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Kona advice?
Hi All,
Economics are forcing me to ditch my Avid DS Nitris and move to FCP.
As users of Kona capture cards I have a few questions for you:1. Can I capture from professional VTR’s HD & SD Serial digital outputs, including timecode & deck control via RS422?
Also real world how does the card perform using sources such as Digibeta and HDCam decks? Do clips retain TC info and is the quality good?
2. In a real world working environment how does the ‘dynamic RT Extreme hardware acceleration’ work? Does it make a noticeable speed difference when working in FCP? What are the user benefits?
3. Is this the best card on the market for what it does?Thank a bunch in advance, any help greatly appreciated,
Dom.
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12 Replies
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Dom,
It still shocks me a bit to know that there are people that do not really know that FCP systems are all over the world doing things as good as or even better than an AVID would.
I have been running cards and FCP since version 2 and I can tell you that the Kona is a very stable platform that will allow you to do all that you describe and more than you are used to.
You might as well add all of the J decks to your list along with the 1200A, D5, F-500 and any of the SR decks.
Very stable and I am sure you will find a lot of very satisfied customers who have build their businesses on FCP and Kona products.
David
Peace and Love 🙂
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[dom111] “1. Can I capture from professional VTR’s HD & SD Serial digital outputs, including timecode & deck control via RS422?”
Yes. It’s a professional, broadcast product. With the Kona 3 you even can capture 4:4:4 Dual Link HD and work with 2K material.
[dom111] “Also real world how does the card perform using sources such as Digibeta and HDCam decks? Do clips retain TC info and is the quality good?”
Pristine. Kona and AJA products are used extensively in broadcast sports for both SD and HD broadcasts. I know Fox has been cutting the HD NASCAR coverage with FCP for a while and I think they’re using the Kona product as well.
A while back and Avid editor tried to impress my client by showing how much better their Avid DS / HD system was than my Kona 2. He put up a split scren of the DS and my Kona 2 on a $30,000 Sony HD CRT broadcast monitor. My client couldn’t see the split, I couldn’t see the split and the Avid editor couldn’t see the split. He kept moving the split all over the place and it was never visible on the screen. Quality is equal to anything out there.
[dom111] “2. In a real world working environment how does the ‘dynamic RT Extreme hardware acceleration’ work? Does it make a noticeable speed difference when working in FCP? What are the user benefits?”
FCP wholly depends on the speed of your system for Dynamic RT benefits. Run the fastest G5 with the fastest Fibre Channel array and you get tremendous RT benefits. Run a FW 800 drive on a slow Mac, you don’t get near as much RT benefit.
[dom111] “3. Is this the best card on the market for what it does?”
As far as I’m concerned, the Kona series are the best product on the market and AJA is the best support company period. We’re delivering broadcast network material here in HD and we’ve been complimented on the superb quality of the product from the network.
You’ll find when the shop is a “mission critical” FCP shop, i.e. Broadcast, it’s probably running a Kona series card. They just work.
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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[dom111] “Economics are forcing me to ditch my Avid DS Nitris and move to FCP.”
Dom
FCP Kona Systems are sued in places like NASA and hundreds of production facilities all over the world.
Even for Live ON air events like the Superbowl, World Series and Tour d’France. Walter Murch and Sean Cullen have used FCP for cutting Cold Mountain and Jarhead.
Good Eats is cut by our own Walter Biscardi for the food network.You will have a learning curve find a good trainer and do not try to build your system yourself, for a first timer you will not have all the answers and it is different that the Avid world( and skip apple’s FCP support that is really for DSV users only)
RT in Final Cut is a function of the hardware. – the faster your raid, the more ram, the better the CPU the more realtime effects you will see.
and YES
The Kona Boards are the best on the market, and you can actually talk to a real engineer in tech support when you have an issue.gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL -
[dom111] “Economics are forcing me to ditch my Avid DS Nitris and move to FCP.”
Dom
FCP Kona Systems are sued in places like NASA and hundreds of production facilities all over the world.
Even for Live ON air events like the Superbowl, World Series and Tour d’France. Walter Murch and Sean Cullen have used FCP for cutting Cold Mountain and Jarhead.
Good Eats is cut by our own Walter Biscardi for the food network.You will have a learning curve find a good trainer and do not try to build your system yourself, for a first timer you will not have all the answers and it is different that the Avid world( and skip apple’s FCP support that is really for DSV users only)
RT in Final Cut is a function of the hardware. – the faster your raid, the more ram, the better the CPU the more realtime effects you will see.
and YES
The Kona Boards are the best on the market, and you can actually talk to a real engineer in tech support when you have an issue.gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL -
“FCP Kona Systems are sued in places like NASA and hundreds of production facilities all over the world. ”
Who won the lawsuits?
LOL…
Jerry
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Hands down buy a Kona product. The LH series will do what most folks need to in SD and HD, however the Kona 3 will do more (the biggie here is cross conversion between HD formats, and native 2K editing)… Both boards capture/edit/control (RS-422) all of the popular formats/decks. Quality and support from AJA is second to NOBODY… I’ve used an SD card, and currently run a Kona 2. My Power Mac won’t support a Kona 3 (it’s a PCIe only card), but all the newest Power Macs do. I be waiting until Mr Intel Power Mac shows up… then all bets are off. If you’re working a lot in SD, the LH card supplies component analog inputs… where the Kona 3 is an SDI only input card. (Though with the addition of an Io LA, you gain component analog inputs with your system, as well as ANOTHER RS-422 controller. With either card though, you’ll want the “give away” breakout K box… Shoot, the connectors are worth more than what AJA asks for the box.
Further, if you take a look at the relationship between Apple and any of their competition, I’d suspect that AJA has the closest because of their Io products. Apple has always worked extrememly closely with AJA and it began with the Io development. Io only works with FCP…
Biggest AJA fan on the planet,
Jerry -
[Jerry Hofmann] “Biggest AJA fan on the planet,”
Corretion. You’re the second biggest AJA fan on the planet.
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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Thanks so much for all the help guys, ‘really appreciate it.
Dom.
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[walter biscardi] “[Jerry Hofmann] “Biggest AJA fan on the planet,” Correction. You’re the second biggest AJA fan on the planet.”
OH
so what am I ??? Chopped Liver?If I remember I was one of the influencing reasons you started with Kona
eh Walter?gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows
Chicago, IL -
[gary adcock] “If I remember I was one of the influencing reasons you started with Kona
eh Walter?”Actually, it was the 2004 “AJA Technical Support Calendar” that really got me interested in the product. I mean, Rudy was a perfect Mr. June wouldn’t you say? 🙂
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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