Grass Valley, CA (February 4, 2009)–AJA Video Systems, a leading
manufacturer of professional video interface and conversion solutions,
announced today that its KONA 3 video capture and playback cards and
mini-converters are in use as part of a tapeless workflow at the newly
launched MLB Network. KONA 3 is AJA’s top-of-the-line uncompressed capture
card for SD, HD, and Dual Link 4:4:4 HD for Apple Mac Pro systems, and is
an integral part of the network facility’s editing environment.
MLB Network launched in approximately 50 million cable and satellite homes
on January 1, 2009 as the largest debut in cable television history.
Broadcast in both standard definition and HD, the MLB Network line-up
includes live games, original programming, highlights, classic games, and
coverage of baseball events. The network’s signature show is “MLB Tonight,”
which features live look-ins at games in progress, updates, highlights,
reporting and analysis. The network is housed in a 140,000 square foot
facility in Secaucus, N.J., operating two studios outfitted with
state-of-the-art broadcast equipment that includes 22 AJA KONA 3 cards and
up to 35 AJA HD/SDI and HDMI mini-converters.
Fourteen of the KONA 3 video capture and playback cards are connected to
Apple Final Cut Pro workstations set up for editing all of the non-live
long format programming at MLB Networks. Another six are in use at Adobe
Premiere and After Effects workstations for media rendering, and the final
two are hooked up to Autodesk Smoke and Flame systems.
“Designing AJA’s KONA cards into our creative areas and edit suites was an
easy decision,” said Mark Haden, Vice President of Engineering and IT at
MLB Network. “AJA products not only work well with Final Cut Pro and other
Apple equipment, but are literally plug-and-play. The KONA 3’s ability to
process uncompressed HD video in real time has definitely helped to boost
our creative services workflow. And the fact that it can provide
simultaneous outputs in standard-def and HD is a big plus right out of the
gate.”
To support a large state-of-the-art studio set and production space, AJA
mini-converters used for monitoring and playback have also been deployed
throughout the facility. “The majority of the on-set monitoring is fed live
via the converters,” Haden said. “They’ve been working perfectly. They make
the images in the studio as seen on camera crisp and clean keeping the true
720p HD/SDI quality intact. Another advantage is their reduced size and
heat output.”
About KONA
KONA 3 is the ultimate uncompressed capture card for seamless operation
with PCI Express (PCIe) Mac Pro systems and Apple Final Cut Pro. Supporting
any uncompressed SD or HD format, including Dual Link HD and 2K, KONA 3
captures and plays back uncompressed 10-bit and 8-bit digital video and
24-bit digital audio, providing unparalleled power and workflow efficiency.
KONA 3 also includes a variety of 10-bit broadcast-quality features, such
as hardware-based up-, down-, and cross-conversion to and from HD, and adds
a live hardware HD/SD keyer for compositing bugs, live clips, and other
elements over video.
About AJA Video Systems, Inc.
Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of high-quality and
cost-effective digital video interface, conversion and Desktop solutions
supporting the professional broadcast and post- production markets. With
headquarters in Grass Valley, California, AJA maintains an extensive sales
channel of dealers and systems integrators around the world. For further
information, please see our website www.aja.com.
About MLB Network
MLB Network launched in approximately 50 million cable and satellite homes
on January 1, 2009 as the largest debut in cable television history,
exceeding any other cable television launch by approximately 20 million.
With live games, original programming, highlights, classic games, and
coverage of baseball events, MLB Network is the ultimate television
destination for baseball fans. For more information, go to mlbnetwork.com.