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Best and least expensive place to purchase an AJA Kona 3
Hi-
Just about to turn in my old G5 dual processor for the newest dual 3gig Zeon. I’d like to get a AJA Kona 3 with that as we’re getting ready to cut some Viper footage recorded to HDCAM-SR.
Any ideas on where I could get the best deal? Perhaps if I purchase both items at the same place I can get a greater discount.
Thanks,
Michael -
10 Replies
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Promax. No questions.
You’re gonna need to drop some cash on mad high-speed storage if you plan on cutting in HD. especially that 4:4:4 madness the SR is capable of.
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Melrose (Burbank) Mac will do ya better and not give you shaky info that, unfortunately, I’ve experienced too often from the above mentioned vendor. The store I use is in Burbank CA. Manny or Sean (the owner). If you mention it, you can fill out a form and only pay 3% sales tax (the CA production incentive measure) if you state you’re in post production.
I love my Mac Pro/ Kona 3 setup. Had some growing pains in the beginning and I’m still waiting on the SATA card updates, but now all’s well and AJA is the best by far at tech support, The 2 gig ram limit is days away from AJA and it will work well…..now Pro Tools on my other Mac Pro is another story.
Good Luck and don’t hesitate to contact me if youj have any issues with you new gear as I’ve probably already had them.
Don Wilson
AmericanaMediaInc.com -
Pro Max is great. The DR. Group in LA is great (you are in LA, right ?). I can’t help my usual insults though. You are shooting with a Viper, you are recording to a SR5000 or SR5500 – the most expensive VTR in the world. You are going to need VERY EXPENSIVE storage to record this signal. And you are worried about saving $200 on a deal for the Kona 3 and MAC computer. Michael – the savings you will get on your MAC/Kona 3 are the least of your financial problems, my friend. This is obviously for broadcast , or feature release. What are you doing about HD monitoring, and HD scopes ?
Bob Zelin
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It’s a 8-10 minute western short. I chose the VIPER because I wanted to get the wide 2:37 aspect ratio and 4:4:4 (440 megabits) colors to boot.
We plan on down converting to DVCPRO-HD and then injesting into our final cut system for an “offline”. Once we have our offline locked we will then create an EDL and bring the HDCAM-SR/VIPER footage into the system for our “online”. If the “online” edit proves to be to much then we’ll have to take it somewhere else…. we will have either a fiber channel or something that can maintain the speeds necessary.As far as the money goes… well yes I see your point, but I just like to save money where I can.
One of the things that I’m most concerned about is dealing with the greenish/flat raw VIPER footage in the offline. I know that’s how RAW VIPER footage is supposed to look, however we will need to apply somekind of a look (LUT) to it so that our downconverted DVCPRO-HD footage looks “normal”. As far as I understand this is something that would normally happen in a DAVINCI during on online coloring session…. but I guess we’re doing int a little differently.
Are there any VIPER/HDCAM-SR/POST experts around here? : )
Michael
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“What are you doing about HD monitoring, and HD scopes” ?
We’ll be monitoring on a calibrated Sony PVM20L5/1 coming out of the AJA Kona 3. As far as scopes go, most likely we’ll use the scopes in Final Cut. If they prove to be innacurate then we’ll rent for a couple days.
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you are shooting at 2:37 aspect ratio, and you are going to monitor on a PVM-20L5/1 with no scopes. Michael, you have bigger balls than I have ever dreamed of having. You would be SO MUCH BETTER OFF simply getting a AJA HDP and another Apple Cinema display (or some hi res LCD monitor, like the Dell or Sony or HP), and view your hi res footage that way. This sounds like it’s not for TV release. I LOVE the PVM-20L5/1 – but not for this application.
I am sure you will unhappy with the FCP internal scopes. All of my comments here are incorrect if you are just doing an offline for the edit. But if you are finishing this way – you are crazy !!Bob Zelin
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For Bob Zelin to call you crazy is a HONOR my friend!
I use the Panasonic PN-BT-LH1700W and 2 Dell 2405s as Bob and a few of the guys bagged on the Dell for accuracy, though I think it looks great. The Panny also comes in a beautiful 26″ version that costs more that the car I just bought my kid. They both have accurate waveforms which I find I use often, no vectroscope. Panny explained that the omission of it is because color is subjective in it’s legality so we downconvert to SD to check it there as we have found the only people who flag color are those viewing with analog scopes (AHHHHHH).
My question is what massive storage solution are you using? I’ve built several 2.5 TB raids (For under 1500 bucks) that are sitting idle until the proper drivers from CalDigit are released in the next week or so and I’m hurting with DVCProHD with ONLY 3.5 TB of SATA internal and SCSI drives.
But again, Bob and the gang advised me to get the Kona 3 and it is so rockin’. Upconverts, cross converts and down converts and with the Katrina doc I’m doing with all kinds of sources, it is a blessing, though I use my Io for analog to SDI.Good luck and keep up up-to-date on your progress and successes.
Don Wilson
AmericanaMediaInc.com -
I’ve got a 30″ & 20″ cinema displays. Don’t have the AJA HDP but I’ve thought about it. Those LCD cinema displays are big and high rez (and can certainly show 2:37 better than an L5), but I don’t trust the colors so much. So perhaps it’ll be a combo of the two. We’ll see. Meanwhile I’m talking to The Camera House here in Los Angeles. They no a little about how to handle Viper footage so, as I said before if the online prooves to be to much for me than I can go to them.
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Michael I suggest you consult with a qualified post production facility that is familar with the Viper workflow if you are sincerely interested in receiving the full benefits of shooting 4:4:4.
It makes little sense to try to experiment with FCP and fail without the proper skill set and tools required to pull off the job successfully.
Tony Salgado
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[Bob Zelin] “I am sure you will unhappy with the FCP internal scopes.”
Looks like the next update to FCP addresses this a wee bit:
FCP 5.1.2 includes:
Scope and Monitors. Improved accuracy; scopes can now sample every video line. Scopes will also update in real-time during video playback.
-Simmie
2 G5 – Cinewave
3 G4s – Cinewave
1 xbox360, 1 PSP, 1 PS2 & a Gamecube
https://www.speak.co.uk
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