AJA IO LA vs. BLACKMAGIC DECKLINK EXTREME

[Bob Zelin]

If you are getting a Quad, look at the AJA Kona LHe (it has HD SDI and SDI) , the AJA I/O (it has SDI), the AJA I/O LA. The Blackmagic Decklink Extreme does offer composite – you just have to switch it in the Blackmagic Control Panel. Are you making a comparison based on money or features ?
For the Quad, right now, nothing is more powerful and flexible than the AJA Kona LHe.

Bob Zelin

[Pat Defilippo]

Hi Bob!

Thanks for the quick reply! I am going to purchase a Quad before 12/31 and have considered the AJA Kona LHe. Features-wise, as compared to the Blackmagic Decklink Extreme, it looks to be exactly the same. I don’t see anything that one has that the other does not.

The difference is that the AJA Kona LHe is $1700 and the Blackmagic Decklink Extreme is $900 for essentially the same features. Since I’m buying this entire system out of my own pocket, the saved $800 is a lot. Primarily, especially at first, I only need it for Beta-SP IO. I realize that a card option is not as versatile as the external $950 AJA IO LA, but the additional digital options might come in handy before I know it.

Do you know of any specific reasons that I should spend the extra $800 for the LHe for? Do you know where I can buy the LHe for the lowest possible price (perhaps it’s available for considerably less than the $800 difference, provided it is a better option features-wise as compared to the Blackmagic Decklink Extreme)? Please let me know.

Thanks again,
-Pat

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[Christopher Tay]

Pat, the Kona LHe also provides HD I/O in both analog and digital formats, which for your case may be an overkill if you are not going to be doing anything HD. This is the reason why the LHe cost more than the Decklink Extreme and you can’t compare the two. If you do plan to do HDV in future, I’d recommend that you start off with the AJA Io series (Io LA will do analog I/O for you if that’s all you need) and then add the LHe when you are ready to do HDV. The combination of LHe and the IoLA will give you a very powerful setup.

-chrispy

[Aja Sales department]

Hi-

When you are evaluating, please keep in mind a few points:

– The Io series, including the Io LA, have 10-bit analog-digital signal prcessing. This is very important for full quality if you are doing any blue-screen, color correction, etc., on material originated on an analog format, such as Betacam SP.

– The Io LA also includes 4-channel 24-bit analog audio I/O, via 8x XLR connectors.

– All of the outputs on the Io LA are always active, making it perfect for an edit bay where many monitors, decks, etc, need to be fed.

– As Chrispy points out, the KONA LHe is a dual-rate card, that performs both SD and HD, in analog and digital. The KONA LHe also includes both analog and digital audio I/O via XLR, includes a 10-bit hardware downconverter (that can also be used stand-alone), hardware accelerates the playback of the HDV and DVCPRO-HD codecs in FCP5, and hardware accelerates Dynamic RT Extreme in FCP5. All of these features are unique to the KONA and AJA.

– All AJA Desktop products, including the Io LA and the KONA LHe, include our 3-year international warranty, which includes advanced exchange and our excellent technical support.

If you wish to discuss any of this in deeper detail, please feel free to contact AJA!

Thank you,

—
AJA Video Systems
(530) 274-2048 Intl.
(800) 251-4224 US
sales@aja.com

[Gunleik Groven]

Being sort of in the same boat, there’s two issues I need covered:

1. Monitoring video (deckling multibridge studio like: pixel accutrate HD via dvi)
2. Monitoring audio for 5.1 mixing. That is at least 6 channels (prefereably more) of analogue audio i/o.
3. A PCI-X to PCIe upgrade upgrade path.

Does the Kona 2 fit this bill?
What are the experinces with AJA in PAL land?

Gunleik

[Bob Zelin]

Being sort of in the same boat, there’s two issues I need covered:

1. Monitoring video (deckling multibridge studio like: pixel accutrate HD via dvi)

REPLY – AJA offers the AJA HDP, which is similar to the Blackmagic HD Link. This is not an integral part of the Kona 2.

2. Monitoring audio for 5.1 mixing. That is at least 6 channels (prefereably more) of analogue audio i/o.

REPLY – the Kona 2 monitors 8 channels of AES or SDI embedded audio. Analog monitoring is only 2 channels left and right, via the optional K box on the Kona 2. If you want 6-8 channels of analog monitoring, you will need D/A converters (but won’t your mixer do this for you ?).

3. A PCI-X to PCIe upgrade upgrade path.

REPLY -The AJA Kona 2 is PCI-X. The AJA Kona LHe is PCIe.

Bob Zelin

[Gunleik Groven]

Tanks Bob!

[Bob Zelin] “REPLY – the Kona 2 monitors 8 channels of AES or SDI embedded audio. Analog monitoring is only 2 channels left and right, via the optional K box on the Kona 2. If you want 6-8 channels of analog monitoring, you will need D/A converters (but won’t your mixer do this for you ?).”

That’s part of the calculus.. -;)
Depends which mixer and what kind of i/o you have on it (like the video cards…)

I am still trying to find out what exactly SDI audio out means. Which format is it? What kind of D/A’s may I use?

I am so greatfull for all clarifications. There are nowhere to go and look at stuff where I am.

And so far no reply from AJA users in PAL land.

Gunleik

[Bob Zelin]

SDI Audio is audio that is embedded into the video stream. You use an AJA or a VTR (or expensive de embedders) to get the audio out of the video stream.

The AJA is not part of an audio mixing package. 5.1 mixing is not done inside Final Cut Pro. It allows you to get your mix into the system, and monitor, but I am not sure of what you want to accomplish.

Bob Zelin

[Christopher Tay]

Hi Gunleik,

AJA in PAL land is great. I am in a PAL country and we’ve done many installations with AJA Io series, Kona LS, LH, LHe and Kona 2 and all of them are working fine.

Is there anything specific that you would like to know about AJA in PAL land ? PAL is pretty straight forward actually. It’s 25fps or 25fps…no drop or non-drop frames timecode to worry about.

-chrispy

[Gunleik Groven]

[Bob Zelin] “SDI Audio is audio that is embedded into the video stream.

This much i figured.

You use an AJA or a VTR (or expensive de embedders) to get the audio out of the video stream.

This also

The AJA is not part of an audio mixing package. 5.1 mixing is not done inside Final Cut Pro. It allows you to get your mix into the system, and monitor, but I am not sure of what you want to accomplish.

What I want to accomplish is to set up a postroom for video and audio post, where one can mix f.ex. 5.1 / 7.1 in addition to stereo.

Question is: Will I need an additional soundcard for the audio mixdown if I go the AJA route. I wouldn’t with decklink Studio – as I would have had 8 channels of Core Audio AES or analogue out for post. Seems I will need an additional soundcard with the AJA solution. That is… sorta ok. Just need to know.
(Mark the past tense, as I cannot use Studio in my current Mac… -;)

Bob Zelin”

Thanks again Bob!

Gunleik