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Kona 3 with I/O vs. Multibridge Studio
I am just about to pull the trigger on a new card for my quad machine (after having sold my Kona 2/ G5 2.7)
I still own an I/O so that would obviosly expand the capability of the Kona 3 closer to that of the Multibridge.
The way I see it, the Multibridge offers the following over the K3/IO combination.
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+ HD/SD analog in (the K3 has no analog in but IO adds SD analog in) Other than HDV analog out form a theoretical client- I’m not sure what I’d need to capture HD analog+ HD monitoring via DVI – ability to use a cinema display for HD monitoring. (I own a PVM10L5/1 so I’m not really interested in monitoring via LCD or Plasma – maybe in a few years though)
+ 6 channels of analog audio out (not crazy about unbalanced though) Kona 3 would have to go through an AES/EBU to analog converter – but at least it would be balanced. (actually I will go AES into the IO and lightpipe out of the IO into my Tascam mixer- it worked with the Kona 2)
To my eye the Kona 3 offers the following over the Multibridge
___________________________+ Upconversion from SD to HD – a big plus for theoretical clients that can’t afford Terranex upconversion.
+ Alpha channel support???? Is this correct – can anyone explain exactly what more this will support (other than a live key channel for live events – which is a great feature – just one that most of us won’t use.)
+ On board processing – Seems like Multibrdidge has no processing power (other than for format conversion). According to AJA the Kona 3 has 4 times the processing power of the K2 – (which suposedly already accelerates RT extreme , HDV and DVCproHD) and in theory they can unlock a ton of features in the future.
As a former Cinewave owner, I like on board processing and the added features unlocked from time to time.
Can anyone shed anymore insight into this? I have had great luck so far with AJA drivers being stable.
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10 Replies
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Go with your gut. That is all it comes down to. Threads like this are a pre attempt at removing the possibility of buyers remorse.
Go to the Kona thread to ask about Kona features.
Go to the BMD site to ask them about Multibridge features.
Pull out your Checkbook and buy what you feel good about, not what we feel good about.
David
OK. I’m taking the Steelers, 23-21 !
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[Deadhead] Can anyone shed anymore insight into this? I have had great luck so far with AJA drivers being stable.”
If the AJA Drivers have been stable, why do you want to switch? I’d STILL be running CineWave’s if they didn’t kill it.
I made the switch to AJA because their products have a tremendous track record of stability and support. The things you list are irrelevant to me and my situation and are only relevant to you. Who cares what BMD vs. AJA has when I have no idea what your situation is. As David says, you have to go with what features you need for your situation and not what we think you need.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.comDirector, “The Rough Cut”
https://www.theroughcutmovie.comNow Posting “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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If you are waiting for someone to say “oh, don’t get this or that, because it sucks”, you are in the wrong place. Both are excellent companies, both products work. All of us use AJA all the time, and the support is great.
Two good products – with personal preferences.Bob Zelin
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These threads come up often and everyone is pretty much right.
One thing to keep in mind is that the decklinks used to not offer 720p24 downconversion, this might have changed in recent driver updates. Is this something you might need?
You really have to weigh out exactly what you think you will need and then ask to see a demo at a VAR and try everything you need to try.
I’m not here to bash either company, but for my specific needs, AJA has been great for me and I’ve tried both. I’m sure there’s many people who are in my opposite position.
AJA also offers all of the solutions in the Multibridge Studio, just not in one box.
Check both forums and read the kinds of things people are having problems with. This should give you an idea of some things you might face when setting up a new system. Please keep in mind that these forums are mostly used by people having so please think objectively. If you need testimonials, I’m sure each prospective company has them listed proudly on their website.
Jeremy
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G5 Dual 2Ghz <> 4GB RAM <> FCP 5.04 <> Kona 2
ATTO 42XS <> Huge Systems 4105 Fibre
OS 10.4.2 <> QT 7.0.3 -
>If you are waiting for someone to say “oh, don’t get this or that, because it sucks”, you are in the wrong place.”
Uh… do I seem like a troll? Do I appear to baiting that type of discussion?
I think I listed a decent starting point of comparison between the two products to help myself and others decide what features are likely to be important to workflow both now and in the future. I should add to the list
+ Multibridge has a blackburst and tri level sync generator built in.
and
+ Aja sells an SDI to DVI converter – so that feature can be added to Kona 3 althought probably not for viewing of 2K files.
So 1 more point for each in it’s catagory.
I know both products are good but I’m trying to dig a little deeper into each’s set of features and discuss which ones are likely to be real benefits or can be attained in other ways.
I’d also like to see a real analysis of how Kona’s built in processing power actually accelerates HDV, DVCproHD and RT extreme, and is it actually important with the advent of quad processor machines.
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Hi Choice is MB Stu
Feature set wise price performance I find MutBStu far better than anything else on market. Only thing it is not shipping yet. You can go in for Express it is same just less audio in/out ( Ithink)
What you mentioned in your earlier post
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I’d also like to see a real analysis of how Kona’s built in processing power actually accelerates HDV, DVCproHD and RT extreme, and is it actually important with the advent of quad processor machines.
——————I too would like to see if someone can discribe more on this. Because till date I have never seen RT performance differences between the 2
regards
mody -
Deadhead:
What kind of stuff do you usually edit? I’d like to help you. Questions like these often stir up the monkey cage and some of them bite. Don’t take it personally.
Feature sets can be misleading and can often put stars in your eyes. You pointed out that you have a wonderful 20L5 monitor, but were worried about maybe monitroing with an lcd one day…in the future. Since the 20L5 works now, why not use it now? If you want LCD monitoring…in the future, why not buy aja’s SDI to DVI converter when you need it? Do you need all of those audio channels in and out? Really? What format or formats do you work with regularly? Do you need upconversion or down conversion? What kind of analog gear do you have? What’s your typical workflow?
One big advantage, Kona 3 is shipping now and just waiting for you to snap it up.
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I don’t think you are going to find many of the gurus here who work with Final Cut and the Kona cards using the new Quads. Many of those guys aren’t as brave as you are and are still sitting on the fence happily using their older systems. Gary Adcock did report that he was able to get one additional channel of DVCProHD usiing the Kona with his dual 2.5 at the end of the thread below.
Hope that helps,
Gary -
[mody] “Feature set wise price performance I find MutBStu far better than anything else on market. Only thing it is not shipping yet.”
Bit of a conundrum there- if it’s not shipping, then it’s not really on the market!
FWIW, These kind of threads sometimes help people like me. We’re looking at both Kona & Multibridge for an upcoming feature. Hearing about stability & the quality of the support from people who know how to use the product means more to me than looking back through posts from people who’s problems often seem to stem from user errors (wrong version of QT, drivers, slow hard drives, improper monitoring, etc).
Arnie
https://www.arniepix.com -
When I bought my Kona last July. I was asking the same question. As far as I know it is not shipping yet, but it is stil a “coming soon” product on BMD’s site.
Eventuallly someone from either of the manufactureers is going to step into this thread and start peeing in the snow and then that is when they get ugly.
David
Just compare the features and decide.
I am out of this thread!
OK. I’m taking the Steelers, 23-21 !
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