Through the magic of firmware AJA enhances H.264 recording, expands timecode options and introduces other features requested by users of the Ki Pro GO H.264 recorder and player.

AJA’s Ki Pro GO is a portable multi-channel H.264 recorder offering up to 4-channels of simultaneous HD and SD recording to off the shelf USB drives with redundant recording capabilities. Designed to be either portable or rackmountable with half rack wide, 2RU high dimensions, Ki Pro GO is well suited for use in any environment. Now it gets even better!

The company has just announced the release of the new v2.0 firmware update. This feature-rich update introduces enhancements for improved H.264 recording quality and reliability, including recording support for up to 25 Mbps, 10-bit and 4:2:2 color space, in addition to new expanded timecode capabilities with LTC, enhanced super out and front panel audio monitoring, in-system drive formatting, network file downloads, and gang recording support.

Richer imagery capture

Targeted at a range of broadcast, pro AV and live event production environments where H.264 is the primary capture codec, Ki Pro GO offers up to four channels of simultaneous HD or SD recording from HDMI or SDI sources, direct to affordable off-the-shelf USB drives. Ki Pro GO v2.0 increases the maximum bit rate to 25 Mbps for improved recording quality, ideal for live production scenarios with complex stage and concert lighting.

The new firmware also provides 4:2:2 color space and 10-bit options for even richer imagery capture. Users can now choose from five recording settings including Low for talking heads, conference backups, security recording and more; Med-Low; Medium for more complex content; Med-High; and High for fast moving, highly detailed content like sports. These expanded recording options are unique for any H.264 recorder, and answer the needs of AV professionals as requested by AJA Ki Pro GO customers.

New in-system media formatting

New enhanced super out and front panel audio monitoring also display the remaining media percentage and audio meters for all four video channels for improved user monitoring. Ki Pro GO v2.0 further expands timecode choices by offering a new option for LTC on one of the analog audio inputs, enabling the second analog audio input channel to function as a mono input.

Additionally, the firmware introduces new in-system media formatting, eliminating the need for a separate PC. Network file downloading allows for more streamlined ease of use in critical live production environments, giving the user the option to move recorded files to a central server on the LAN. Gang support has also been added so that users can easily connect multiple Ki Pro GO devices together via easy to use Ethernet, and control the entire group of devices using one unit via Ki Pro GO’s rich web-based UI or front panel button controls.

“In response to overwhelming support from our customers, we’ve upgraded Ki Pro GO with increased recording and timecode capabilities not available anywhere else in the market,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video Systems. “We continue to build upon the foundation of our iconic Ki Pro family to develop new features ideal for H.264 capture and production scenarios, making Ki Pro GO more powerful than ever.”

Ki Pro GO v2.0 firmware is available now as a free download from the AJA website. Ki Pro GO is available through AJA’s worldwide reseller network for $3,995 US MSRP.