| Q: |
Can I use eSata storage for HD? |
| A: |
AJA has yet to find and certify an eSata 8 drive JBOD solution for 10 Bit uncompressed HD that is reliable over time with the KONA cards. We continue to look for a capable solution. |
| Q: |
Is KONA LH compatible with Io? |
| A: |
KONA LH works great with Io. You can have both drivers installed on the same Mac. Inside Final Cut Pro, the Easy Setups for Io and KONA LH are labeled so you can tell which is appropriate for use. |
| Q: |
My audio is intermittent or drops out completely with edit to tape. What can I do? |
| A: |
Go to FCP Audio Video Settings -> Device Control Presets (tab). Click on <edit> (edit the current Io/Kona device control preset). Ensure the number of audio channels listed in “Audio Mapping” matches the number of audio channels of the sequence. |
| Q: |
Can I input a phantom-powered audio source into the KL Box or Kona LH? (Some professional audio sources supply 48 Volts at the connector, usually referred to as "phantom power.") |
| A: |
No, applying phantom-powered audio sources can cause permanent damage to the audio circuits. |
| Q: |
How can I Test RAID performance? |
| A: |
Here's how to test your RAID with a real clip:
1) Set up your project with a KONA LH easy setup (type <control><q> for easy setup menu; make sure the "show all checkbox" is checked).
2) Create a new sequence (<apple> <n>). A new sequence will appear in the FCP browser.
3) In the FCP browser, double-click on the sequence; the new sequence will appear in the FCP timeline window.
4) Click on the Effects (tab) in the FCP browser.
5) Go to the Video Generators folder, and drag the appropriate Bars and Tone effect onto the new sequence.
6) Go to the Video Filters -> Video folder and drag the Timecode Generator Effect onto the video track of the new sequence (burned in timecode).
7) From the FCP menu bar, go to FILE -> EXPORT -> QUICKTIME MOVIE.
8) Give it a name and make sure the rendered clip is stored on the RAID.
9) From the FCP menu bar, go to FILE -> IMPORT, and select the clip that you exported in step 8.
10) Create a new sequence and drag the bars and tone clip onto the new sequence.
11) Hold Down the <shift><option><command> keys; From the FCP menu bar, go to TOOLS -> INTERNAL TOOLS, and select the Playback Meter. The playback meter monitors the RAID performance during playback. One for Audio, one for Video and two for Processing. The Playback meter should remain GREEN (center to right) for all the components it monitors during playback. If any of the performance bars goes to the left, the color will change to yellow or red which signifies that the RAID storage is not keeping up with playback.
12) Play the clip and monitor RAID performance with the Playback Meter. |
| Q: |
How do I configure FInal Cut's Motion JPEG-A Codec? |
| A: |
Read the KONA and Io Motion JPEG-A FAQ PDF. |
| Q: |
My monitor only supports standard definition, and yet my KONA LH Mac Desktop is set to high definition. How can I change the KONA LH desktop resolution to standard definition when I can't see the display menu on my KONA LH monitor? |
| A: |
1) Go to KONA Control Panel -> Control and set KONA 2 output to Macintosh Desktop.
2) Go to KONA Control Panel -> Format and set Secondary to 525i29.97 (NTSC) or 625i25 (PAL)
3) Go to KONA Control Panel -> Digital or Analog output and set to secondary (invokes the Downconverter).
4) Go to OSX System Preferences Displays -> Arrangement and arrange the KONA display to how it is physically arranged to the Mac Display(s).
5) Go to OSX System Preferences Displays -> Display and check the "Show Displays in Menu Bar" checkbox.
6) Move the cursor over to the KONA desktop display menu and select either 720 x 486 (NTSC) or 720 x 576.
7) Set "Number of Recent Modes" to 5 or 10.
8) You can now change the KONA desktop resolution to high or standard definition by clicking on the display icon from the main Mac display menu bar. |
| Q: |
Sleep settings and Energy Saver (System Preferences)—how should it be set? |
| A: |
We recommend you set the Energy Saver "Sleep" setting to "Never" for optimum operation. |
| Q: |
If I ever have to, can I "un-install" my KONA LH drivers? |
| A: |
Yes, the KONA 2 Installer automatically places an application called "Kona2 Uninstaller" in the "/Applications/Kona Utilities" folder on your PowerMac. Running the Kona2 Uninstaller will result in removal of all the KONA 2 driver software. |
| Q: |
How can I capture DVCProHD clips from a VTR and use the software Frame Rate Converter? |
| A: |
The software Frame Rate Converter works on DVCProHD clips that have the embedded VariCam flags (these are the flags that identify the "shooting" rate of the clip, and which frames are duplicates). You can capture DVCProHD clips from a VTR in two ways: via FireWire (which transfers the clips in their compressed DVCProHD format - and retains the embedded VariCam flags); or by connecting the HD-SDI output of the VTR to the KONA LH input and capturing it as you would any other video clip. During playback, the Panasonic VTRs take the VariCam flags out of the compressed video and add them to the HD-SDI video stream as "RP188 Ancillary Data". The KONA LH hardware/software picks off the Ancillary Data while it is capturing and adds the VariCam flags back into the compressed DVCProHD clip where the FRC can find it.
There are two caveats to observe: for the KONA LH solution you must be capturing using the DVCProHD codec (the FRC only works with DVCProHD compressed clips); and you must use the "AJA Konalh: 720p 59.94 DVCPro HD" capture preset (or the "AJA Konalh- 720p 59.94 DVCPro HD" Easy Setup). This setup tells the KONA LH card to capture all frames (active + duplicates) so the FRC can use them. Although it sounds counterintuitive, the KONA LH setups with "VariCam" in the name tell the board to automatically skip over any duplicate VariCam frames and only capture the active frames - which is only what you want to use if your shooting frame rate and editing/playback frame rate match (in which case you don't need the FRC!). |
