJA’s HELO made so much sense,” shared Yoke Tee Tan, General Manager, Macking Domain. “It’s an affordable device that makes it incredibly easy to bring audiences a very high-quality viewing experience.”

Four Sony cameras, one on each court, were connected to a Newtek VMC1 digital media production system and captured live match footage. Courtside laptops housing scoreboard feeds were then encoded to NDI, and audio was embedded from each court using AJA Mini-Converters. Embedded audio signals came in as an NDI stereo channel via a network device interface converter and were split into two separate mono channels on a TriCaster video production system. The eight mono channels were routed to the corresponding scoreboard and linked with the associated court stream using 1 M/E; that signal was then routed to each SDI output on the VMC1. All four SDI outputs from the VMC1 were connected to four AJA HELO units for live streaming straight to YouTube; footage was simultaneously recorded to SD cards in HD using the HELOs.

“The results were impressive,” shared Tan. “All four HELO units streamed seamlessly with no delays or setbacks, and the UI presets made it easy to save and recall settings in a single click, which helped ensure a consistent look across streams.”

About HELO

AJA’s HELO allows users to simultaneously stream video signals to Web Content Delivery Networks while encoding and recording H.264 files to SD cards, USB storage or network-based storage with the push of a button. Supporting a range of professional workflows, the H.254 streaming, recording and encoding device includes 3G-SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs and the power to handle up to 1080p recording formats among other features. www.aja.com/products/helo

About AJA Video Systems, Inc.

Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high quality, cost effective products to the professional, broadcast and postproduction markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website at www.aja.com.

Grass Valley, CA (November 14, 2019) – AJA Video Systems released Desktop Software v15.5 for KONA, Io and T-TAP products, featuring additional functionality for both HDR and 8K workflows, plus new performance upgrades enhancing creative freedom and flexibility across Windows, Linux and macOS. New features include Metal support on macOS and full compatibility with macOS Catalina; HDR over SDI via VPID; and HDR Test Patterns for 8K/UHD2/4K/UHD/2K/HD workflows. For the KONA 5 PCIe I/O card, the update also adds full 2SI SMPTE raster support for 8K; RGB support for 8K capture and playback; and 8K to 4K downsample via HDMI.

Desktop Software v15.5 introduces new functionality with NLEs, including deeper HDR integration with Avid Media Composer 2019.11 and native 8K or 4K (downsampled from 8K) playback with Adobe Premiere Pro 2020. The update also adds SMPTE ST 2110-40 monitoring via SDI on AJA Io IP and Avid Artist DNxIP and AJA NMOS support for multiple devices connected to a single host. Additionally, Desktop Software v15.5 increases speed and creative support on Mac workstations – including the new Mac Pro – by featuring full compatibility with macOS Catalina, new Metal support on macOS and other optimizations.

Desktop Software v15.5 highlights include:

● Full compatibility with macOS Catalina

● New Metal support on macOS

● HDR over SDI via VPID

● HDR Test Patterns for UHD2/UHD/HD

● Deeper HDR integration with Avid Media Composer

● Full 2SI SMPTE raster support for 8K on KONA 5

● RGB support for 8K capture and playback on KONA 5

● 8K downsample to 4K via HDMI on KONA 5

● Native 8K or 8K to 4K downsampled output with Adobe Premiere Pro

● HDMI input detection improvements

● New countdown functionality to mark out or end of clip in AJA Control Room

● New fan controls and fan speed indicator in AJA Control Panel

● DirectShow updates including addition of support for KONA 5 and KONA IP

● Support for Windows, Linux and macOS

Pricing and Availability

Desktop Software v15.5 is now available as a free download from AJA’s support page.

About AJA Video Systems, Inc.

Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high-quality, cost-effective products to the professional broadcast, video and post production markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website at www.aja.com. 

CHIBA, Japan—AJA has set up shop for Inter BEE 2019, which is currently underway, and it is not short on products to display, featuring new and upgraded equipment from its Ki Pro line, an openGear distribution amplifier and 8K support for its HDR Image Analyzer.

