advice kona 3 vs LH

[Walter Biscardi]

[Bahram Gueranfar] “Basically my question is: How long will be the shelf life of the KONA 3? Is it better to invest in the LH for the mean time?”

As long as there are PCIe machines, the Kona 3 will be useful. We’re still running a 3 year old Kona 2 on HD Documentaries for BluRay and HD Broadcast. That card has paid for itself several times over.

We also have two Kona 3’s and 2 HD10AVA converters for our HDV decks so we can ingest them directly through the Kona 3.

The big thing you lose with the LHe is the ability to upconvert from SD sources. This is huge in our everyday workflow. Also, the ability to cross-convert 720 to 1080 or vice versa is huge for us as well. This allows us to edit 720 programs natively, then simply convert our timeline to 1080i in realtime during mastering.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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[Bahram Gueranfar]

Thank you for your reponse.

Is my undertsnding thet the HD10AVA can convert and signal even from a umaitc in sdi correct?

Kind regards

Bahram Gueranfar

https://www.imaginaryforms.com

[Bahram Gueranfar]

Thank you for your reponse.

Is my undertsnding thet the HD10AVA can convert and signal even from a umaitc in sdi correct?

Kind regards

Bahram Gueranfar

https://www.imaginaryforms.com

[Walter Biscardi]

[Bahram Gueranfar] “Is my undertsnding thet the HD10AVA can convert and signal even from a umaitc in sdi correct?”

It converts any Composite or Component analog signal. Any analog signal that matches the specs on the box can be converted to SDI with embedded audio.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR
The new Color Training DVD now available from the Creative Cow!

Read my Blog!

[Bob Zelin]

a Umatic VCR (like a 3/4″ VCR) that is not time base corrected will not work with any A/D converter, including the AJA HD10AVA. If you have a Sony BVU-900, BVU-950 or BVU-920,or an older BVU-800 with an external time base corrector like the old BVT-800, then yes, it will work, but the direct output of a 3/4″ VTR (like a Sony VO-9850 or the older VO-5850) WILL NOT WORK with ANY A/D converter, including the AJA HD10AVA.

As far as the shelf life of the Kona 3 – the Kona 3 will last as long as PCI-Express lasts for Apple. Apple will discontinue the computer that you own, long before AJA will discontinue their cards. The “enemy” is always the computer company, and not the manufacturer of the software, or third party hardware cards (unless that manufacturer is Apple or Microsoft).

The AJA Kona 3 is a great safe investment – until Apple changes the computer to a new buss structure.

Bob Zelin

[Bahram Gueranfar]

Thank you kindley for your responses.

It seams the deck we have does not have TBC capacity and getting one around here is a bit problemetic (not impossible). We have a Sony VP 5040.

Txs for all you help gents

https://www.imaginaryforms.com

[Bill Meissner]

>>a Umatic VCR (like a 3/4″ VCR) that is not time base corrected will not work with any A/D converter<<
Hi Bob,
What does one need then to get an analog, non-TBC source into a Kona3 card?
It seems like the HD10, with composite and YC input capability, is a perfect fit for this need.

Thanks,
Bill

[Bob Zelin]

purchase an inexpensive Frame Syncronizer from Datavideo or Hotronics, and this will lock up your VO 5040 UMatic VCR so you can send it into a A/D converter.

Bob Zelin

[Bob Zelin]

Bill –
there are many answers to this question. If you have a non TBC’s source, like a U-Matic 3/4″, DVD, VHS, or similar horribe composite source, the best solution is to get an AJA I/O box as the front end. The AJA I/O box will take a composite signal, and frame sync the input, and spit out a SDI output (with embedded audio). This SDI output can go into a Kona 3, and be instantly upconverted to HD-SDI.

But there are other solutions, at varying prices. If you wish to use the AJA HD10AVA, you can send your crappy source into a Frame Synchronizer (from Datavideo, Hotronics, For-A, and countless others) and send this output into the AJA converter (or anybody elses converter). Remember, A/D converters from anyone, want to see a STABLE SYNC SOURCE. People get confused between TBC’s and Frame Synchronizers – a TBC will help a specific machine (like an old 3/4″ VTR with external sync and subcarrier inputs), but will do nothing for a cheapo 3/4″, VHS, or DVD player – here you MUST use a Frame Synchronizer. If the Datavideo DAC-1000 is $300, to me, this is cheap enough of a solution.

If you say “why can’t they just build this into the capture product” – they do – it’s called the AJA I/O. If you say “why can’t it be cheaper” – I just told you how to do it cheaper – the Datavideo.

Bob Zelin

[Bill Meissner]

Thanks Bob for the good info.

I don’t object to spending the money on good system components, I just didn’t understand where the AJA converter fits in this process and what else is needed to get that old, historic, crap into a Kona 3.

Bill