AJA KONA 2 User Manual

Installation

and

Operation Guide

PRELIMINARY

Contents Subject to Change

November 4, 2004 P/N101655

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Trademarks

AJA, KONA, and Io are trademarks of AJA Video, Inc.

Apple, the Apple logo, AppleShare, AppleTalk, FireWire and Macintosh are registered trademarks
of Apple Computer, Inc. Final Cut Pro, QuickTime and the QuickTime Logo are trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc. DVCPRO HD® is a registered trademark of Panasonic Inc.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Notice

Copyright © 2004 AJA Video, Inc. All rights reserved. All information in this manual is subject to
change without notice. No part of the document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form,
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, without the
express written permission of AJA Inc.

FCC Emission Information

Contacting Support

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by AJA Video can effect emission compliance
and could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

To contact AJA Video for sales or support, use any of the following methods:

443 Crown Point Circle, Grass Valley, CA. 95945 USA

Telephone: [phone] or 530.274.2048
Fax: [phone]

Web: http://www.aja.com
Support Email: [e-mail]
Sales Email: [e-mail]

When calling for support, first read the Chapter on Troubleshooting at the back of this manual. You
can often save time and effort by looking there first for simple remedies and information on how
to get support from AJA and Apple Computer Inc.

Limited Warranty

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — Limited Warranty

AJA Video warrants that this product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship
for a period of three years from the date of purchase. If a product proves to be defective during
this warranty period, AJA Video, at its option, will either repair the defective product without
charge for parts and labor, or will provide a replacement in exchange for the defective product.

In order to obtain service under this warranty, you the Customer, must notify AJA Video of
the defect before the expiration of the warranty period and make suitable arrangements for the
performance of service. The Customer shall be responsible for packaging and shipping the
defective product to a designated service center nominated by AJA Video, with shipping
charges prepaid. AJA Video shall pay for the return of the product to the Customer if the
shipment is to a location within the country in which the AJA Video service center is located.
Customer shall be responsible for paying all shipping charges, insurance, duties, taxes, and
any other charges for products returned to any other locations.

This warranty shall not apply to any defect, failure or damage caused by improper use or
improper or inadequate maintenance and care. AJA Video shall not be obligated to furnish
service under this warranty a) to repair damage resulting from attempts by personnel other
than AJA Video representatives to install, repair or service the product, b) to repair damage
resulting from improper use or connection to incompatible equipment, c) to repair any
damage or malfunction caused by the use of non-AJA Video parts or supplies, or d) to service
a product that has been modified or integrated with other products when the effect of such a
modification or integration increases the time or difficulty of servicing the product.

THIS WARRANTY IS GIVEN BY AJA VIDEO IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER
WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. AJA VIDEO AND ITS VENDORS
DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. AJA VIDEO’S RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR OR
REPLACE DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IS THE WHOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY
PROVIDED TO THE CUSTOMER FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER AJA VIDEO OR
THE VENDOR HAS ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.

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KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

FCC Emission Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Contacting Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

Limited Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter 1: Introduction

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Dual Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Broadcast-Quality Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

KONA 2 Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Qrez™ 4:1 Hardware Codec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

DVCPRO HD Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What’s In The Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Optional K-Box Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Minimum and Recommended System and Software Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Understanding Disk Storage Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

About RAIDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Software For Striping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

AJA KONA 2 and Xserve RAID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Storage capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Using the Standard Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Using K-Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

About BNC Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Connector Descriptions—Cables and K-Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

8 Channel Digital AES/EBU Audio Inputs And Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Analog 2 Channel Unbalanced Audio (K-Box only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

RS422 Machine Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

SDI Input and Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Analog Monitor Out (Component/Composite HD/SD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Reference Video (looping) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

In This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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Chapter 2: Getting Started—Workflow

KONA 2 And Your Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Understanding Typical Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

PhotoJPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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DV (DV25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

DV50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

DVCPRO HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Uncompressed 8-bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Uncompressed 10-bit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Uncompressed 10-bit Dual Link HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Workflow General Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

HD Offline Scenario #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

HD Offline Scenario #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

HD / SD Online Scenario With Qrez™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Mixing and Matching Formats in Final Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Chapter 3: Installation

Installation Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Shipping Box Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Installing the KONA 2 Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Installing the Optional K-Box Breakout Box—Desk or Rackmount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Physical Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Cabling the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

System Video/Audio Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

System Cabling When Using BNCs for Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Typical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Installing KONA 2 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Software Installation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Genlock and Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Chapter 4: Final Cut Pro and Other Application Software

Final Cut Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Using The KONA 2 Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Control Panel Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Input Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Input Screen Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Formats Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Format Screen Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Digital Out Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Digital Out Screen Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Analog Out Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Analog Out Screen Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Control Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Control Screen Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Timecode Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Timecode Screen Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Info Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Saving Your Control Panel Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Easy Setups for Typical Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Easy Setups Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Easy Setups For Use With KONA 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — Table of Contents