With its new v1.5 firmware update, the Ki Pro GO portable, multichannel H.264 recorder and player can now record and play video with timecodes, as well as expanding backup and primary recording to all five USB ports and new clip naming and segment recording.

A firmware update, v5.0, has also been provided to the Ki Pro Ultra Plus multichannel HD Apple ProRes and single-channel 4K Avid DNxHR and ProRes recorder. New features includes an Infinite Record mode to automatically capture footage, up to four channels of simultaneous recording or 4K/UHD/2K/HD recording and playback via SDI and HDMI.

The OG-12GDA-2x4 openGear 12G-SDI distribution amplifier is another new product AJA has on display. Designed for OB truck and live event production environments, OG-12GDA-2x4 features dual-channel inputs for incoming 12G-SDI signals, with reclocking of the distributed signals to dual 4x 12G-SDI outputs. There is also support for HDR video and Ross DashBoard software for remote monitoring. The OG-12GDA-2x4 is compatible with OGX, OG3 and DFR-8321 openGear frames.

AJA is also previewing the upcoming free software release for the HDR Image Analyzer for real-time HDR and WCG monitoring and analysis that will now have 8K support. Developed in partnership with Colorfront, the HDR Image Analyzer 12G provides users with a toolset to monitor and analyze SDR and HDR formats, including Perceptual Quantizer and Hybrid Log Gamma.

AJA is located at booth #7312 at Inter BEE 2019, which is currently underway.

More information on all of these products is available on AJA’s website.

Chiba, Japan, Inter BEE Booth #7312 (November 13, 2019) – AJA Video Systems has introduced new upgrades for its Ki Pro Family of production-proven file-based recorders. A new v1.5 firmware update for Ki Pro GO adds timecode recording and playback, expanded primary and backup recording to all USB ports and new clip naming and segment recording. Ki Pro Ultra Plus v5.0 introduces a new Infinite Recording feature that allows the unit to act as an always running backup recorder. Both firmware updates will be available soon to customers as free downloads.

Ki Pro GO is AJA’s new portable, multi-channel H.264 recorder and player, featuring up to 4-channels of simultaneous HD and SD capture to affordable, off-the-shelf USB media. With the v1.5 firmware update, Ki Pro GO now records and plays video with timecode. The timecode can originate from an incoming SDI video’s RP188 data, be recorded as the time of date or be specified to start at a specific hour. For playback, timecode values are automatically embedded as RP188 data on Ki Pro GO’s SDI outputs. The v1.5 update also expands backup and primary recording to all five USB ports, providing users with increased flexibility to choose their desired recording destination. Additionally, the update adds new clip naming and segment recording, automatically creating a unique file name for each clip and identifying each segment of a continuous recording for extended event time needs.

The Ki Pro Ultra Plus is a multi-channel HD Apple ProRes® and single-channel 4K Avid DNxHR and ProRes recorder. The v5.0 firmware update adds numerous performance enhancements and a new Infinite Record mode that automatically captures all footage, providing the ability to run as an always running backup recorder. Infinite Record mode includes automatic formatting and rollover to both AJA Pak Media slots for uninterrupted recording, so there is no downtime when one drive fills up. Ki Pro Ultra Plus offers up to 4-channels of simultaneous HD recording, or 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD recording and playback via SDI and HDMI.

“Following lots of positive feedback from our users, we’ve upgraded Ki Pro GO with even more functionality to streamline H.264 recording and flexibility throughout production,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “With our new update to Ki Pro Ultra Plus, we’re delivering even more features that customers have been asking for, like Infinite Recording.”

Pricing and Availability

Ki Pro GO v1.5 and Ki Pro Ultra Plus v5.0 are available soon as free downloads from the on AJA’s website. For more information on the full Ki Pro Family, visit our website.

About AJA Video Systems, Inc.

Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high-quality, cost-effective products to the professional broadcast, video and post production markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website.

