AJA Ki Pro GO2 Multichannel H.264/H.265 Recorder/Player

Ki Pro GO2 is a portable multi-channel H.265 (HEVC)* and H.264 (AVC) recorder offering up to 4-channels of simultaneous HD or SD recording to qualified USB drives and/or network storage with redundant recording capabilities.

4x 3G-SDI and 4x HDMI digital video inputs with flexible channel assignments provide connections to a wide range of video sources, including any 3G-SDI signal from a router for example, professional and prosumer cameras and DSLRs. Incoming video sources do not have to be genlocked due to Ki Pro GO2's input frame synchronizers. Ki Pro GO2 also features AJA's high quality de-interlacers on each input so progressive recordings can be made from interlaced inputs. High quality 2-channel embedded audio or balanced XLR analog audio can be assigned to any recording channel. Multi-Channel Matrix Monitoring enables multiple video channels to be viewed on any single HDMI or SDI display, and Enhanced Super Out offers timecode, media status and audio meter overlays over the SDI and HDMI monitor outputs.

Designed to be either portable or rackmountable with half rack wide, 2RU high dimensions, Ki Pro GO2 is well suited for use in any production environment be it a global concert tour or your local house of worship.

 Features

• Multi-channel H.265 (HEVC) and H.264 (AVC) recording
• Easy-to-use web UI, compatible with standard web browsers
• Front panel button controls with integrated HD resolution screen
• 5x USB recording media ports, compatible with off-the-shelf USB 3.2 Gen 1 media
• Onboard exFAT drive formatting
• Real time recording to network (SMB) storage
• Redundant recording to user selectable destinations – USB or SMB
• Built-in Frame Syncs
• 4x 3G-SDI inputs
• 4x 3G-SDI outputs
• 1x 3G-SDI monitoring output
• 4x HDMI inputs
• 1x HDMI monitoring output
• HDMI and SDI multi-channel matrix monitoring
• HDMI and SDI Enhanced Super Out for monitoring: timecode, media status and audio levels
• Single-channel H.265 or H.264 playback
• Selectable VBR recording settings with 5 options
• Timecode SDI RP-188 Input Support: Time of Day or Timecode Value
• LTC Support, available using 1-channel of Analog Audio In
• Balanced XLR analog audio inputs, mic/line/48v switchable
• 2-channel embedded audio per video input
• Network web UI based file downloads
• Stand-alone operation

Industry Standard Connectivity

The video and audio connections on the rear panel of the Ki Pro GO2 offer 4x 3G-SDI and 4x HDMI inputs with separate SDI and HDMI monitoring which includes Matrix Monitoring for multi-channel viewing on a single HD display. XLR Analog Audio In supports Mic and Line level signals with Phantom Power for audio recording from master sources, mixers and more. HDMI and SDI 2-channel embedded audio or the XLR analog inputs can be easily assigned to each recording channel. Alternatively, you can use the second Analog Audio input as a LTC input.

Four USB ports on the front provide easy to access recording media using qualified USB drives, with a fifth USB port on the rear. Flexible destination mapping allows any USB port or network storage to be used as the primary record location and any USB port to be used as a backup location or pass-on of a second copy. This allows for backup or pass-on of a secondary copy of captured files to post-production, clients, or others on your team. You can also map a single source to multiple USBs for duplication.

Four 3G-SDI outputs ensure that signal pass through is available for connectivity into a wide range of devices from routers, to switchers, additional Ki Pros and more.

Optional redundant power supplies ensure that always up reliability is provided for your critical live event needs.

Genlock Free Recording with Easy Input Mapping

Record 1, 2, 3 or 4-channels of HD or SD up to 1080p 50/60 in H.265 or H.264 simultaneously with Ki Pro GO2. Simplify your setup by connecting up to four HDMI and four 3G-SDI source cables into Ki Pro GO2 and assign any combination of four inputs at a time for four channels of H.265 or H.264 recording to any four of the 5 USB ports on the Ki Pro GO2.

Time is always tight, especially for live events. Ki Pro GO2's Genlock free inputs make it easy to switch your sources including SDI cameras, DSLRs, or HDMI cameras to the appropriate recording channel, all conveniently mapped within Ki Pro GO2's elegant and easy to use UI.

Network Recording

Extend your recording capabilities through the use of external (NAS) storage. Simply connect your storage to the Ki Pro GO2 over a standard Gigabit Ethernet network and take advantage of all the features of networked storage. Use your NAS as your primary storage location or as secondary (backup) media – you can even record to NAS and local, USB-based storage simultaneously, giving you the perfect combination of shared storage and portability.