Audio/Video Settings Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

To Create A New Easy Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

The Sequence Presets Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Checking the System with a Simple Test Project of Bars and Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Using 8-bit Versus 10-bit Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Chapter 5: Troubleshooting

If You Run Into Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Updating Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Apple Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

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Appendix A: Specifications
Appendix B: Glossary

Index

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Chapter 1:

Introduction

Overview

AJA KONA 2 brings the highest quality SD, HD, and Dual Link HD video and
audio to an Apple G5 Power Mac running Final Cut Pro 4 software. Offering
unsurpassed 10-bit uncompressed video, 8-channel digital AES and embedded
audio, up/down HD/SD format conversion, DVCPRO HD® hardware support,
AJA Qrez™ hardware codec, and HD/SD component analog output—KONA 2 is
designed to be the ultimate capture and playback card.

A state-of-the-art PCI-X card, KONA 2 plugs into the G5 chassis and works with
Final Cut Pro and other applications to provide a professional editing suite,
corporate/industrial video center, or high-powered desktop video setup—or just
about anything in between. Included with KONA 2 are a cable set that connects to
most every kind of SD, HD, and Dual Link HD equipment you are likely to
encounter. And for even easier connectivity, an optional K-Box rack mountable
breakout box can also be purchased—it ships with its own cable set.

This manual covers the installation and operation of KONA 2 and K-Box and
discusses using it with Final Cut Pro and other applications.

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Features

The KONA 2 card offers a large number of unique features for optimum quality,
ease of use, and support for a wide variety of workflows and environments.

Hardware

SDI, HD-SDI

•

PCI-X 133 MHz

•

•

Dual Link 4:4:4 HD-SDI

•

8-Channel 24-bit AES and Embedded Audio

•

Broadcast Quality hardware 10-bit SD to HD Up-convert

•

Broadcast Quality hardware 10-bit HD to SD Down-convert

•

12-bit HD/SD Component Analog Video Output

•

AJA Qrez™ 4:1 Hardware Codec

DVCPRO HD hardware acceleration

•

RS-422 Control Port (Sony), 9-pin D, for machine control

•

Genlock/Reference Video (looping)

•

Standard Cables Included (3)

•

•

Optional K-Box Breakout Box—Provides Rack mounting and Flexible Easy

I/O (2 K-Box cables are included with the K-Box)

Broadcast-Quality Conversion

KONA 2 features hardware-based full 10-bit Broadcast quality motion adaptive
SD to HD up-conversion, HD to SD down conversion, and automatic HD/SD
12-bit component analog output. The quality of the conversion features are
virtually identical to AJA’s award winning stand-alone products as used
throughout post-production markets. The KONA 2 built-in up-converter uses a
full 10-bit data path, fully motion adaptive de-interlacing, and large multi-point
digital interpolators. Down conversion uses large multi-point digital anti-alias
filtering and interpolation. Because these functions are hardware based, they are
available full time, all the time—with no CPU load. Such conversion is useful for
cost effective monitoring, making standard definition dubs of an HD project, or
up-converting from a standard definition FCP project to an HD deck for
dubbing.

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — Features

KONA 2 Audio

KONA 2 supports 8-channel 24-bit 48kHz AES audio via either XLR
(balanced) or BNC (unbalanced) connections, and 8 channel embedded 24 bit
48kHz audio over the same single SDI connection as the video. If you are using
a Digital Betacam Deck, HDCAM, DVCPRO HD, D5, D9 or even an
HDCAM SR—you’ll have the proper connections to the deck.

At the present time Final Cut Pro only supports 2 channels of audio input and
up to 24 channels of audio output. However, KONA 2 supports 8 audio
channels in and out via the hardware, and will support multichannel audio
input when Final Cut Pro supports that function in the future. KONA 2 also
features AES input sample rate conversion; this feature eliminates the
requirement for audio source synchronization. Sample rate converters auto-lock

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to any AES input, 32-96KHz, and then convert it to 24 bit 48KHz audio,
perfectly locked to internal KONA 2 video. Sample rate conversion is done at
very high quality (over 120db THD).

Dual Link

KONA 2 supports Dual Link 4:4:4 HD-SDI, an emerging technology on the
Macintosh platform with Final Cut Pro. Commonly know in the broadcast
video industry as Sony HDCAM SR or Thompson Viper Format, Dual Link
offers a full HD raster (1920x1080) at 10-bit. AJA is working with Apple to
integrate a Dual Link 4:4:4 codec for Final Cut Pro HD (4.5). KONA 2 will
support SMPTE-372M compliant 4:4:4 RGB video at 10-bits.

