NASHVILLE, Tenn.—As the founder of TNDV, a Nashville-based live event and broadcast production company specializing in multicamera television, music specials and large-scale live events, I know how recording and capturing content is one of the most crucial tasks we face on any project.

For more than two decades, our team has supported everything from concert broadcasts and awards shows to network television and corporate productions. As our company has grown, our technology choices have always been driven by reliability, efficiency and the ability to scale alongside increasingly complex productions.

Practical and Affordable
My relationship with AJA’s Ki Pro line goes back to the very beginning. I was an extremely early adopter of the original Ki Pro in 2009, and it fundamentally changed the trajectory of my career and my company. At the time, recording HD content meant relying almost exclusively on tape-based HDCAM systems that could easily cost six figures per unit, and it was preventing me from moving beyond an SD-SDI workflow. The Ki Pro introduced a practical, affordable way to record broadcast-quality HD using a file-based, disc-based workflow, arriving at exactly the moment our industry was ready for change.

We quickly recognized that the Ki Pro was not only just a recorder, it was a workflow solution. As our young company expanded from a single HD production truck to three and eventually to 12, we purchased as many Ki Pro units as we could. They became a core part of our technical infrastructure and a key differentiator when pitching new clients.

As the industry transitioned away from tape formats, we were already prepared to deliver file-based media that quickly entered postproduction pipelines in file formats our clients were asking for, like ProRes.

Deployment was straightforward. Ki Pro units integrated cleanly into our trucks, worked seamlessly with a wide range of cameras and switchers and proved themselves reliable in demanding live environments. On a typical production, we use Ki Pro recorders for ISO recording, program capture, backup recording and deliverables. The ability to hand off high-quality media immediately after a show without real-time tape transfers saved hours on every production and helped our clients move faster.

When AJA introduced the Ki Pro Rack, we immediately began purchasing dozens of units. The rack-mounted form factor was a natural evolution for mobile production and control-room environments. It allowed us to consolidate recording systems, improve cable management and expand channel counts without increasing complexity. The Ki Pro Rack was built upon everything we appreciated about the original Ki Pro while offering greater flexibility for larger shows.

Ready for the Future
A few years later, we were just as eager to adopt the Ki Pro Ultra, followed closely by the Ki Pro Ultra Plus. As our productions moved into higher frame rates and 4K workflows, these units provided the performance and consistency we needed. Today, we own and operate over 100 different Ki Pro recorders across our fleet. They are trusted tools for both HD and 4K shows, whether we are covering a live concert, televised awards show or high-profile corporate event.

Over 15 years after the original Ki Pro was introduced, the Ki Pro family remains a crucial part of our workflow. We have evaluated and tested many alternative recording solutions over the years, but the Ki Pro continues to stand out for its reliability, image quality and ease of use. In live production, failure is not an option, and AJA’s recorders have consistently delivered dependable performance show after show.

For our team, Ki Pro is not just a piece of gear—it represents a turning point in how we work and how we serve our clients. From our earliest HD productions to today’s multi-truck, multiformat broadcasts, AJA Ki Pro recorders have helped us grow, adapt and stay competitive in an ever-evolving industry.

More information is available on the AJA Video Systems website.

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.

BURBANK, CALIF.—NEP Broadcast Services company Bexel is increasing its inventory with AJA products, specifically the Ki Pro Ultra Plus multichannel recorders and the Pak Media PAK1000 1 TB solid-state drives storage card. According to the official press release, Bexel has added 20 Ki Pro Ultra Plus units and 80 Pak Media PAK1000s.

Ki Pro Ultra Plus

The Ki Pro Ultra Plus is a multichannel recorder and player with a built-in HD LCD monitor, allowing for simultaneous recording of up to four HD channels or single-channel recording of 4K or UHD content. It supports all Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD MXF formats and large raster, high-frame-rate workflows, with connectivity options including 3G-SDI, fiber and HDMI 2.0. The Ki Pro Ultra Plus is also portable and can be rack-mounted in 2RU.

AJA’s Pak Media PAK1000 is a high-capacity SSD storage device in protective housing and with a USB 3.0 connection. Ki Pro Ultra Plus users can capture up to 1 TB of content directly to the PAK1000 for recording in up to 4K at 60p in Apple ProRes HQ.

This investment in AJA products enables Bexel to equip its customers for recording up to four PAK1000 SSDs with every Ki Pro Ultra Plus, according to Bexel.