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Does KONA LHe Plus capture 1080p60?
No 1080p60 route is supported by the published mode table: AJA lists 1080p through 29.97/30p, 1080i through 59.94/60 fields/s, and 720p through 59.94/60p. It can suit an HD/SD production path, but not a requirement for 1080p at 60 progressive frames per second.
Explore this need in the finder →Can KONA LHe Plus ingest an analog source?
Yes, through the model's breakout cable: AJA lists 12-bit component HD and SD input plus composite/S-Video SD. Those connectors are alternate paths for its one video input, not several independent simultaneous feeds. Check the selected signal and cable before purchase.
Explore this need in the finder →Does the card accept HDMI?
No HDMI input is documented for KONA LHe Plus. Its digital video inputs are 1.5G-SDI/HD-SDI and SDI, with component/composite/S-Video analog paths on the breakout. An HDMI source would need a separately verified conversion stage.
Explore this need in the finder →Is KONA LHe Plus discontinued because the KONA LHi is end-of-sale?
The names are easy to mix up. The v18 LH manual says its 2025 end-of-sales notice applies to KONA LHi, while it lists KONA LHe Plus as a separate covered product. AJA also has a distinct current LHe Plus product/support page, so the LHi notice should not be transferred to this model.
Explore this need in the finder →What breakout items should be checked?
AJA says an LHe Plus breakout cable is included and carries analog component/composite/S-Video, reference, AES, balanced audio and RS-422 connections; the optional KL-Box is a separate accessory. Verify the seller's exact card, unique cable, optional box and condition, especially on used hardware.
Explore this need in the finder →KONA LHe Plus is a single-channel PCIe video I/O card for a workstation already built around SDI or analog production sources. Its value is the combination of SDI, component, composite and S-Video connections, plus audio and machine-control routing through a model-specific breakout cable. It is not an HDMI console capture card. This is a documentation-based assessment, not a hands-on test.
Read the signal path before the connector count
AJA describes one 1.5G-SDI/HD-SDI input and two independent SDI outputs. The product page calls it a single-channel I/O card, while the specification lists three SDI BNCs as one input and two outputs. Those output connectors do not turn into extra source inputs. AJA also describes monitoring during capture, but that broadcast monitoring path is different from an HDMI console loop to a gaming display.
The analog route uses the included breakout cable. AJA lists component HD and SD, and composite/S-Video SD input. Although the cable exposes several BNCs, they are alternate analog connections for the card's one video input. Check whether the source is component, composite or S-Video, and whether the source's raster is actually supported; the word “analog” is not itself a complete timing specification.
Its 1080-line modes are not 1080p60
The current sheet lists 1080i at 50/59.94/60, 1080p and PsF only through 29.97/30, and 720p through 59.94/60, along with standard-definition formats. For a finder choice that requires 1080p60, KONA LHe Plus does not meet that progressive-frame-rate threshold. It also has no 4K plan. Verify the exact input mode before assuming an edit, ingest or playback workflow will accept it.
AJA's materials describe 10-bit SD/HD digital paths, component analog conversion, and a hardware HD-to-SD down-converter. Those are useful production functions, but they do not erase the card's single-channel design or extend its documented 1080p30 ceiling. The card is best assessed as a flexible older-generation broadcast I/O board, not a modern capture card defined by high-refresh consumer resolution numbers.
PCIe, software and the similarly named LHi
The specification lists a four-lane PCIe 1.0 interface, with typical power of 13 W and a 15 W maximum. It is an internal card, not USB or native Thunderbolt hardware. Check motherboard/host compatibility and physical clearance before relying on a current workstation slot. Also match the host OS and AJA driver branch to the application: the current product page lists macOS, Windows and Linux, and the v18 LH manual covers KONA LHe Plus with AJA Control Room.
The KONA LH manual's end-of-sales warning is specifically for KONA LHi, a different board. It does not label KONA LHe Plus discontinued. AJA maintains a separate LHe Plus product and support page and lists current software material for the exact model. This distinction matters when a used-market listing shortens the name or mixes LHe Plus and LHi photographs, drivers or accessories.
Check the unique breakout cable and optional box
AJA describes the model-specific breakout cable as included with the card. It carries the analog component/composite/S-Video connections, reference, AES audio, balanced analog audio and RS-422 machine control. The optional KL-Box is separate; it adds rack mounting and selected connector access. A used offer may be incomplete even if its product title is correct, so confirm the exact cable, bracket and optional box directly with the seller.
The specification also lists eight-channel embedded SDI audio and separate analog/AES routes. Those details can help a production workflow, but they depend on the correct breakout and routing. The official product image shows the card's connector panel, not an entire seller package. No retail SKU, seller condition, included optional box, availability, price or offer-specific warranty is established by this review.
Who should consider it
KONA LHe Plus can be a fit for a compatible PCIe workstation that needs one SDI or analog HD/SD source, AJA Control Room and the correct breakout cable. Its strengths are legacy-production connectivity and separate monitoring outputs. Its tradeoffs are PCIe 1.0, a specific cable path, no HDMI input, no 4K, and no 1080p60 capture plan. If those constraints do not match the source, compare a current capture model with the required connector and timing instead.
Primary references: AJA's KONA LHe Plus product page and product-specific specification, the KONA LH Series Manual v18, and the current LHe Plus support page and Control Room Manual v18.
Key specifications
Key details at a glance
| Signal input | One 1.5G-SDI/HD-SDI input; AJA lists two independent SDI/HD-SDI outputs. This is a single-channel card, not three capture inputs. / Analog video input is available through the breakout cable: component YPbPr/RGB for HD and SD, and composite or S-Video for SD. AJA lists one video input; the breakout's multiple connectors are alternate signal paths, not simultaneous independent analog captures. |
|---|---|
| Confirmed capture formats | AJA's digital format table lists 1080i through 60 fields/s, 1080p/PsF through 29.97/30p, 720p through 59.94/60p, and 525i/625i SD. The card does not meet the finder's 1080p60 or 4K capture options. / The sheet documents 1.5G-SDI/HD-SDI and SDI 270 Mbps, plus 12-bit analog component and composite/S-Video I/O. Check the source connector and exact raster; the broad video-mode table does not make every format available on every analog path. |
| Confirmed passthrough formats | AJA describes simultaneous monitoring during capture and separate HD/SD SDI and analog outputs. There is no HDMI output or high-refresh display-passthrough mode in this record; no questionnaire passthrough mode is assigned. |
| Computer connection | Internal four-lane pci express 1.0 card; aja's sheet lists 13 w typical and 15 w maximum. check physical pcie compatibility, chassis clearance, power and current driver support before installing this older-generation interface. |
| Named compatible software | AJA's KONA LH Series v18 manual covers KONA LHe Plus and includes AJA Control Room for capture, monitoring and playback. The current Control Room v18 manual also lists the exact model as supported hardware. / AJA lists several professional application families on its product page; this assessment does not assign OBS because the exact current model/OS/mode support path was not established in the sources reviewed. |
| HDR recording | No mode-, os- and application-specific hdr recording-file plan was established for kona lhe plus. its analog and 1.5g-sdi specifications are not a substitute for an hdr capture recipe; no hdr match is assigned. |
Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.
Sources for this review
Sources for this assessment
Check your complete signal path
Choose the source format, desired captured signal, passthrough target, computer connection and software together. A single device must support that whole arrangement.