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Qrez™ 4:1 Hardware Codec

AJA provides Final Cut Pro users with an additional choice for video
compression: Qrez. Qrez is our high-quality hardware based codec that provides
a 4:1 compression ratio. Because the compression/decompression is all done
using KONA 2’s hardware, there is no processing load on the CPU—and no
latency. Qrez is viable for offline and online broadcast production, allowing
broadcast quality HD at rates between 25 and 35MB sec. and broadcast quality
SD at rates between 2 and 3MB sec. This economy allows smaller more cost
effective storage solutions to be used for broadcast quality video.

Qrez works by using KONA 2’s internal scaling engine to reduce the number of
lines and pixels such that the data rate is one-fourth normal size. Another way of
putting it is that Qrez produces a smaller “uncompressed” raster on capture, and
then scales it back up on play-out. This does reduce the resolution of the video,
but it’s a good choice when considering the tradeoff between storage space and
quality.

The trick to making Qrez appear high quality is the use of AJA’s scalars. On
“average” video, it is often difficult to see any difference between uncompressed
and Qrez.

4

DVCPRO HD

®

Acceleration

Developed in close cooperation with Apple, KONA 2’s hardware takes a portion
of the DVCPRO HD codec processing load off the CPU, allowing more
processor time for Real Time effects in Final Cut Pro HD. KONA 2 also has
hardware support when capturing from HD-SDI to the DVCPRO HD codec.
KONA 2 along with Final Cut Pro HD and the DVCPRO HD codec bring real
time HD production power to the desktop.

With KONA 2, any HD-SDI source can be captured using the DVCPRO HD
codec—giving you online HD quality at remarkably low data rates (between 6
and 15 MB/sec.) and allowing the internal PowerMac SATA storage to be used for
HD capture, playback and even RT effects. Of course, you will get even better
performance and more RT when using a fast SCSI or Fibre Channel array, but this
allows HD to be used where only SD would have been considered due to budget
or time constraints.

How does the KONA 2 accelerate DVCPRO HD? Panasonic DVCPRO HD uses
a 2-step process in the codec. First, the HD image is scaled to a lower pixel count
horizontally, and then the reduced raster is compressed using a DCT based codec.
For example, for 720p, DVCPRO HD reduces the raster from 1280x720 to
960x720, and 1080 from 1920x1080 to 1280x1080. The reason for this is a
favorable trade-off between resolution (that is often not there anyway), and a
much more efficient codec due to the smaller raster. Critical to this is a proper
high-quality scalar to reduce the raster on capture, and scale it back up on
playback. KONA 2 performs the scaling step in hardware for both capture and
playback.

Because KONA 2 has AJA’s scaling engine, these steps are performed at a very
high quality level. Also, since the CPU does not have to do the scaling, additional
RT is possible when outputting to HD-SDI.

Software

What’s In The Box?

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — What’s In The Box?

•

KONA 2 Control Panel for source selection and controlling KONA 2 within the

overall MacOS environment (Macintosh Desktop, Input Pass through, etc.).

AJA QuickTime™ Drivers for tightly integrated hardware/software operation.

•

Support for Apple Final Cut Pro™ (application software not included).

•

Support for After Effects, Combustion, Motion, and Other Applications

•

(application software not included).

AJA’s KONA 2 software and hardware were developed for use with Final Cut Pro 4 for
powerful integrated video/audio capture, editing, and video production. With an
Apple G5, FCP, and KONA 2, you have the ultimate system for standard definition—

1

and high definition—video production. Software is supplied on CD, including the
KONA 2 Control Panel, drivers for the card itself, and all files necessary for Final Cut
Pro and other application support.

When you unpack your AJA KONA 2, you’ll find the following components:

•

AJA KONA 2 Software and Documentation CD-ROM—this CD contains the
software installer to place KONA 2 drivers and the Control Panel on an Apple
Power Mac. Install the software as discussed in this manual in Chapter 3:

Installation and Configuration. The CD also contains a wide variety of useful

information, including this manual you’re reading (PDF format).

5

Optional K-Box
Package Contents

KONA 2 PCI-X card.

•

•

Cable, KONA 2 SDI In/Out, AES, RS422, and Reference Input—
Audio connectors are XLRs.

Cable, KONA 2 SDI In/Out, AES, RS422, and Reference Input—

•

Audio connectors are BNCs.

•

Cable, KONA 2 Analog Video Monitor Outputs (component/composite).

•

Read Me First Notice—Contains late-breaking news and/or errata related to
KONA 2 and the documentation.

Please save all packaging for shipping the KONA 2 should you wish to do so when
moving or sending it in for service.

K-Box 1-RU Panel.

•

Cable, K-Box to KONA 2, HDI-style connectors.

•

Cable, K-Box to KONA 2, 15-pin D-connectors.

