AJA KONA X Advanced Video I/O with Streaming DMA Technology

AJA KONA X Next Generation Video I/O with Streaming DMA

Designed from the ground up to support next-generation AI and AR workflows, AJA KONA X is a 4-lane, PCIe 3.0 video I/O card with two full-size, bidirectional 12G-SDI BNC connections and two full-size HDMI 2.0 connections, one for input and one for output. KONA X lets users achieve as low as sub-frame latencies with Streaming DMA (Direct Memory Access), which enables powerful real-time workflows with no perceptible delay on I/O and processing crucial for implementations such as live sports and virtual production*.

Supporting 4K/UltraHD, 2K/HD, SD, 10-bit 4:2:2, 4:4:4, and 12-bit color spaces for pristine image quality, KONA X offers the flexibility to ingest and output with 12G-SDI and full-size HDMI 2.0 ports. The bidirectional 12G-SDI ports provide immense flexibility for capture and simultaneous pass-through, and with the appropriate software, multi-channel capture and streaming.

KONA X is driven by AJA’s Control Room and Control Panel software, which supports leading content creation applications. KONA X is also compatible with AJA’s multi-platform Developer SDK.

For HDR* workflows, KONA X supports HDR10, HLG, PQ, and Dolby Vision for rich color delivery over SDI and/or HDMI.

KONA X has the horsepower for your work today and into the future.

Ultra-low Latency / Streaming DMA

With streaming DMA (direct memory access), the DMA operation happens directly between the video I/O and the computer’s buffer in applications that support it, completely bypassing the on-card memory. Depending on the software application being used, this enables customers to achieve low sub-frame latencies and a much simpler method of dealing with dynamic video.

Virtual Production Workflow

The latest connectivity combined with up to sub-frame latency and a Steaming DMA engine, makes KONA X ideal for modern virtual production environments.

This workflow diagram illustrates the KONA X, with its ultra-low latency, as a key part of a virtual production workflow.

AR Support with Unreal Engine

Capture real-time footage with KONA X over SDI from high-quality cameras, meld your footage with your virtual environment created by the Unreal Engine, and send it back out in real-time to air—a growing need for broadcasters, augmented reality (AR), virtual production, and more.

Digital filmmakers also benefit from these new workflows: on-set, enhance your live-action VFX work with the ability to see a full composite live during the shoot. This results in fewer reshoots, the ability for actors to understand the virtual environment they are working within for stronger performances, and ultimately leads to a range of efficiencies and cost savings with the added benefit of a smoother transition into postproduction.

Augmented Reality (AR) Sports Workflow

KONA X and application software that supports streaming DMA allow users to achieve as low as sub-frame latencies, which is important for eSports and live production environments where the synchronization of AR graphics and graphical overlays and split-second reaction times for viewer interactions are required.

This workflow diagram illustrates KONA X being used on a live sports broadcast for real-time graphics insertion and overlays.

Hardware Keying

The combination of KONA X’s built-in hardware downstream keyer and ultra-low latency allows graphics and images up to 4K/UltraHD to be easily overlaid on the input video in real-time.

KONA Xpand Optional Breakout Board

KONA Xpand is a PCIe card that expands the connectivity options on KONA X. It provides Bi-level/Tri-level video reference as well as a 9-pin RS-422 connector for controlling a range of devices, 8-channels of unbalanced AES/EBU audio I/O, and LTC In/Out on the included breakout cable that ships with the KONA Xpand. Two channels of balanced analog audio I/O are also available (via a user-supplied DB15 cable).

Applications Compatibility

AJA Desktop products offer unparalleled workflow compatibility with a range of software applications that span production, post, and delivery, and more.

NLE / VFX Software Support

The latest AJA Desktop Software advances 4K workflows with KONA X by providing native support for 4K video in Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Avid Media Composer plus many other applications. KONA X offers broad video format support, providing a powerful I/O tool for Sports, eSports, Virtual Production, and other cutting-edge workflows.

HDR NLE / VFX Software Support

AJA Desktop Software supports HDR across many third-party professional video software applications, including Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Avid Media Composer. Take advantage of HLG, PQ, and HDR10 workflows in broadcast and post, and work between 709, BT2020, and P3 with ease.

HDR

HDR (High Dynamic Range) provides the ability to display a wider and richer range of colors, much brighter whites, and much deeper, darker blacks than standard signals allow. This gives your imagery a more ‘dynamic’ look and allows for natural true-to-life colors to be communicated to your audience.