Ki Pro GO2’s elegant and intuitive UI makes NAS set up easy. Simply enter the IP address of the storage, any required user credentials, and the SMB dialect you wish to use, and you’re ready to record. Ki Pro GO2 simplifies setup even further by auto-detecting the SMB dialect of your NAS system and self-configuring to match. SMB credentials can also be stored in system presets and recalled at the push of a button for “on-the-fly” system reconfiguration.

Local and NAS Recording

In this diagram we can see the Ki Pro GO2 is receiving video from camera sources 1 through 4. The Ki Pro GO2 is recording locally to USB drives connected to the front USB3 inputs. The Ki Pro GO2 is also connected via Gigabit Ethernet to a Gigabit Ethernet switch and a NAS for simultaneous recording. Editorial, Graphics and Digital Asset Management (DAM) workstations are also connected to the same network as the Ki Pro GO2, with both having access to the NAS.

Multi-Unit Recording With a Single NAS

This diagram shows two Ki Pro GO2 units, with the first receiving video from camera sources 1 through 4 and the second receiving video from camera sources 5 through 8. Each Ki Pro GO2 is recording locally to USB drives connected to the front USB ports. Both Ki Pro GO2s are connected via Gigabit Ethernet to a Gigabit Ethernet switch. A NAS connected to the same network is also the second recording destination for cameras 1 through 8.

Multiple, Simultaneous Recording Destinations

This diagram illustrates the Ki Pro GO2 receiving video from camera sources 1 through 4. The Ki Pro GO2 is connected to multiple USB drives as well as a NAS via Gigabit Ethernet allowing immense flexibility.

H.265 and H.264 Encoding

Ki Pro GO2 allows independent quality settings per channel for recording, with five recording settings choices for any channel assignment depending upon your delivery need or eventual bandwidth allocation for the file's playback stream.

Choose any one of five VBR Recording Settings allowing up to 15Mbps for H.265 and 25Mbps for H.264:

• Low: Suitable for talking heads, conference backups, security recording and more.
• Med-Low
• Medium: Ideal for higher detail and more complex content.
• Med-High
• High: Serves well for fast moving, highly detailed content like sports or live event scenarios like concerts.
• Ki Pro GO2 records as a standard .MP4 file, providing convenience and compatibility with a huge range of software applications.

Redundant Recording

Ki Pro GO2 offers a large matrix of possibilities for redundant recording needs.

Four USB ports on the front and a fifth USB port on the rear provide easy to access recording media using qualified off the shelf USB drives. The Ki Pro GO2 offers the user flexibility in choosing any USB port for a channel’s primary and any USB port for a channel’s backup. The backup’s identical redundant recording allows for a true backup or pass on secondary copy of captured files to post-production, clients, or others on your team.

In the case of a single input source, you can assign a single input to four primary recording channels and four backup channels in flexible combinations across the 5 USB ports, enabling 8 captures of the source to a total of 5 physical devices for duplication needs.

The workflows below provide some examples of just some of the possibilities possible with Ki Pro GO2's focus on a key concept of ‘pass out’ or ‘pass around’ or ‘handout’ media. Hit stop on your recordings and the show is ready to give to your clients right there and then.

Four Camera Feeds, Primary and Backup Recording

Connect four cameras directly to Ki Pro GO2 and capture the recording channels discretely to USB flash sticks in each of the four front of unit USB slots as well as a combination of all four recording channels to a single USB drive connected to the fifth USB port on the rear of the unit.

Three Cameras, One PGM Primary and Backup Recording

Connect three cameras directly to a vision mixer and then run the camera ISO feeds as well as the Line Cut/Program Feed from the vision mixer to Ki Pro GO2. Capture all four of the recording channels directly to USB flash sticks in each of the four front of unit USB slots, as well as a combination of all four recording channels to a single USB drive connected to the fifth USB port on the rear of the unit.

Primary and Backup H.265 or H.264 Recording for Ki Pro Ultra 12G

For the best of all worlds for multi-camera shoots, connect four cameras directly to Ki Pro Ultra 12G for high quality Apple ProRes capture to AJA Pak Media. Continue the path from the Ki Pro Ultra 12G’s four SDI outputs directly to a Ki Pro GO2 for H.265 or H.264 Primary and Backup recording. Multiple recordings, discrete camera capture to ProRes and H.265 or H.264, with redundancy, all in real time.

Proxy H.265 or H.264 Recording for Ki Pro Ultra 12G

Multi-camera shoots requiring proxy workflows from Ki Pro Ultra 12G recordings in Apple ProRes can benefit from multi-channel capture and redundant recordings of H.265 or H.264 files on Ki Pro GO2 at different compression settings, providing redundancy and small file sizes for proxy editing and post-production.

Group Recording Feature

Many workflows, as in some of the workflows shown above, require simultaneous recording across a range of Ki Pro products or multiple Ki Pro GO2s.