Chiba, Japan, Inter BEE Booth #7312 (November 13, 2019) –AJA Video Systems has announced new 8K support for HDR Image Analyzer 12G, its powerful real-time HDR and WCG monitoring and analysis platform developed in partnership with Colorfront. The upcoming free software release will feature up to 8K/UHD2 HDR monitoring and analysis for high raster content with 12G-SDI for higher bandwidth workflows with the simplicity of single-cable connectivity.

HDR Image Analyzer 12G fuses AJA’s production-proven video I/O technology with powerful HDR and WCG image analysis tools from Colorfront, including waveform, histogram and vectorscope monitoring and analysis of up to 8K content over 12G-SDI for broadcast and OTT production, post, QC and mastering. Within a compact 1RU chassis, HDR Image Analyzer 12G provides users with a comprehensive toolset to monitor and analyze SDR and HDR formats, including PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG). Additional feature highlights include:

● Up to 8K/UltraHD2/4K/UltraHD/HD 60p over 12G-SDI inputs

● UltraHD UI for native resolution picture display over DisplayPort

● Configurable layouts for placing desired tools in the preferred window

● Remote configuration, updates, logging and screenshot transfers via an integrated web UI

● Remote Desktop support

● Support for display referred SDR (Rec.709), HDR ST 2084/PQ and HLG analysis

● Support for scene referred ARRI, Canon, Panasonic, RED and Sonycamera color spaces

● Display and color processing lookup table (LUT) support

● CIE graph, vectorscope, waveform and histogram support

● Nit levels and phase metering

● False color mode to easily spot pixels out of gamut or brightness

● Advanced out of gamut and out of brightness detection with error intolerance

● Data analyzer with pixel picker

● Line mode to focus a region of interest onto a single horizontal or vertical line

● File-based error logging with timecode

● Reference still store

● SDI auto signal detection

● Three-year warranty

“Driven widely by 8K advances in Japan and across Asia, there is a growing international demand for powerful production tools that facilitate the creation and delivery of ultra-high definition content,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “HDR Image Analyzer 12G was developed to support higher bandwidth content and provide customers with pinpoint color accuracy, and the new addition of 8K support will power the highest resolution workflows as 8K adoption advances across the industry.”

Pricing and Availability

HDR Image Analyzer 12G will be available soon through AJA’s worldwide reseller network for $19,995 US MSRP. To order or for more information, visit AJA Video Systems.

About AJA Video Systems, Inc.

Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high-quality, cost-effective products to the professional broadcast, video and post production markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website.

With millions of daily visitors, YouTube has become an ideal platform for government agencies to keep the public apprised of breaking legislative developments. Content traditionally reserved for public TV or meeting rooms is now increasingly being live streamed, as the Minnesota House of Representatives is showing. House Public Information Services, a non-partisan office of the Minnesota House of Representatives, broadcasts select meetings live on PBS and cable when the House is in session, but also delivers a live stream of every meeting room to YouTube, relying on AJA’s HELO to stream meeting content to potential viewers 24/7.

Looking to enhance the accessibility and quality of each stream, House Public Information Services Engineering Director Michael Simonds recently modernized the agency’s workflow, bringing streaming in house and upgrading image quality from SD to HD. “HD is everywhere now, and before using HELO, our feeds were downconverted from 1080i and streamed in SD to our website using a third-party service. That level of quality just wasn’t cutting it anymore, especially for the cost, but fortunately technology like HELO has made it easy and affordable to stream HD content to better cater to audience viewing habits,” shared Simonds. “With HELO, we can live stream high quality content straight to YouTube, so anyone who is interested in meetings or debates on important issues can open up the YouTube app, find the stream they want to view and tune in directly from their computers, phones or other portable devices; it’s improved the viewer experience and saved us a ton on streaming costs.”

HELO’s support for closed captioning was another key consideration in the workflow overhaul, as the office strives to be ADA compliant for the public. Latency also played a large factor in the decision. “HELO’s closed captioning support is huge and a major reason we decided to go with it,” noted Simonds. “The devices have also helped us reduce latency by nearly 90 percent– going from one minute to five seconds; that’s a noticeable improvement and perfect for the kind of talking heads content we’re covering.”