•

6

AJA KONA 2
PCI-X Card

Installation Software CD

Read Me First Notice
and Registration Sheet

Standard Cable Set

Installation and Operation Manual
in electronic form on the CD (PDF)

BNC/XLR-cable

BNC-only-cable

Video Monitor cable

Optional K-Box and Cable Set

9-pin to 9-pin
Cable

HDI-to-HDI-style
Cable

K-Box

KONA 2 Shipping Box Contents

System Requirements

AJA Video recommends that your system meet minimum hardware and software
requirements to achieve a satisfactory level of performance when operating it. Here,
we provide minimum and recommended requirements and then discuss disk storage
issues that should be understood for proper system configuration.

Minimum and
Recommended
System and
Software
Requirements

The following table outlines the system hardware and software needed.

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — System Requirements

Item Minimum Recommended

Macintosh
Operating System

Editing/Production
Software Suite

Macintosh Power Mac G5, dual

OS X, version 10.3.5,
QuickTime 6.5

Final Cut Pro 4.5HD Final Cut Pro 4.5HD

2Ghz
Minimum 1GB RAM

OS X latest release.
QuickTime 6.5 or
Latest

Power Mac G5, dual

2.5Ghz or better
> 1GB RAM

1

7

Understanding
Disk Storage
Methods

AGP Graphics Card ATI Radeon 9600

Internal Storage (inside Mac)
For DV only; uncompressed
SD or HD requires external
RAID.

RAID Interface SCSI (ATTO UL4D)

Disk Storage

Note:

see Storage Methods
topic that follows later in this
Chapter

(firmware rev 1.3.18
or newer)

SATA (1 internal HD) SATA (2 internal

or Apple Fibre
Channel Dual 2GB
HBA

4 SCSI Hard Drives
External RAID

- same -

HDs RAIDed)

SCSI (ATTO UL4D)
or Apple Fibre
Channel Dual 2GB
HBA

Apple Xserve RAID

The KONA 2 card, an Apple Power Mac, and Final Cut Pro 4.5HD, together offer an
unprecedented level of features and performance for all Video/Audio production
applications. However, to ensure performance and quality, the disk storage system
used with the Apple Power Mac must be able to meet the demands of storing realtime
uncompressed media. At the very minimum, the disk storage system must be able to
provide and maintain a consistent 50 MB/s transfer rate from the Power Mac to disk
(read/write). There are a variety of system configurations and peripherals that can
provide this level of performance. Possible system configurations are listed following:

8

Storage Method Features/Limitations Cost

Xserve RAID Features up to 14 ATA/100

drive channels, dual
independent RAID controllers,
and a dual 2Gb Fibre Channel
host interface. Xserve provides
up to 5.6TB of storage with
throughput of up to 400
megabytes per second.

External ATA/IDE or SCSI
RAID

Scalable. Performance almost
as good as Xserve, although it
can be more complex to set up
and maintain. Many vendors
offer solutions (too many to list
here; check with your Apple
dealer for SCSI Storage
solutions for details). Although
the connection to the external
RAID chassis is SCSI, the
drives themselves may be
SCSI or ATA. A pure SCSI
array will offer higher
performance at a higher cost.

Expensive, although
the cost per
gigabyte is excellent
when large storage
is needed

Moderately
Expensive

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Disk Storage Solutions—G5 With Xserve RAID

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — System Requirements

1

Disk Storage Solutions—External ATA/IDE or SCSI RAID

About RAIDs

Redundant Array of Independent Disks, or RAID, is a group of hard drives that
appears to the host Power Mac as a single high-speed storage unit. RAID systems
enable you to increase storage capacity and get the performance, reliability, and data
protection needed for video production, but not possible from a single hard drive.
RAID drives inside the array operate simultaneously, increasing overall throughput.
RAID technology is comprised of these techniques (some or all):

9

•

Striping data across multiple drives for storage performance (RAID 0).

Mirroring for redundancy (RAID 1).

•

Parity for data protection (RAID 5 [plus others]).

•

Most RAID configurations, or RAID levels, combine these to provide a balance of
protection and performance.

Striping divides a logical drive into data blocks, or stripes, that are distributed across

an array of physical drives. Striping a set of disks improves storage performance
because each drive operates concurrently. However, striping alone, known as RAID
level 0, offers no data protection.

Mirroring involves writing identical copies of all data to a pair of physical drives. This

results in very high data reliability: If one drive fails, the data is still available on the
remaining disk drive. However, it also results in a storage efficiency of only 50 percent,
because two physical drives are required to achieve a single drive’s capacity. Mirroring
alone is known as RAID level 1.

Parity provides data protection without requiring complete duplication of the drive
contents. In the event of a drive failure, parity information can be used with data on
surviving drives to reconstruct the contents of a failed drive. Parity data can be stored
on a dedicated drive, as in RAID 3, or distributed across an array of drives, as in
RAID 5. Parity provides much greater storage efficiency than mirroring—up to 85
percent for a set of seven drives.