The Group Recording feature means multiple units can be used in unison to produce recordings. This feature is available via the web UI when AJA Ki Pro GO2, HELO Plus and Ki Pro Ultra 12G units have IP addresses configured under a common network and subnet mask and are connected via their LAN connections to an Ethernet switch or hub to a host computer.

When used with a Ki Pro Ultra 12G, this provides you with an ideal workflow for Proxy workflows, the ability to walk away simultaneously from a recording session with ProRes or DNxHD files captured from Ki Pro Ultra 12G for a high resolution edit and H.265 or H.264 files from a Ki Pro GO2 for client handoff, streaming and more. Add a HELO Plus to the Group and enable real-time streaming from your system.

Multi-Channel Recording in Post-Production

Multi-Channel recording with Ki Pro GO2 provides individual, discrete recordings for each input, ready to be imported directly into a multi-camera editing sequence.

No additional conversion or software is required, just drag and drop the files directly from the USB drive into your edit software of choice.

HD Multi-Channel Matrix Monitoring, Enhanced Super Out

HDMI and/or SDI monitors can be fed from Ki Pro GO2's SDI and HDMI monitoring connections to display up to four channels of video in a matrix per display or alternatively, you can choose to send a full-screen single channel of your choice to either output, allowing both matrix viewing and close up detail inspection for a channel of your choice.

This flexibility ensures multi-camera shoots can be monitored on a single monitor when desired, with no matrix converter or independent monitors required for the utmost efficiency and convenience.

Enhanced Super Out provides a timecode overlay, per channel audio VU meters and media remaining percentages over SDI and HDMI Monitor outputs, putting what you need to know, where you need to see it.

High Resolution LCD with Onscreen Intuitive UI

Ki Pro GO2 features a beautiful high resolution large HD display with Video Monitor and Menu/Status Overlays for precise monitoring of your material and serves as your interface to Ki Pro GO2's intuitive menu system. The detailed overlay UI includes onscreen keyboard functionality and a clear view of the powerful yet simple to operate UI, all pristinely presented on the HD LCD display.

Ki Pro GO2 features familiar dedicated transport buttons - record, play, stop, rewind, fast forward - making the device easy to operate with minimal training time.

The current status of the system and key configuration information is clearly displayed on the beautiful built-in high resolution LCD screen. Additional operational information can be found in the STATUS menu which can be accessed even when recording or playing back.

Off the Shelf USB Media

Ki Pro GO2 provides convenient recording to cost effective, off the shelf USB media with FAT or exFAT file systems support for cross-platform use when transferring files to workstations, servers and more.

Ki Pro GO2 supports the formatting of media in standalone operation.

Please refer to the Ki Pro GO2: Approved Media List for the most current guide to AJA approved USB media for use with Ki Pro GO2.

• 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 primary ports on the front of the unit
• 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port on the back of the unit
• All ports are also compatible with the following standards:
• USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)
• USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)*
• USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)*

*Also referred to as SuperSpeed USB

• 5V 1A max current per slot
• FAT file systems:
• FAT16
• FAT32
• exFAT

Use with Ki Pro Ultra 12G for Multi-Channel ProRes

For the ultimate in professional multi-channel recording, combine your new Ki Pro GO2 with Ki Pro Ultra 12G and capture multiple streams, up to four per device, of Apple ProRes or DNxHD and H.265 or H.264 in any combination that suits your needs, in only 2RU of rack space.

Ki Pro GO2 and Ki Pro Ultra 12G offer half rack width and 2RU height for convenient pairings in fly packs, equipment racks, OB trucks, and facility environments.

LTC Insert

Ki Pro GO2 provides support for a wide variety of input sources with up to eight inputs. This flexibility also means you may have sources that do not have timecode, and so the system enables you to utilize one of the analog audio inputs as a source for your own Longitudinal Time Code (LTC) insert.

File Transfers

In an age of remote workflows, being able to transfer files is key. Ki Pro GO2 offers file transfers across the network through the web UI, accessible from any laptop or workstation on any OS, anywhere.

Audio Flexibility

Each Ki Pro GO2 recording channel can capture 2-channels of embedded audio from 3G-SDI or HDMI inputs, or 2-channel Analog Audio from the XLR ports on the rear of the unit.

Each XLR port provides a selection of Line, Mic, or +48V Phantom Power for level control and each recording channel offers the choice of Follow Video or Analog Audio.

This flexibility enables the capture of audio coming straight from the source input or the capture and insertion of audio from an audio mixer or microphone as desired.

Remote Configuration and Operation

Ki Pro GO2 is equipped for advanced remote control and configuration. With a standard Ethernet LAN connection to a host computer and any standard web browser on any OS, all Ki Pro GO2 parameter settings, clip selection, and transport controls can be controlled remotely over the network.