The Minnesota House of Representatives campus spans multiple committee rooms with production equipment spread throughout the House Chamber and surrounding buildings. The main production facility is based in the state office building across the street from the House Chamber and features two production control rooms. Since all meetings are considered public, 13 HELOs located in a media hub in the basement of the Minnesota State Capitol, where content is distributed, stream committee room footage 24/7 to allow access to meetings that may not get television coverage. All video typically runs through the media hub and is converted from SDI to fiber for long distance runs, and back to SDI in the main control room. There, it is run through a switcher and graphics system. Audio is distributed back at the House Chamber and submixed down to Simonds’ department. Graphics are then added into the feeds, which are converted back to fiber and transmitted across the street to the Capitol building and back into the media hub. The feeds are then sent across a VLAN to the House IT network, where its Internet connection is used to send the feeds to YouTube.

Simonds concluded, “The HELOs pack a lot of punch for such little devices. Lined up vertically in a rack, their power is impressive, especially given the massive workstations traditionally used to achieve the same end result. They’re also super easy to use; plug them in, turn them on and they do exactly what you want. They just keep working, even when running 24/7– true workhorses.”

In addition to using HELOs for live streaming to YouTube, Simonds’ team uses a host of other AJA gear for delivering content to broadcast to public TV stations; these solutions include FS2s for frame synchronization, and Hi5 Mini-Converters for converting SDI to HDMI for large HDMI monitor walls.

About HELO

AJA’s HELO allows users to simultaneously stream video signals to Web Content Delivery Networks while encoding and recording H.264 files to SD cards, USB storage or network-based storage with the push of a button. Supporting a range of professional workflows, the H.254 streaming, recording and encoding device includes 3G-SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs and the power to handle up to 1080p recording formats among other features.

About AJA Video Systems, Inc.

Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high quality, cost effective products to the professional, broadcast and postproduction markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. 

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video has begun shipping its portable 2RU KUMO 3232-12G compact router, offering 32 12G-SDI inputs and outputs, the company announced today.

The new router, which supports large format resolutions, high frame rates and deep color formats, reduces cable runs when transporting 4L/Ultra HD via SDI, the company said.

Capable of being controlled with a network-based or physical controller, the KUMO 3232-12G mirrors the KUMO 3232. With a MSRP of $3,995, the newly shipping router is equipped with a USB port for configuring IP addresses with AJA’s eMini-Setup software. Multiport gang routing supports emerging 8K workflows.

Other features include:

• Single cable support for streamlined 4K/UltraHD signal routing;
• redundant power supply option;
• configure and save up to eight salvos per router;
• auto re-clocking SDI rates: 270 Mbps /1.483/1.485/2.967/2.970/5.934/5.940/11.868/11.880 Gb/s;
• embedded web server for remote control on any standard web browser; and
• five-year warranty and support.

More information is available on the AJA Video website.

GRASS VALLEY, Calif.—AJA Video Systems has announced that it is now shipping the Ki Pro Go multichannel H.264 recorder platform. Designed for live production uses, the Ki Pro Go unit is capable of capturing up to four simultaneous HD or SD channels.

AJA describes the Ki Pro Go as the next generation of its Ki Pro family of recording and playback devices, and comes in a portable, 2RU, half-rack width form factor. It also features genlock free recording, which eliminates the need for synchronizing four input sources, while redundant recording provides multiple backups. There are four 3G-SDI and HDMI input ports for compatibility with high-quality sources, and four SDI and/or HDMI monitoring outputs to display up to four channels of video as a matrix monitoring output on a single monitor.

Additional features include the ability to record video in resolution up to 1080p 60; five USB recording media slots; selectable VBR recording profiles, 4:2:0 8-bit; balanced XLR analog audio inputs; two-channel embedded audio per video input; two four-pin XLR 12v redundant power inputs; a web interface that is compatible with standard web browsers; and front panel button controls with an integrated HD resolution screen.

The Ki Pro Go is now available for $3,995.