10

Software For Striping

AJA recommends the Disk Utility software provided by Apple with OS X for
creating and striping RAIDs, including 3rd-party, SCSI, and Xserve RAIDs. It is
very easy to use and has been tested to work well. The utility can be found in
Macintosh HD/Applications/Utilities, where “Macintosh HD” is the name of the
system drive.

AJA KONA 2 and Xserve RAID

For the optimum in disk storage with Final Cut Pro 4.5HD and AJA KONA 2, we
recommend Apple’s Xserve RAID. Xserve RAID holds up to 14 hot-swap Apple
Drive Modules—5.6TB of storage—in a rack-optimized 3U enclosure. Each 7200­RPM hard drive connects to a dedicated ATA/100 drive channel, eliminating a
traditional source of bottlenecks and maximizing the 2Gb/s Fibre Channel host
connection(s). By adding more Xserve RAID systems, you’ll have very large
expansion capabilities: A standard 42U rack can hold over 78TB of Xserve RAID
storage.

Xserve RAID is designed for nonstop operation. Redundant hot-swap power and
cooling modules allow the system to keep functioning even if one module fails. A
high-availability architecture and dual independent RAID controllers support
RAID levels 0, 1, 3, 5, and 0+1. In addition, Xserve RAID supports hybrid RAID
levels 10, 30, and 50 when used in conjunction with host-based software RAID.
Remote Xserve RAID management capabilities are provided via Apple’s Java-based
RAID Admin application.

Note: When creating and striping an Xserve RAID for KONA 2 using the Apple
Disk Utility provided with OS X, use RAID 50: in other words, the internal Xserve
RAID drives are set up as RAID 5; the Xserve RAID then shows up in Disk Utility
as two drives (regardless of the number of internal drives) which must be configured
together as RAID 0. Apple calls this configuration “RAID 50.”

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — System Requirements

Storage capacity

No matter which storage system you choose, pick one that can scale to meet your
needs over time. Ideally, you should be able to increase storage capacity or switch to a
RAID level offering increased data protection in the future. Balance current and
future storage needs with your budget and choose accordingly.

11

FORMAT

10 bit Uncompressed
Standard Definition

8 bit Uncompressed
Standard Definition

DV50 Standard Definition 6.3 23 43.4
DV25 Standard Definition 3.1 11 90.0
Photo JPEG

Standard Definition

8-bit Uncompressed 1080i
@59.94/60Hz

10-bit Uncompressed
1080i@59.94/60Hz

Dual Link 1080psf@29.97/30Hz 249 896 1.1

8-bit Uncompressed 1080i @50Hz 104 373 2.7
10-bit Uncompressed

1080i@50Hz
Dual Link 1080psf@25Hz 207 746 1.3

8-bit Uncompressed
1080psf@23.98/24Hz

10-bit Uncompressed
1080psf@23.98/24Hz

Dual Link 1080psf@23.98/24Hz 199 717 1.4

Transfer Rate in
MB/sec

28 101 9.9

21 76 13.1

2.5 9 111

124 448 2.2

166 597 1.7

138 498 2.0

100 358 2.8

133 478 2.1

Storage
Requirement in
GB/Hour

Hours of Storage
Per Terabyte of
Disk

1

8-bit Uncompressed 720p@59.94/
60Hz

10-bit Uncompressed
720p@59.94/60Hz

DVCPRO HD 12.5 45 22.2

MB = MegaBytes

GB = GigaBytes

100 358 2.8

133 478 2.1

Note: for uncompressed formats, PAL and NTSC transfer rates and storage
requirements are the about the same because PAL has a lower frame rate, but more
lines.

12

Cable Connections

When KONA 2 is installed in a PowerMac, it connects to the outside world via
either the standard cable set supplied, or the optional K-Box (using the two cables
supplied with it).

Using the
Standard Cables

KONA 2 offers you cable connectivity choices. Two versions of the KONA 2
breakout cable are provided: one having AES/EBU digital XLR connections, and
one with AES/EBU digital BNC connections. When you plug in the desired cable,
KONA 2 automatically configures. An additional analog A/V monitoring cable has
a small 15-pin D-connector that attaches to the upper connector on KONA 2 and
provides 3 BNCs for an analog component/composite monitor. The general KONA
2 breakout cables provide connection to your VTR machine control, input and
output sources, and external reference video (genlock).

To Upper
KONA 2 Connector
(9-pin)

In SD Can be Configured for

In HD Can Only Be Component

Configuration drawings for using each of
the cables are provided in the installation
chapter presented later in this manual.

