AJA KONA IP25 integrates with Colorfront to streamline ST 2110 workflows
AJA announced that its KONA IP25 video I/O card now integrates with Colorfront Transkoder and On-Set Dailies software on Windows. This integration enables ST 2110 I/O capabilities for streamlined high-resolution dailies, transcoding, and streaming workflows for production and post-production professionals.
Key Takeaways
- KONA IP25 card features an 8-lane PCIe Gen 4.0 interface and dual SFP cages supporting 10/25 GigE connectivity.
- Integrated software automatically recognizes the card, providing direct access to RGB and YUV 4:4:4 12-bit color settings.
- Bidirectional uncompressed video support is facilitated via ST 2110-20, supplemented by ST 2110-30 audio and ST 2110-40 ancillary data.
- The 2110-centric card manages all PTP and NMOS control on-board, reducing the processing load on the host Windows system.
Why It Matters
The integration essentially bridges the gap between high-speed IP fabrics and established post-production software pipelines. By supporting bidirectional uncompressed 25GbE data transfers, AJA and Colorfront allow facilities to bypass the performance bottlenecks of legacy SDI-to-IP conversion hardware. This move signals a broader industry transition where ST 2110 is no longer limited to live broadcast infrastructure but is becoming a prerequisite for high-end cinematic mastering and remote dailies. Watch for whether AJA expands this deep SDK integration to macOS or Linux versions of Colorfront software to capture the cross-platform post-production market.
Additional Context
The transition to SMPTE ST 2110 is accelerating as broadcast and post-production facilities move away from the physical weight and limited bandwidth of Serial Digital Interface (SDI) cabling. According to reporting from TV Technology in March 2026, ST 2110 adoption among broadcasters rose to 30%, up from 26% in the previous year. This growth is driven by the demand for uncompressed 4K and 8K video transport, which requires the high-bandwidth capabilities of 25GbE and 100GbE networks that traditional SDI standards struggle to support. Major entities including Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and the BBC have already begun migrating Tier 1 live operations to these IP-based infrastructures, per industry analysis from TKT1957 in September 2025. While the adoption of IP standards offers greater scalability, it introduces significant technical complexity regarding synchronization. Per SMPTE reports from June 2025, the industry is heavily reliant on the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to ensure that independent video, audio, and metadata streams remain aligned across a network. AJA's inclusion of on-board PTP and NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) control on the KONA IP25 addresses these challenges by offloading the synchronization overhead from the host workstation. This hardware-level management is increasingly critical as remote production becomes a top priority, cited by 41% of broadcast professionals in 2026 as their primary technology focus according to NAB 2026 reports. In this environment, the ability to maintain sub-frame latency over public and private IP networks is the benchmark for modern professional video I/O solutions.
Read full article at aja.com