AJA KONA 4 PCI-E I/O Card and Assimilate SCRATCH Kit

While working on high-resolution video projects in Assimilate SCRATCH, you can send a 4K video feed through AJA's KONA 4 PCI Express interface with this B&H Kit. As opposed to going directly out from your computer's graphics card, the KONA 4 can connect to professional 4K displays and projectors with HDMI or SDI inputs to accurately display the results of your color corrections and grade. This setup is not only for displaying video but it can also be used to ingest SD, HD, or 4K footage over SDI or HDMI, or for processing footage with your computer in real time. The version of SCRATCH included in this kit is a perpetual license with 1-Year of support.

AJA KONA 4 PCI-E Video I/O Card (HDMI Output, Cable Included)

Using integrated hardware processing, the KONA 4 PCI-E Video I/O Card from AJA can ingest and output 4K resolution video at up to 60 fps. With that resolution, you can view the details of your production natively on a 4K monitor. Along with 4K resolutions, the KONA 4 supports uncompressed 1080p I/O with 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 color subsampling. The KONA 4 can simultaneously input and output uncompressed video via its 3G-SDI ports. Two ports accept the video input while the other two can drive a professional display or output to a recording deck.

The hardware processing also allows for up, down, and cross-conversion. Usually to unify project resolution, footage must be converted or rendered in software to match it to the project. With its internal hardware scaler, the KONA 4 can unify the resolutions of the video clips in your project without prior rendering. In addition to conversion, the KONA's internal processing can overlay graphics on a video stream for quick keying.

Additional Connectivity

An included 60-pin breakout cable provides additional inputs and outputs for AES/EBU digital audio, LTC, reference, analog component video, and RS-422 machine control. Also included are a 4-BNC to mini-BNC Link cable and an HDMI to mini-HDMI cable. The KONA 4 can also be used in a rackmount configuration with the optional K3G Breakout Box. The K3G fits in a standard 19" rack space and has connections to take advantage of all the I/O the KONA 4 has to offer.

4K High Frame Rate (HFR) Support

The KONA 4 supports 50p and 60p at up to 4K resolutions. 4K can be input or output by using all four BNC connections for broadcast and professional hardware, or the HDMI port to connect to 4K computer monitors or consumer hardware such as televisions.

Versatile Integration

KONA 4 supports both Windows and Linux, providing 4K and multi-channel power for a wide range of applications. Mac support will be made available in the future.

Hardware Keying

The built-in hardware downstream keyer allows graphics and images to be overlaid on the input video to the card for overlays. The hardware processing provides the necessary computing power to create a key quickly without prior rendering.

Hardware Conversion

The KONA 4 performs hardware up, down, cross-conversion to unify resolutions. Hardware conversion simplifies workflows and eliminates the need to adjust resolution using software. If your project is in 1080p resolution and you have standard definition NTSC content, the internal scaler will process and up-convert the NTSC footage to match the 1080p resolution of the project. If the NTSC footage has a different aspect ratio (4:3), you can choose how you want the KONA 4 to process it. It can be processed with letterboxing, or anamorphic stretching to fit the 16:9 HD frame. Because this conversion is done with the KONA's hardware, it happens in real time, so no prior rendering is needed.

UPC: 892448000229

Assimilate SCRATCH v8 for Windows or OS X with 1-Year Support (Download)

SCRATCH v8 for Windows or OS X with 1-Year Support is more than just a color correction tool. It provides and end-to-end post production solution, with advanced support for the latest 4K+ high-resolution workflows and camera RAW formats. It delivers real-time data management, dailies, conform, sophisticated color grading, 3D compositing, finishing, and mastering all in one place. This license is a perpetual license and includes 1-year of support. To continue to receive updates and support after the first year, the support plan can be renewed.

Clients have deadlines and Assimilate recognizes this. SCRATCH has been optimized to squeeze every ounce of processing power out of your GPU(s). This means - with the right hardware - real-time, full quality playout of 4K footage where complex layers have been applied is possible. As an added organizational benefit, scratch's CONstruct timeline organizes shots for fast non-destructive versioning - helping everybody on the team stay on the same page.

With integrated 3D compositing and OFX plugin support, gone are the days of interrupting your DI edit to send footage away for effects enhancements or object replacements. All this means saved time, which in turn translates into saved a reduced budget.

