Importance of AJA Kona card for Video Monitoring

[Bob Zelin]

I do not know your application, but if you are capturing your HD footage via Firewire (like the Panasonic AJ-HD1400 with DVCProHD), and this video material will be only on the web, I can see why it would be hard to convince them otherwise.

If you intend to capture from HD-SDI or SD-SDI sources, you need some sort of capture card (like the Kona 3). If you are going to capture from analog component or composite sources (or SDI or HD-SDI) you need a product like the Kona LHe. If you need to OUTPUT to a VTR, like a HD VTR, a Digi Beta, a regular Beta, or even a VHS machine, you need some way of doing this, and products like the Kona 3 and Kona LHe will allow you to do this, as well as monitor the output on a standard SD or HD Video monitor for critical work.

The very fact that you have a “color correction suite”, and do not have a standard monitor (LCD, Plasma or CRT) actually means that you DO NOT have a color correction suite – what on earth are you color correcting. You are certainly not color correcting Film Transfers that need to go back to a HD-VTR without a product like an AJA card.

With all of this said, I have a VERY WEALTHY client (that will exhibit at NAB this year) that has their entire suite running off of one single 42″ Plasma screen – that is correct – the single old 42″ Plasma (with VGA input) is the MAC G5 computer monitor, and video monitor (not wired for video – they recapture thru the Kona 2 to see the image). Why ? Because they don’t want to spend the money for a regular monitor – including a $700 DELL 24″ with analog component inputs. So I have seen it all.

Bob Zelin

[Ramona Howard]

Just food for thought.

Check the specs between DVI and SDI, not sure if this matters in your workflow but may be the fuel you need.

Cheers,
Ramona

Ramona Howard
SpectSoft, LLC
593 Hi-Tech Parkway Suite B
Oakdale, CA 95361
Phone: 209.847.7812 extension 104
Fax: 209.847.7859
https://www.spectsoft.com

RaveHD – Changing the way you think about HD

[Rvanet]

Thanks for your input Bob. Anyway, I am not actually the editor here, but I do all the tech stuff and setup.

Just to inform you we are using Final Cut Pro. And using FinalTouch to do colour correction. And yes, we are editing and making films. The company I am working with is a newbie. Just starting to make its way into the entertainment industry. Anyway, our current setup is working with a Mac Pro workstation that is connected to the XSAN and using the Mac Pro’s X1900 graphics card’s 2-dual DVI output. 1 is for the working space (UI) and the other a 30″ Apple Cinema Display for HD monitoring and colour correction. And currently, we used EyeOne colour calibration software. Is this setup enough to be called a colour correction suite? 🙂 Or maybe I could buy a Plasma in place to the Apple Cinema Display. Either way, I need you advises.

Yes, we have Kona 2. But we know we can’t install them to the Mac Pro workstation. And yes, we have Power Mac G5’s. But we can’t upgrade them either because our chairman don’t like them anymore because he termed them a “dinosaur technology”… HUH? Anyway, I don’t need to expatiate more. :/

[Bob Zelin]

From my experience, it is impossible to explain to a wealth non technical person, why you need certain equipment to do your job. Either they are willing to spend the money (and trust their employees), or they are simply ignorant of the industry (as it seems your chairman is), and nothing I will say will impact his final financial decision. I don’t know what country you are in, but if you are in the US, most of Western Europe, or India, you will not compete with other companies in the film and television industry, if you don’t own the proper equipment.

Bob Zelin

[Rvanet]

Okay so for learning’s sake. I want to put out some technical questions. I know a little about these things and I wanted to understand more about how things work on the technical perspective. 🙂

1. How important is the Kona card or any capture cards in video monitoring? Does it play a vital role in the picture quality of the video output?

2. What about using the DVI-out of a video card? What difference does it make from using capture cards like AJA Kona?

3. Yes, I’ve read your article from the magazine. 😀 It was indicated there that plugging a set of speakers in the mini jack of the computer ain’t gonna work. It’ll be out of sync and will sound like crap. Why? Does it concern with how the audio signal is being transmitted?

Cheers!