To Lower

KONA 2 Connector

(HDI-style)

3 BNCs:

Component,

Composite,

or S-Video

Note: The general I/O Cable with BNC connectors is not shown
(it’s identical to the cable above, with BNCs instead of XLRs)

Note: KONA 2’s breakout cables should only be used for relatively short cable
runs of HD-SDI digital video. For example—they can be used for directly
connecting a tape deck, or other HD-SDI equipment, or connecting to HD-SDI
cable runs of 20-30 feet. For longer runs, the optional K-Box breakout box must be
used. The K-Box electrically re-buffers all signals and will support up to 125 meters
of HD-SDI cable.

RS422
Machine Control
(9-pin)

SDI Out1/Link A BNC

SDI Out2/Link B BNC

SDI In1/Link A BNC

SDI In2/Link B BNC

Reference Input BNC

Channels 1-8
In and Out

Female XLRs: Inputs
Male XLRs: Outputs
(2 channels/connector)

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — Cable Connections

Using K-Box The K-Box attaches to the KONA 2 card via two supplied cables that attach to the

back of the K-Box. These cables each have unique connectors so they cannot be
connected incorrectly. One cable uses 15-pin D-connectors, while the other uses an
HDI-style connector (Note: the signals are not HDI pin-compatible signals.)

For additional functionality, the K-Box provides some features not present in the
standard break-out cables: simultaneous XLR and BNC AES output, 2 channel RCA
analog audio monitoring, and looping BNC Genlock reference connectors.

13

About BNC
Connectors

AES/EBU Audio In

Channels 1 through 8

All AES/EBU audio connectors have two channels

AJA K-Box Panel Connectors

Although most video professionals are used to BNC connectors, you may not have
seen them if you’ve been using primarily desktop video equipment. BNC connectors
ensure a positive connection by the act of locking the connectors together via pins in
one connector that fit into slots in the corresponding connector.

AES/EBU Audio Out

Channels 1 through 8

per connector

AES/EBU Audio In

Channels 1 through 8

AES/EBU Audio Out

Channels 1 through 8

Serial
Digital

In

Serial

Digital

Out

External
Reference
(loop)

1

Component/
Composite
Video Output

RS422

Machine

Control

Analog Audio
Output

To make a BNC connection, slide the cable connector over the panel connector and
then when seated, rotate the barrel of the cable connector 90˚ clockwise until the
connectors are locked together. When properly locked, the cable cannot accidentally
be pulled out.

Pins (2) on BNC Connector
(connector on K-Box)

Align slots in
cable connector
barrel with connector
pins, then slide it over the pins
and rotate the barrel
to lock the connectors

together

14

Connector
Descriptions—
Cables and K-Box

Connectors on the standard cable set are labelled as to their function for easy
installation and maintenance. Similarly, connectors on the optional K-Box are also
labelled.

8 Channel Digital AES/EBU Audio Inputs And Outputs

When using the standard cables, you can choose either XLR or BNC connections
for the AES/EBU audio input/output. One of the cables provides BNCs connectors
while the other provides XLRs. In the latter cable, 4 four female XLR connectors are
provided for audio input and four for audio output. Each XLR carries two channels.
Both BNC and XLR connectors are labelled as to input/output and channels.

The optional K-Box provides both BNC and XLR audio connections on the front
panel.

Note: XLR connections are digital and cannot be used with analog equipment

having XLR connectors.

Analog 2 Channel Unbalanced Audio (K-Box only)

On the K-Box are two analog output connectors, one for each channel. These
connectors are RCA-style phono jacks.

RS422 Machine Control

A female DB9 connector provides connection for VTRs, camcorders, disk media
servers, and other devices using RS422 SMPTE (Sony) protocol. This connector is
present on both the general I/O cables and the optional K-Box. (Connector pinout
is listed in Appendex A: Specifications.)

SDI Input and Outputs

BNC connectors are provided for two SDI inputs and two SDI outputs for single or
dual-link. KONA 2 has three video outputs altogether—2 SDI outputs that are
used for both high- and standard-definition (SD/HD-SDI), and a component
analog output (this last connector is discussed later). Each of the three outputs is
independently switchable between HD and SD. For example, if you are working in
HD, you can have simultaneous HD-SDI, SD-SDI, and HD-component analog
output.

SDI inputs and outputs support video and 8-channel embedded 24-bit digital
audio. Use SDI wherever possible for the best quality 10-bit uncompressed video
input, capture and output. If peripheral equipment has a variety of inputs/outputs,
look to see if it has SDI I/O, and use it where possible. Most high-end professional
broadcast equipment supports SDI (VTRs, cameras, media storage servers, etc.).

For SDI video, the breakout cables have 2 HD/SD BNC Ins and 2 Outs for single
or dual link. On the optional K-Box, these connectors are also provided on the right
side of the panel next to analog audio out and the RS-422 machine control
connectors.