KONA X HDR workflows can also benefit from AJA’s Control Room application and its companion AJA Control Panel, which comes complete with built-in HDR test patterns.

AJA Control Room provides VPID signaling for SDR/HDR Transfer Characteristics, Colorimetry, and Luminance transfer characteristics over SDI, bringing flexible output options to your workflow. KONA X provides simultaneous HDR output via both SDI and HDMI.

AJA Control Room software adds support for HDR metadata capture from an incoming SDI or HDMI signal. The captured .mov video file will have embedded HDR metadata, allowing the file to be played back at its intended dynamic range.

AJA Control Room software also provides the KONA X with HDR Auto Playback Detection. Embedded HDR metadata in a recorded .mov file is read and used to automatically set the HDR format on the monitor(s) connected to the KONA X HDMI and/or SDI outputs. Support for file-based .mov HDR outputs with metadata from Adobe Premiere Pro/Adobe Media Encoder HDR files is also available. Screening those rendered outputs is a simple and high-quality experience with AJA Control Room. Every frame is presented in its full quality, at the timing intended, and with the proper HDR format set correctly and automatically.

4K Closed Captioning Support

AJA Control Room software

• Supports CEA-608 or 608-in-708 via ANC extraction firmware.

Supplied Avid & Adobe Plugins

• All SMPTE-291 (ANC)-based captions are supported.
• Adobe Premiere Pro supports native 708 if the raw data is available. For instance, in the Adobe plug-ins, we handle the case where Premiere hands us full 708 data; we just pass it through to the device.
• Avid Media Composer supports active video ANC (line 21) or ANC via ANC extractor/inserter (up to UltraHD/4K).

AJA Control Room Metadata Toolset

Metadata is the key to managing advanced workflows. AJA is bringing to market an entirely new way to harvest metadata in the SDI signal stream and export the metadata to a sidecar file.

This new feature, called AJA Control Room Metadata Toolset*, is being introduced in Desktop Software v17.1 and adds the following functionality:

• Supports capture of any metadata type, including SCTE-104 and Dolby Vision metadata, that is part of the SDI Ancillary metadata payload.
• Using an AJA KONA capture card that supports SDI input and the included AJA Control Room software (such as KONA 5 or KONA X), the card captures the metadata, which is then preserved in a metadata sidecar file.
• AJA Control Room can playback the metadata to provide quality monitoring.
• AJA Control Room can export the metadata synchronized with the media on a per-frame basis.

*macOS and Windows only

AJA Developer SDK

Developers who wish to use AJA’s world-class SDK (Software Development Kit) can choose between two different methods to gain access and start putting their creativity to work with this rich, deep, and powerful set of video technologies. AJA’s SDK is available on Windows, Linux, and macOS, including support for the latest Apple silicon.

For the quickest and easiest way to get up and running with the core AJA SDK, we recommend the AJA Open Source Developer path, which is under the MIT license and hosted via GitLab.

For access to the AJA SDK, including AJA proprietary technologies and world-class support, we recommend the AJA Developer Program path. This is accessed via the dedicated AJA SDK Developer page and requires a signed agreement.

A developer can begin on the AJA Open Source Developer path, and, if necessary, in the future, apply to enroll in the AJA Developer Program path.

In-Firmware Microcontroller

AJA OEM Developers can run code directly on KONA X with its In-Firmware Microcontroller for supervisory and safety purposes and achieve ultra-low latency or functionality that might need to exist before the system containing the card fully boots.

Apple silicon Support

AJA Desktop Software is optimized for the latest Apple silicon with native support for AJA macOS drivers, application plug-ins, AJA Control Room, AJA Control Panel, and AJA System Test.

Apple Mac Pro Compatible

AJA offers full compatibility for the new Apple Mac Pro, including support for AJA Control Room with Metal compatibility and extensive support for various applications. Refer to the latest macOS release download release notes for supported version information.

For productions handling high-resolution workflows up to 4K, KONA X is a perfect companion for high-performance workflows.

KONA X Operating Systems Compatibility

Supports macOS, Windows, and Linux Ubuntu / Rocky. Please see Release Notes for details and version information which can be found in the Downloads, Software tab.

To view more AJA Products

To learn more about Open Gear

Related Products:

• AJA KONA Xpand Optional Breakout Board for KONA X
• AJA KONA-XM Video I/O for AI/AR Medical Device Without Fan
• AJA KONA-XM-F Video I/O for AI/AR Medical Device With Fan