Among the new features for this version is Remote. Remote links SCRATCH with MyASSIMILATE cloud-based workflow tools, enabling any number of artists to collaborate at any time, from anywhere. Collaboration can take the form of real-time remote sessions, or be offline via the Project Repository.

What's New for Version 8?

Expanded Metadata Support

• Select, update, add, or remove metadata in a spreadsheet-style editor. You can update metadata for a single shot or multiple shots at once, as well as update data by entering plain text or use formulas containing other metadata items. New metadata can then be exported via ALE or XML to be imported into other systems or integrated with other proprietary tools
• Match/find, load, and apply looks to multiple shots in the form of 3dl, ctl, lut or xml, and audio. This new feature will search and match by name, timecode, or any of the common metadata items. In addition, artists can now auto-link audio files to shots purely based on metadata and filename

Live View

The Live View function takes in the SDI signal from a camera and allows you to work and grade directly on the camera feed. It also reads in the camera metadata if available which is then displayed in the metadata stack in the Player module. In addition, the name of a SCRATCH Gallery item can be based on the metadata of the current shot (e.g. Live View). The grade set can then be easily linked to the recorded shot further downstream in the pipeline

Oculus Rift Support

SCRATCH now supports the VR360 file format including Cylindrical, Equirectangular, and Cube formats for output to a secondary monitor, or an Oculus Rift DKI or DKII. With a Rift connected, these formats are mapped in real-time to Rift output, with full head-tracking support. SCRATCH will output in 360-mode with just a normal secondary display/monitor acting as a window into the virtual world, with real-time ability to pan, track, and tilt around the sphere. This means that developers creating cinematic content for the Rift now have a powerful tool that allows them to grade VR shots in real-time - whether or not they have a Rift headset

Vanguard H.264 Encoding for Mac and Windows

SCRATCH v8 includes the H.264 encoder from Vanguard Video, LLC, so artists now have the optimal combination of bitrate, filesize, and quality for their dailies and preview content. Moreover, since the encoder implementation is cross-platform, v8 brings this industry-standard CODEC to the Mac. So, Mac-based artists users can enjoy the same optimized encoding experience that has traditionally only been available on Windows

Additional New Features

• Conform data from multiple sources, then make local copies or consolidate all media into a new single location. The consolidate can be monitored via a process queue and is a background process, allowing artists to continue working on the same or another project - even exit SCRATCH - and the process will continue until completed
• Support for the AJA Kona 4 video card
• New supported camera and media formats, including Panasonic Raw, Magic Lantern (.raw and .mlv), BMDPocket camera (on OSX). Updates on XAVC and XAVC-S to increase performance for 4k resolution
• Support for a shaper LUT inside a cube LUT
• Final Cut X 1.4 support for conform

Additional Features

Real-time Full Resolution, Native Playback of Many Popular Camera Formats

• Fully ACES compliant
• Oculus Rift VR360 file format including Cylindrical, Equi-rectangular, and Cube formats, for output to a secondary monitor, or an Oculus Rift DKI or DKII
• REDCODE RAW.r3d including monochrome footage. Support for multiple RED Rocket cards with DRX control
• RED Dragon
• ARRIRAW including new ASSIMILATE customARRI fast Debayer - built for significant speed while still preserving color accuracy
• Sony F5/F55/F65 including 6K and 8K
• SONY MPEG-2 .mp4, .mov and XAVC HD/4K .mxf
• Phantom
• SI2K
• Panasonic RAW, P2/MXF, and AVCHD
• Canon C500, C300, Magic Lantern (.raw and .mlv), 5D, 7D5D, 7D
• Blackmagic Design Cinema DNG, BMDPocket camera
• Vanguard Video H.264 encoding (Mac and Windows)
• Aaton Penelope
• Ikonoscop
• GoPro
• QuickTime
• DPX
• Over 50 additional formats

Powerful Finishing Tools

• Shot Versioning: SCRATCH CONstruct - manage multiple versions of the same 2D or 3D shots within the same timeline for easy comparison
• Vector paint
• Subtitling support
• Apply OFX plug-ins to create a wide range of visual effects
• Direct Output: Real-time tools for frame-rate conversion, image-resolution scaling and frame-accuracy to monitors, projectors and tape decks using both DVI and SDI interfaces
• Multiple Deliverables: Create alternate versions in different resolutions, image formats and framing, all from a single source
• 