Note: In the past manufacturers have used separate I/O connections for standard­and high-definition SDI because the circuits were different. On KONA 2 we use the
same connectors for both HD and SD-SDI (both input and output). When
connecting an input or output to a VTR or other external device, ensure it has
separate connectors for SD and HD and choose the appropriate connectors.

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — Cable Connections

Analog Monitor Out (Component/Composite HD/SD)

The analog component output can be switched to full-time SD—for both HD and
SD projects. This allows use of an inexpensive analog monitor for both HD and SD
work. You can even use a composite video monitor. For dual-link HD-SDI output,
HD or SD can be monitored through the component output. Dual link HD can be
sent out as 4:4:4 RGB.

KONA 2 features 12-bit component video output for both HD and SD. SD can be
switched to composite and Y/C. (The same 3 BNC connectors share component and
Y/C functions.) When working with HD, the component output can be
independently switched to SD video—this allows you to use an SD monitor for both
HD and SD.

1

Component video signals are generally higher quality than composite, but not as high
quality as serial digital (SDI).

When using the standard cable set, these connectors are provided on a separate
Monitor cable that connects to the smaller 15-pin D-connector on the KONA 2 card;
when using K-Box, these connectors are found on the right side of the K-Box front
panel.

A Note About RGB—Although RGB is used less in today’s video systems, KONA 2

supports it for A/V Monitor output. However, because KONA 2’s (and SMPTE
SDI’s) native format is YPbPr, AJA recommends the use of YPbPr whenever
possible for analog monitoring. Although component video monitors often have
RGB inputs, it’s better to use YPbPr when the monitor supports it. The YPbPr
format provides “headroom” for “superwhite” and “superblack”—and these video
levels will be clipped when transcoding to RGB. Also, the RGB/YPbPr
transcoding involves a level translation that results in mathematical round-off
error. RGB can be configured in the KONA 2 Control Panel.

15

A Note About YPbPr—Component Video, or YPbPr, has been given several names

over time. YUV, Y/R-Y/B-Y, and YCbCr, are just some examples. Although these
various formats have some differences in levels, they are all basically the same.
KONA 2 uses the modern YPbPr terminology exclusively. KONA 2 supports
three different types of YPbPr: SMPTE/EBU N10, Betacam (NTSC), and
Betacam (NTSC Japan). These three formats differ in level only and are
configured in the KONA 2 Control Panel.

Reference Video

A single BNC on the standard KONA 2 cable—or two BNC connectors on K-Box (it
loops through)—allows you to synchronize KONA 2 outputs to your house analog
reference video signal (or black burst). If you have a sync generator or central piece of
video equipment to use for synchronizing other video equipment in your studio, then
connect its analog composite output here. When KONA 2 outputs video it uses this
reference signal to lock to. When connecting a reference video source, the locking
signal should be the same format (1080i29.97, 625i25, etc.) as the Primary format
selected in the KONA 2 Control Panel. It is possible in some circumstances to use an
alternate format video signal as long as the basic frame rate is compatible (for example,
using a 525i29.97 genlock signal to lock a system running 1080i29.97).

16

In This Manual

Chapter 1 is the introduction you’re reading, listing features, box contents, and
system requirements.

Chapter 2 gets you started with using KONA 2 in a typical Video environment.
Typical workflows for SD, HD, Dual-Link are discussed.

Chapter 3 provides complete instructions for installing and configuring the AJA
KONA 2 card. The user is guided through unpacking, installing the card into a
PowerMac G5, installing KONA 2 Mac Software From CD, cabling the system and
then getting it up and running. Important configuration information is also
provided on video settings and use of genlock/external reference.

Chapter 4 discusses operational aspects of KONA 2 when used with Final Cut Pro.

Chapter 5 discusses troubleshooting problems with your system and what to do
when there’s a problem you can’t solve.

Appendix A presents a list of technical specifications for the prod uct.

Appendix B gives a glossary of technical terms and acronyms used in the manual.

The remainder of the manual consists of appendices listing specifications and an
index section to help you rapidly find topics in the manual.

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — In This Manual

1

17

18

KONA 2 And Your Workflow

There are a lot of ways to think about the video/audio workflow you follow. Your
setup might be categorized as corporate video, professional broadcast, or desktop
video. Or the workflow might be categorized by the type of equipment used rather
than the nature of work produced—many systems these days are a mixture of
equipment from high-end professional to desktop video. This chapter hopes to
show how Final Cut Pro and KONA 2 can help fit into whatever workflow you
currently have and make it more efficient.

Chapter 2:

Getting Started

A Workflow Scenarios diagram on the following page shows types of equipment,
sorted by VTR source, and the types of workflow attributes and KONA 2
applications supported. After the diagram, we also discuss some typical applications.

