PCI Express the way of the future

[Walter Biscardi]

The Kona boards already operate in Wintel and Linux machines so I’d say there’s not much to worry about with the Kona 2’s.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

G5 Dual 2.0, AJA Kona 2, Medea FCR2X

[Paul Nevison]

I didnt realise the kona was a cross platform card – shows how good my research is 😉 For the transition to Intel Macs would I be right in saying that it would be a software update rather than a hardware update to make the shift?

G5 DP 2.0
2.0G RAM
OS 10.3.8
QT 6.5.2
FCP HD 4.5
CineWave 4.7
Cinewave RT Pro
Pro Digital Plus & Pro Analogue BOB

[Walter Biscardi]

[paul nevison] “I didnt realise the kona was a cross platform card – shows how good my research is ;-)”

It’s not really advertised as such, but folks like Ramona Howard with RaveHD are using it with a Linux HD product being used by major film studios.

[paul nevison] “For the transition to Intel Macs would I be right in saying that it would be a software update rather than a hardware update to make the shift?”

I’m sure one of the AJA guys will pipe in with an answer on that one.

FYI, I ditched CineWave back in April 2004 when I saw the writing on the wall at NAB 2004. The Kona 2 makes for a great transition from CineWave and if you need Analog I/O, either add the AJA Io LA or go with the Kona LH which has analog I/O built in.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

G5 Dual 2.0, AJA Kona 2, Medea FCR2X

[Ramona Howard]

Thanks Walter for the plug.

Paul,

AJA products are very cross platform and are used in Linux, Windows and Mac systems daily. Depending on what you want to do and on which platform you will find varied levels of support. Solutions such as ours on Linux required us to write our own driver many years ago but AJA has since supported this OS. I would suggest a call to AJA to discuss your needs.

Cheers,
Ramona

[Aja Sales department]

Hi-

Please let me clear up a few things:

The KONA line is not cross-platform, it is Mac-only. Certain cards in the KONA line exist in our OEM lineup for Linux and Windows, but these are not available to the general public but are for use for OEM’s (Other Equipment Manufacturers) who create software/hardware to be used with them…such as Ramona’s company Spectsoft.

These Linux and Windows OEM products do not include general drivers for use with everyday retail software, but instead include development software and environments tailored specifically for OEM’s. There are many other cards that live in our OEM lineup that do not show up at all in our retail sales, and vice-versa.

The XENA HS is one card that crosses both as it is an OEM card AND also available as a retail card for use with Cineform Prospect HD software and Adobe Premiere, yet it does not exist on our Mac retail products.

Thank you,

—
AJA Video Systems
(530) 274-2048 Intl.
(800) 251-4224 US
sales@aja.com

[Walter Biscardi]

Thanks for chiming in here guys.

I guess my point was that though the Kona cards are developed as Mac only, they can be used in other platforms for specific applications, like what Ramona and Spectsoft has done.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Creative Genius, Biscardi Creative Media
https://www.biscardicreative.com

Now in Production, “The Rough Cut,” https://www.theroughcutmovie.com

Now editing “Good Eats” in HD for the Food Network

“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

G5 Dual 2.0, AJA Kona 2, Medea FCR2X

[Mitchji]

Hi,

The new G5 iMac’s have PCI Express which could mean the PCI-X will go away:
https://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html#store
ATI Radeon X600 Pro with 128MB DDR SDRAM; PCI-Express

Best Wishes,

Mitch

[Ramona Howard]

And many before us…….

Cheers,
Ramona

[John Ladle]

i don’t know if pci-x is necessarily going away. there could be pci-x and pci express in the same system. pci-express has far more benefits to storage and video cards than it does for well built capture card…the kona 2 pci-x can operate in the 100 mhz pci-x slot and deliver dual link HD today…

it very well could be “transitional pci express boards” that include both pci-express and pci-x on the same motherboard.

if you need to do more than 4:4:4 10 bit uncompressed 1080 dual link, then wait on pins and needles until apple announces whatever it did not announce today (or at siggraph, or at IBC…). otherwise, i don’t see what pci express is offering specific to editing.

open GL and storage are other matters…

[Mitchji]

[uncompressed] “otherwise, i don’t see what pci express is offering specific to editing.”

Hi,

The issue is (IMO) if Steve will decide to axe PCI-X (remember serial ports) thus causing existing PCI-X cards to not work on future PowerMacs.

Best Wishes,

Mitch