Fast, Interactive Color Grading

• Real-time, non-destructive primary and secondary color grading
• Heads-up color grading interface and support for Avid Artist Color panel series or all Tangent panels - including the Element
• Source-side adjustments for mixed color space workflows
• Match and auto grading
• 2D and shape tracking
• Keying based on Vector, Chroma, or Luminance
• Controls for finessing keys
• Integrated Histogram, Waveform, Vectorscope and Color Curve views
• Group shots, copy/paste color grades and reference libraries
• Key frames and animation curves
• Import and save 1D and 3D LUTs based on primary color grades
• Support for a shaper LUT inside a cube LUT

Flexible Viewing Model

• Create dual views of any image in a project by quickly and easily selecting a version, a reference, a clip from any video track, or a color buffer
• Compare them using one of two methods: a difference method, or an overlay method with opacity controls and a 360 degree wipe
• One of the dual views can be designated as an output view (showing the final result of a shot), while the other is a fully functional working canvas with access to even the deepest elements of a shot, including a complex composite or color grade
• Intuitively manipulate any element of the working view and instantly see its resulting affect updated to the output view at full resolution and in real time

High-Speed Conform and Confidence Checking

• Mix-and-match RED.r3d files with ARRIRAW or Phantom (or any other media format recognized by SCRATCH), even Canon DSLR, within the same resolution-independent timeline
• Dual-View, Half-Mix, and Side-by-Side comparison options
• Quick Keys for moving through a timeline and edit tools for shot manipulation
• AAF import and MXF integration
• Import and export ALE
• Final Cut Pro XML import
• Final Cut X 1.4 support for conform
• Shot log metadata import
• Metadata search
• Stereoscopic 3D versioning
• CDL support
• Output to multiple file formats such as DNxHD, DPX, ProRes (Mac OS version only) Tiff, JPG, Quicktime, MXF, and more
• Export with timecode and metadata
• Multilayer timeline

Metadata and Timecode Support

• Sync timecode from multiple cameras (including stereo) with a unique "Match Timecode" function. Stack cameras into a single slot, then automatically sync the timecode all of cameras to one of them
• Generate dailies by automatically naming clips based on any metadata field, including camroll, scene, and take
• Create flash burns either at the top and tail of a clip, or throughout its duration
• Capture scene and take metadata automatically from broadcast wave audio files
• Automatically generate new timecode for DSLR cameras such as the Phantom, Canon 5D/7D, and GoPro that don't support it. Increment the timecode with each slot and even skip by user-defined intervals
• Populate Avid AAF files with extended metadata, avoiding the double pass to access that ALE files required. This effectively removes the need for separate ALEs
• Select, update, add or remove metadata in a spreadsheet editor-style. Update metadata for a single shot or multiple shots at once, as well as update data by entering plain text or using formulas that contain other metadata items. New metadata can then be exported via ALE or XML to be imported into other systems or integrated with other proprietary tools
• Match/find, load and apply looks to multiple shots in the form of 3dl, CDL, LUT or XML, and audio. This new feature will search and match by name, time-code, or any common metadata items. In addition, artists can now auto-link audio files to shots purely based on metadata and file name

Advanced Audio Sync

• Broadcast wave support
• Automatically sync to timecode or slate
• Interactive waveform for sync
• Interactive audio scrub

Stereo 3D Workflow Support

• Check and adjust stereo with dedicated link and convergence controls
• Bicubic controls for fixing 3D stereo images
• Position elements relative to the screen plane
• Immediately review decisions in stereo
• Panasonic 3D stereo camera support with automatic stream de-muxing

Flexibility and Extensibility

Future-proof your workflow with an advanced and scriptable XML back-end that allows you to:

• Automate SCRATCH to maximize productivity
• Access your job anywhere via HTML
• Integrate SCRATCH via XML with other tools in your workflow such as Nuke, Shotgun, Avid or Final Cut Pro
• Enhance SCRATCH with OFX plug-ins such as Sapphire, Beauty Box, Twixtor, and Neat Video
• Built-in SQL database supports a full range of metadata

-S