Io HD is the only device in the world that supports Apple’s ProRes 422 codec in hardware, enabling true 10-bit video editing on a MacPro desktop or a MacBook Pro laptop. With this high performance hardware and innovative codec from Apple, you can work anywhere in SD or HD—all in full-raster 10-bit 4:2:2 quality.
Like other members of the Io family, Io HD offers unparalleled video and audio connectivity. Within its portable and ruggedly cool form factor, Io HD offers SD/HD analog I/O, SD/HD digital I/O including HD-SDI and HDMI, Balanced analog and digital AES audio, as well as RS-422, Genlock, and even LTC timecode connections. Io HD also includes AJA’s realtime hardware 10-bit up/down/cross conversion.
Io HD SOFTWARE Io HD runs on a new AJA-built driver, similar to the KONA driver, which brings features such as Core Audio and very low latency capture and playback. The Io HD driver also provides RGB support, allowing for the direct video output of applications such as Adobe After Effects,™ Autodesk Combustion™ and Apple Motion.™ Co-developed with Apple for use with Final Cut Studio 2, Io HD delivers powerful audio/video capture, editing and post-production capabilities— all in a single, integrated system.
1. WHAT IS 4:2:2 AND 4:4:4 VIDEO ENCODING?
YUV 4:4:4 is the highest-quality digital YUV standard available. YUV 4:4:4 is the digital representation of YUV. YUV, also known as Y'CbCr and YPbPr, is a color space in which the Y stands for the luminance component (the brightness) and U and V are chrominance (color) components. It is commonly used in video applications, where it is also referred to as component video.
In YUV 4:4:4, each of the Y,U and V channels are expressed with 8 bits (256 possible values). It is similar in this respect to RGB 24-bit, and uses the same amount of space.
4:4:4 and 4:2:2 terms are descriptions of the sample formats used in digital video. In the early 80's tests were done to determine the sample formats and rates for digital video. The eventual sample structure used for SDI video ended up being 4 times the base sample rate chosen. The first 4 in the 4:2:2 term is for luminance or the black and white information, and this is where most of the picture detail is. Early tests in television human vision discovered a greater sensitivity to black and white information, while the color is filled in with less detailed areas of the human eye. This means you can reduce the color information and your eye cannot really tell. This is what the 2:2 part of 4:2:2 is for. It means the red and blue channels of the video signal are half the bandwidth of the luminance information. Green is not sent, as you can calculate green from red, blue and luminance information. This color bandwidth reduction has been used for years in broadcast color television, and in fact the color bandwidth of 4:2:2 is much higher than composite video. This all adds up to 4:2:2 being compatible with black and white or composite television, as the color and luminance information is sent separately, while only 2/3 of the data rate is required for about the same visual quality video. 4:4:4 video is similar, but this time all the color information is sent. RGB computer graphics are really 4:4:4. The 4:4:4:4 format adds a key channel.
2. WHAT IS AES/EBU?
AES/EBU (Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcasting Union) is the name of a digital audio transfer standard. The AES and EBU developed the specifications for the standard.
The AES/EBU digital interface is usually implemented using 3-PIN XLR connectors, the same type connector used in a professional microphone. One cable carries both left- and right-channel audio data to the receiving device. AES/EBU is an alternative to the S/PDIF standard.
3. WHAT IS THE WARRANTY FOR AJA PRODUCTS?
3 years on desktop products, 5 years on mini converters and converters.
