AJA debuted KONA IP25 at IBC 2024, the company’s next-gen IP video and audio I/O card boasting 10/25GbE SFP connectivity, multichannel UltraHD support, and a host of other powerful features designed to meet the demands of evolving full and hybrid SMPTE ST 2110 ecosystems.
   

Designed for broadcast, TV/film, truck, venue, studio and post production, the 8-lane PCIe Gen 4.0 card streamlines adoption of the latest IP standards. It provides uncompressed bi-directional SMPTE 2110 support and is compatible with an extensive range of third-party creative and streaming applications.

“As momentum for IP video continues to build, more live broadcast and production environments are turning to SMPTE ST 2110 to provide uncompressed replication of SDI and transmit video, audio, and ancillary data individually, which requires a reliable, robust I/O solution. KONA IP25 meets this need, with a standout feature set and the same longevity our KONA solutions are known for, while our Developer SDK and retail plugins make it easy to integrate SMPTE 2110 using popular creative applications,” shared AJA President Nick Rashby. “Our customers have been asking for a new 25GbE SMPTE ST 2110-capable video/audio capture and playback card, and we’re thrilled to deliver with KONA IP25.”

KONA IP25 configuration and control are intuitive via the UI accessed by the host computer and both in-band (media network via SFPs) and out-of-band (control network via RJ45) capabilities. Once all IP parameters are set up, the card functions similarly to any other AJA KONA card. KONA IP25 is accessible through AJA’s industry-best OS drivers and application plug-ins or via the AJA NTV2 Software Development Kit (SDK). All SMPTE ST 2110 control functions and processing are handled on-board – including Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS), PTPv2 (Precision Time Protocol), and AJA SDK, ensuring no additional software is required nor load placed on the host computer. KONA IP25 supports an extensive range of HD, 2K, and UltraHD video formats, with HDR passthrough support also built in. A 1GbE RJ45 connector is included with the card for expanded control options. KONA IP25 can be paired with AJA IPT-10G2 and IPR-10G2 Mini-Converters for converting SDI/HDMI to/from SMPTE ST 2110 or hosted alongside other AJA PCIe cards in the same server for access to baseband I/O.

Key feature highlights include:

• A sleek, single-slot 8-lane PCIe 4.0 full-height card, with efficient and quiet active fan cooling.
• Two SFP cages that offer 10GbE and 25GbE SFP support, with ST2022-7 Transmit and Receive redundancy to support modern media network infrastructures.
• I/O support for ST 2110-20 video up to 2 Rx and 2 Tx redundant streams simultaneously (10-bit 4:2:2 up to 3840x2160p and 12-bit 4:4:4 up to 2048x1080p).
• I/O support for ST 2110-30 audio up to 2 Rx and 2 Tx redundant streams simultaneously (2-16 channels per audio stream, 24-bit per channel, 48 kHz synchronous, as well as 1ms and 125us timing).
• I/O support for ST 2110-40 ancillary up to 2 Rx and 2 Tx redundant streams simultaneously
• ST 2059-2 (PTPv2), supplied via Media Net SFPs.
• Compatibility with a broad range of video formats, including:
  • UltraHD: 3840 x 2160p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60
  • 2K: 2048 x 1080p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60
  • HD: 1080p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60; 1080i 50, 59.94, 60; and 720P 50, 59.94, 60
• Integrations with industry-standard creative and streaming applications – including Adobe Premiere Pro (and Creative Cloud Suite), Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, OBS, and Telestream Wirecast – through complementary AJA Desktop Software plugins.
• AJA SDK support for Developer Partners.
• SDR/HDR support for Transfer Characteristics, Colorimetry, and Luminance via SDP file
• A downstream keyer offering support for graphics up to UHD with alpha channel over video, matte or framebuffer, or framebuffer content over incoming video or matte.
• Discovery, registration, and control, including NMOS Tx/Rx support according to standards IS-04 v1.3 and IS-05 v1.1, LLDP (Link Layer Description Protocol), and AJA SDK.
• PTPv2 / IEEE 1588-2008/ST2059-2 compliant.
• In-band/media network (via SFPs): PTPv2/ST2059-2, controllable via NMOS and AJA SDK, and out-of-band/management network (via 1GbE RJ45) controllable via NMOS and AJA SDK.
• Linux, Windows, and macOS compatibility.
• 40-watt typical (up to 50) power draw via PCIe bus power, plus additional ATX power connection if required.

KONA IP25 is anticipated to be available in Q4 through AJA’s worldwide reseller network.