2

1

1

18

Source Deck Type(s)

Digital SD or HD
Examples: Digibeta, DV50, DVCPROHD,
HDCAM, and DVcam

Digital capture via Firewire with Output via AJA
KONA 2
Example: MiniDV

Without even using a deck; use the video monitor
as a second Mac monitor. The KONA 2
desktop lets you drag graphics from
programs like Adobe Photoshop from
the computer display to the video monitor. You
paint full frame and live onto a broadcast monitor.
Output virtually anything to video—ideal for
animators and compositors.

Workflow Attributes

KONA 2 captures and outputs
SDI video (SD or HD) with embedded
audio. Use high-quality AES/EBU
and/or embedded 8-channel audio
output.

Using standard desktop video
techniques, video/audio is captured
directly from a camcorder or deck.
KONA 2 is used for playing back
captured media and editing/mastering
to tape or DVD using Final Cut 4.5HD
and other tools such as After Effects,
Combustion, Apple Motion, etc.

Using Final Cut Pro, work with
a wide range of old and new SD and
HD sources, including
dual-rate and dual-link, and then also
use desktop graphics and video
software for creative power and
flexibility.

Applications

Pro Broadcast
Corporate/Industrial
On-site Editing

Desktop Video
Corporate/Industrial
On-site Editing
Pro Broadcast

Post-production
Animation
Compositing

Workflow Scenarios

Understanding Typical Workflows

KONA 2 and Final Cut Pro 4 allow more workflow flexibility than ever before.
Users can independently select different formats for capture and storage media,
while also outputting to KONA 2’s full array of digital SD or HD uncompressed
formats—with all outputs active simultaneously. Capture can range from DV to
digital uncompressed. Media can be stored on disk as:

• offline quality at low bit rates

• on-line quality at moderate bit rates

• or with the highest quality as 8 or 10 bit uncompressed SD and HD

As quality and codecs improve, the lines between offline and online are blurring.
For example, with the DVCPRO HD codec introduced in FCP HD, native HD
editing in that codec is now possible, providing very high quality results (true HD
editing) at very low data rates, in some cases as low under 6 MB sec. (compare this
to 100MB/sec and higher for uncompressed HD formats, and you can
immediately see the benefits)

KONA 2 Installation and Operation Manual — Understanding Typical Workflows

Following are summaries of the most common workflows, listing data rates and
relative quality levels. Some workflows require a RAID array and some will work
using the host Power Mac’s internal system drive—it’s noted where this is
supported in the following discussions.

PhotoJPEG Data rate: approximately 1-3 MB/second standard definition or high

definition—supported by internal system drive

Quality: Very Good

The Apple PhotoJPEG codec offers an excellent compressed media choice for
on-line quality at low data rates. PhotoJPEG can use the full-raster at 4:2:2
sampling. Final Cut Pro 4 allows you to adjust quality using a PhotoJPEG

1

control panel. KONA 2 allows for PhotoJPEG monitoring and/or output in
both SD and HD. KONA 2 can capture from almost any HD or SD input,
directly to PhotoJPEG media.

DV (DV25) Data rate: 3.13 MB/second (megabyte/second) standard definition only—

supported by internal system drive

Quality: Good

19

In this workflow, DV is usually input to a Power Mac running Final Cut Pro 4
through its FireWire port. DV offers good quality, but it has lower Chroma
resolution when compared to DV50, JPEG, or uncompressed. You can use
KONA 2 to convert DV projects to uncompressed—in real time—for
monitoring and/or output. Alternatively, KONA 2 can capture uncompressed
from any input, directly to DV media.

DV50 Data rate: 6.26 MB/second standard definition only—supported by internal

system drive

Quality: Very Good

Like DV25, Final Cut Pro 4 also supports the Panasonic DV50 standard
definition codec. DV50 is a 4:2:2 compressed format and therefore has higher
chroma resolution when compared to DV25. Also like DV25, you can use
KONA 2 to convert DV50 projects to uncompressed—in real time—for
monitoring and/or output. KONA 2 can capture uncompressed from any input,
directly to DV50 media.

DVCPRO HD Data rate: 12 MB/second high definition—supported by internal system drive

Quality: Excellent

KONA 2’s hardware takes a portion of the DVCPRO HD codec processing load
off the CPU, allowing more processor time for Real Time effects in Final Cut
Pro HD. KONA 2 also has hardware support when capturing from HD-SDI to
the DVCPRO HD codec.

Uncompressed
8-bit

Data rate: 21 MB/second standard definition, or 100-124 MB/second high
definition (see later “Storage Capacity” chart in Chapter 1 for the various
transfer rates per format)—requires SCSI, Fibre Channel, or ATA drive array