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For AJA sales or advice from experts
OK, I’m not sure which AJA product to go with and I’m looking for advice.
My set up is the following. I am coming from Avid and now own a Mac G5 with dual 2.7 processors, 4.5 RAM, and the X-serve connected via fibre card. I am shooting with a DSR 300 DVCAM camera and use a DSR-45 deck to input footage.
I bought the system anticipating growth, i.e. going to HD in the upcoming years. However, right now, I primarily use DVCAM, but do edit Beta Sp as well. This being said, I am bringing in footage via firewire right now, using the DSR 45 as a pass through for the Beta deck. After listening to others and replies to my earlier post, I am now asking for help with the following.
I don’t know how soon I’ll be going HD. At least a year, perhaps longer, but I want to take advantage of the uncompressed capabilities of my system. I can get the AJA Io for about $2,000. I can get a AJA Io LA for $1,050 and the AJA Io LD for about $900. Kona 2 costs around $2,200.
This being known, how would you suggest I proceed? Again, it may be a few years before I get to the HD level, but I’d like to start taking advantage of uncompressed now. Ninety percent of what I’ll be doing is via DVCAM, the other ten percent Beta SP. If you were in my shoes, what’s the best route? Invsest the $2,200 now? Go with the LD to meet my immediate need? Go with Io full for other advantages?
Thanks for any and all help in advance.
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7 Replies
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I forgot to add that the DSR 45 only offers DV, component, composite, and S out. It has RCA audio inputs, but XLR audio outputs.
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The AJA IO LA is your best choice. It’ll allow for Component in and out.
It will allow for uncompressed as well. A year or 2 down the roads you can add the Kona 2 (or what ever is out then) if you go HD.
I have the IO LA and I’m very happy w/ it.Chris
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Thanks Chris, your help is appreciated!
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You will need a firewire card in one of your pci slots as the AJA LA doesn’t like to share the internal firewire ports.
Dajen Productions
Santa Barbara, CA
G5 Dual 2 Gig – AJA IO & LA
Huge 1.2 Raid
FCP 5-OS X 10.4.1-QT 7 -
Can I just use the existing firewire port? I would not have the DSR 45 hooked up via firewire, just the Aja.
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Yes you can, *unless* you’re also using FireWire drives. The AJA doesn’t like to play with them either. It needs all the bandwidth of the FW ports.
Ed[najor] “Can I just use the existing firewire port? I would not have the DSR 45 hooked up via firewire, just the Aja.
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I would say an Io LA (or the Io, if you’re ever going to need SDI for Digi-beta, etc). The other way to go is to get a Kona LS with KBOX. With it you can still use your Mac’s Firewire ports, if needed, since it doesn’t monopolize them like the Io’s. However, with the Io’s it’s easy to later add a Kona 2 card for HD and have the best of both worlds on one machine. Either way, you should be fine.
Tony!
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