AJA KONA X 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 Ultralow-Latency PCIe Card

AJA KONA X Overview

Add a powerful video I/O card to your AI, 4K HDR, or AR workflow with the KONA X 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 Ultralow-Latency PCIe Card from AJA. The PCIe card is compatible with the latest hardware such as the Apple Mac Pro and the latest Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems, and can be used with a variety of NLE and VFX software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer as well as eSports, Sports, and virtual production packages. The card provides two bidirectional 12G-SDI ports, an HDMI 2.0 input, and an HDMI output that support up to 12-bit 4:4:4 color spaces and DCI 4K resolutions in a numerous video formats.

Quick Feature List

• 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/SD up to 50/60p
• 2 x bidirectional 12G-SDI with up to 16 channels of embedded audio
• HDMI 2.0 input and output with up to 8 channels of embedded audio
• RGB 4:4:4 12-bit (4K/UltraHD) workflows supported
• YCbCr 4:2:2 10-bit and HFR workflows supported
• VESA HDMI I/O compatibility: the video subsystem timing is agnostic, enabling capture and playback of a myriad of HDMI formats
• Support for Apple Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, and much more
• Support for OEM applications with the AJA Developer SDK and In-Firmware microcontroller
• 4K Closed caption support
• VPID signaling for SDR/HDR transfer characteristics, colorimetry and luminance via SDI
• PQ, HLG, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision Support
• HDR metadata capture and auto playback detection
• Includes support for the latest Apple silicon
• Optional KONA Xpand board provides bi-level / tri-level video reference (BNC), LTC in/out, RS-422, 8 channels of AES/EBU audio (with included breakout cable) and 2 channels of analog audio in and out (via user supplied DB-15 to XLR cable)

Ultralow 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 as low as sub-frame latencies and a much simpler method of dealing with dynamic video.

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 course of 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.

AR Sports Workflow

KONA X and application software that supports Streaming DMA allows 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.

Hardware Keying

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

KONA Xpand Optional Breakout Board

KONA Xpand is a separately available 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. Please visit the for full software compatibility information.

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, HDR10 workflows in broadcast and post, and work between 709, BT2020, and P3 with ease.

HDR

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.

The 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. The software also provides the KONA X with HDR Auto Playback Detection.

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 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 UHD 4K)

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.

In-Firmware Microcontroller

AJA OEM Developers can run code directly on KONA X with it s In-Firmware Microcontroller for supervisory and safety purposes and achieve ultralow-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. For productions handling high-resolution workflows all the way up to 4K, KONA X is a great companion for high-performance workflows.

KONA X Operating Systems Compatibility

• macOS 13.x (Ventura), macOS 13.x (Monterey), macOS 11.x (Big Sur), macOS 10.15 (Catalina), macOS 10.14 (Mojave), and macOS 10.13 (High Sierra). Note that some functionality may not be available when using legacy macOS versions
• Linux Ubuntu support for 20.04 LTS, 22.04
• Linux Rocky 8.5 and Rocky 9.1
• Windows 11, 10, and updates.