AJA PREVIEWS FS-HDR WITH BREAKTHROUGH HDR CONVERSION SUPPORT AT NAB 2017

FS-HDR Frame Synchronizer and Converter Delivers HDR and Wide Color Gamut Processing, Powered by Colorfront Engine™

Las Vegas, NV, NAB Conference, Stand SL2505 (April 24, 2017) – AJA Video Systems is previewing FS-HDR, an exciting new product delivering breakthrough HDR workflow conversion capabilities. Building on AJA’s flagship FS4, and incorporating the latest HDR technology from Academy and Emmy Award-winning developer Colorfront, FS-HDR provides HDR and Wide Color Gamut (WCG) processing and conversion for real time 4K/UHD and 2K/HD workflows. It will be demonstrated for the first time as a technology preview during NAB 2017 at AJA’s booth, #SL2505.

FS-HDR, a 1RU, rack-mount, universal converter/frame synchronizer, is designed specifically to meet the HDR/WCG needs of broadcast, OTT, post and live event AV environments, where real time, low-latency processing, color fidelity and metadata handling are of paramount importance. FS-HDR’s HDR/WCG capabilities leverage video and color space processing algorithms within Colorfront Engine™, specially-licensed by AJA from Colorfront, and developed by Colorfront’s CTO Bill Feighter and Lead Engineer Tamas Perlaki, both of whom are Academy Award-winners.

Powered by Colorfront Engine, FS-HDR’s extensive HDR and WCG processing support enables the real time processing of 4K/UltraHD and 2K/HD, including HDR conversions, and 4K/UltraHD HDR downconversion to HD HDR. FS-HDR also enables the conversion of popular camera formats from multiple vendors into the HDR space, plus conversion to-and-from BT.2020/BT.709 as needed, critical for the widespread acceptance of HDR alongside SDR in broadcast and OTT workflows.

“Our AJA FS family of products have been incredibly popular in delivering ultra-reliable video and audio conversion needs for anything that comes up on-set, in an OB truck, at a facility or in a live event production scenario,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “There has been a rising demand from these markets for a path to support HDR workflows. Partnering with Colorfront is enabling us to solve our customer’s HDR workflow requirements today, backed by Academy Award-winning engineering!”

“AJA’s professional video solutions already provide robust, powerful and cost-effective video output for our On-Set Dailies, Express Dailies and Transkoder products,” said Aron Jaszberenyi, Managing Director of Colorfront. “In choosing the new FS-HDR solution with Colorfront Engine, AJA customers will instantly access many years of Colorfront’s leading-edge research into SDR/HDR and camera output format conversion, plus a sophicticated tone-mapping toolset, which deliver technically-accurate and visually-pleasing results that retain the creative intent of the original material.”

FS-HDR features will include:

• Real time HDR to HDR, HDR to SDR and SDR to HDR conversions including BT.2020 to BT.709 color space conversion
  • Inputs
    • SDR BT.709
    • PQ ST 2084 BT.2020
    • HLG BT.2100
    • Sony Slog3 Sgamut3
    • Arri LogC Arri Wide Gamut
    • Panasonic Vlog
    • Red Log3G10 RedWideGamutRGB
  • Outputs
    • SDR BT.709 100 Nits
    • PQ ST 2084 BT.2020
    • HLG BT.2100
• Support for two modes:
  • Single-channel mode for 4K/UltraHD or 2K/HD frame sync and conversion including HDR conversions.
  • Four-channel mode for simultaneous independent 2K/HD/SD channels for standard conversion and frame sync workflows
• 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/SD video processing and up, down, cross-conversion
• A full range of I/O options for 4K/UltraHD including Quad 1.5G; Dual 3G; and Quad 3G, 6G and 12G over a range of SDI and optional fiber choices
• SMPTE 2SI I/O support for broad compatibility with 4K/UltraHD devices
• Four-channel 2K/HD/SD video processing and conversion
  • 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/SD up, down, cross-conversion
  • SD/SD aspect ratio conversion
  • HD/HD cross-conversion (720p/1080i)
• A 1RU frame offering space, power and cost efficiencies ideal for broadcast trucks, post production or broadcast settings
• Audio I/O processing with a 272x208 matrix of audio possibilities; support for a flexible range of audio feeds from discrete AES to MADI and embedded SDI audio, with each audio input offering sample-rate conversion
• Simple operation, a redesigned menu structure and quick access to features via front panel buttons, as well as a web-based UI offering control over a LAN or across the web

FS-HDR is being demonstrated as a technology preview only, pricing and availability details will be coming soon. For additional infromation about AJA’s existing line of FS products, please visit: https://www.aja.com/family/fs.

About AJA Video Systems, Inc.

Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high-quality, cost-effective products to the professional broadcast, video and post production markets. AJA products are designed and manufactured at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website at www.aja.com.

About Colorfront:
Colorfront is headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, with offices in Los Angeles, plus sales partners worldwide. The company’s popular, award-winning on-set dailies and transcoding systems are utilized by small, medium and large companies alike, to process and deliver media for Hollywood blockbusters, high-end episodic TV and OTT internet entertainment. The firm was founded in 2000 by Mark and Aron Jaszberenyi, who were instrumental in the advent of non-linear DI color grading. Combining in-depth expertise in image color science with a pedigree in cutting-edge software development, the company's R&D team earned an Academy Award in 2010 for Lustre, Autodesk's DI grading system, and a Primetime Engineering Emmy in 2012 for Colorfront On-Set Dailies. Colorfront has since become renowned for the innovation, excellence and performance of its camera-to-post products, which include On-Set Dailies, Express Dailies and Transkoder. The company has leveraged its technology to successfully offer Colorfront Cloud Services, and also owns and operates a state-of-the-art DI and post-production facility, of the same name, in Budapest. www.colorfront.com