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is AJA sitting on their Laurels??
It is said the “only thing constant is change” and i have seen (and tasted) the crash of Media 100 and Pinnacle Cinewave, two former giants in the video editing industry ( and more recently DPS Velocity). Now I stand to be corrected but am I starting to see the early signs that signaled the end of the others in AJA?.
I keep seeing Blackmagic Design almost reinventing themselves …launching small pcie HDMI cards to gobble up that prosumer market along with all sorts of colorful gadgets. Partnering with the likes of datavideo software for news character generator systems.It seems like every time I speak to someone about a new system the first two words they utter is deck link. Having set up a deck link system recently I know it can’t compare to AJA, but it just feels like AJA needs to get that cogwheel turning especially in this economic climate.
Richard
John 3:16 -
41 Replies
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What? By making a cheaper board that does half of what the current boards do? I don’t think so.
If you want a really cheap board, you buy BMD. If you want a professional board that does just about everything in truly realtime in true broadcast quality, you buy AJA.
Keep in mind that with each update, AJA keeps improving the Kona 3 board, which is sitting at two years old now and has more features on it today than the day it was released.
Also keep in mind AJA has a host of mini converters that may do what you need if all you’re trying to do is just monitor a signal.
And lastly keep in mind how many OEM AJA boards are out there running just about every other NLE platform. There’s a reason why those manufacturers run an AJA board and not a cheaper substitute.
So no, I don’t think they’re sitting on their laurels. They’re still delivering the highest quality video boards with the most features on the market for Final Cut Pro. There’s a place for BMD, Matrox and AJA out there, three different markets.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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[Richard chin] “but it just feels like AJA needs to get that cogwheel turning especially in this economic climate. “
What would you like to see?
Jeremy
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[walter biscardi] “AJA keeps improving the Kona 3 board, which is sitting at two years old now”
gotcha dude…. sorry but the the Kona 3 is 4 years old – it was the IoHD that was announced in 2007
I love posts like Richard’s, especially the part about “resting on their laurels” so he has not seen the IoHD or the FS1 converter, or seen anything about “hardware support” for RED last year. I am not going to go into issues like a lack of hardware based cross conversion, woeful 2K support and the like.
Liken the 2 different cards to 2 different automobiles.
My kona card is like my mercedes, yeah it cost more- it is rock solid, runs like a champ and built like a tank.
However, my BMD cards were like fords- I was constantly in the fix or repair daily mode.gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production WorkflowsInside look at the IoHD
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php -
[gary adcock] “gotcha dude…. sorry but the the Kona 3 is 4 years old – it was the IoHD that was announced in 2007 “
THAT’s right. 4 years now. Wow, still going strong and still outperforms just about everything else out there.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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[Jeremy Garchow] “What would you like to see? “
That’s actually an excellent question Jeremy.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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Hi Richard,
You are an idiot. You are not looking for new incredible features from AJA. You are not looking for native RED workflow, or native MXF import capability. You are not looking for any of this. You are looking for AJA to DROP THEIR PRICES. That is all you are bitching about.It is companies like Blackmagic that are playing “catchup”. Up until recently, the AJA Kona 3 and AJA I/O HD (a new product) were the only capture cards that could do SD to HD upconversion (kind of important – wouldn’t you think) – so now, Blackmagic on the Decklink HD Extreme and the Matrox MXO 2 can FINALLY do SD to HD upconversion. But these are new developments.
I am not trying to insult Blackmagic – they make good stuff, and their Broadcast Videohub is incredible, and their mini converters are good too. But Richard – do you want a $15,000 router ? I don’t think so. You want AJA to respond to the Blackmagic $249 Intensity card. Do you know what I do when I get a call from a REAL client on a Blackmagic Intensity card – I hang up the phone – just like I do with a telemarkerter. Blackmagic makes good stuff, and they make crap stuff. Pros dont’ deal with crap stuff. Richard – you should be charging A LOT OF MONEY so the cost of AJA hardware is “pennies” compared to what your editing rates are. If you feel that $1700 is a lot of money for an AJA Kona LHe, and you have to work for 2 months to just pay for an AJA Kona LHe – then you are my enemy, because you are giving away your services as an editor.
I hear editors talking about $88 hard drives, while we use the most sophistocated RAID arrays that can do 2K media. We are professionals – we are not doing student films. This is not a student film user forum. ALL OF THE FORUMS ON CREATIVE COW are profesional forums.
AJA makes great stuff. They are not going to charge $249 for an AJA Kona 3. I would like to see things from AJA (like a PCIe interface board for the I/O HD), but I NEVER EVER want to see AJA selling capture products for $149 – that is when I push my clients to “kick it up a notch”.
I want to repeat that Blackmagic makes some teriffic products, and they are NOT cheap.
Bob Zelin
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[Bob Zelin] “You are an … “
Bob,
I wish I could do what you do….
gary
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[gary adcock] “[Bob Zelin] “You are an … ”
Bob,
I wish I could do what you do….
“I was just wondering how long it would take Bob to find this thread….. Glad I had already swallowed my coffee before I read it or I would have had to clean the spew off the screen again….
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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[Bob Zelin] ” I would like to see things from AJA (like a PCIe interface board for the I/O HD), but I NEVER EVER want to see AJA selling capture products for $149 – that is when I push my clients to “kick it up a notch”. “
I’m still waiting for the free Nick Rashby autographed 8×10 with every Kona 3 order….. sigh……..
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
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I, for one, would like to see a choice of colors on the outside ends of the cards, that silver is so 20th century.
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