AJA announces Ki Pro GO2 multi-channel HEVC/AVC recorder

AJA Video Systems has announced the next generation of its Ki Pro GO multi-channel HD/SD recorder. The new Ki Pro GO2 is a portable multi-channel H.265 (HEVC) and H.264 (AVC) recorder with up to four-channels of simultaneous HD or SD recording.

High-performance recording

AJA Ki Pro GO2 white background
Image courtesy: AJA

The Ki Pro GO2 is designed to deliver high-performance recording and playback for concert tours, sporting events and places of worship. It’s rack-mountable, but it works just as well as a portable unit to take to events as you need. Setup and operation are simple via the Ki Pro GO2’s HD display. As well as video monitoring, you get menu and status overlays with an on-screen keyboard. In addition, the recorder has dedicated hardware record, play, stop, rewind and fast-forward buttons. The Ki Pro GO2 also has an Ethernet LAN connection. You can remotely configure and control the device over a network from any web browser using the intuitive web user interface.

Connections

AJA Ki Pro GO2 inputs
Image courtesy: AJA

The Ki Pro GO2 has five USB recording media ports, all compatible with off-the-shelf USB 3.2 Gen 1 media. There are also four 3G-SDI and four HDMI digital video inputs, so you can connect to a wide range of video sources. In addition, there are four 3G-SDI outputs, one 3G-SDI monitoring output and one HDMI monitoring output. Analog audio can be captured from two XLR ports, each offering Line, Mic or +48V Phantom Power for level control. One of the device’s analog audio inputs can also act as a source for Longitudinal Time Code (LTC) insert.

Recording

In addition to USB media, the Ki Pro GO2 records in real-time to network storage via its Ethernet connection. Both FAT and exFAT file systems are supported for cross-platform use when transferring files to workstations and servers. You can also get selectable VBR (variable bit rate) recording settings with five options. The device’s multi-channel recording functionality means that you get an individual recording for each input. In addition, the Ki Pro GO2 has single-channel H.264 or H.265 playback to review your recordings.

No need to genlock

The Ki Pro GO2 also features integrated input frame synchronizers so you don’t need to worry about genlocking your incoming video signals. In addition, there are high-quality de-interlacers on each input so you can make progressive recordings from interlaced inputs. The Ki Pro GO2 also features multi-channel matrix monitoring so you can monitor multiple camera feeds on a single HDMI or SDI display.

Other features

The Ki Pro GO2 has an Enhanced Super Out feature. This adds a timecode overlay, audio VU meters and media remaining percentages to your SDI and HDMI monitor outputs. The device also supports SDI RP-188 timecode input with time of day or timecode values.

What we think

The AJA Ki Pro GO2 is a fully-featured multi-channel recorder. It’s ideal for recording multi-camera events such as conferences, lectures, sporting events or places of worship. You can easily capture high-quality video from your inputs, ready to drag and drop into your editing program. It’s also good to see that the device has both SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs for maximum flexibility. The Ki Pro GO2 carries a premium price but could be the ideal solution if you earn your living filming events.

Pricing and availability

The AJA Ki Pro GO2 will be available in early Quarter 3 of 2024. It is set to retail at $4,749.

Pete Tomkies
Pete Tomkies
Pete Tomkies is a freelance cinematographer and camera operator from Manchester, UK. He also produces and directs short films as Duck66 Films. Pete's latest short Once Bitten... won 15 awards and was selected for 105 film festivals around the world.

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