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Can KONA XM capture a 4K60 SDI source in Control Room?
AJA's product sheet lists 12G-SDI through 4K/UltraHD 60p and the v18 Control Room manual includes KONA XM. The documented 60p color mode is 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2; 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 is listed through 30p. This assessment covers one selected source, not two simultaneous 4K streams.
Explore this need in the finder →Can KONA XM capture 4K60 from HDMI?
AJA lists HDMI 2.0 formats through 4K/UltraHD 60p, with YCbCr 4:2:2 through 60p and RGB 4:4:4 through 30p. The plan is one unencrypted HDMI source on a Windows PCIe workstation in Control Room; the separate HDMI output is not treated as an input-to-display loop.
Explore this need in the finder →Does the KONA XM guarantee audio capture with its video input?
No unconditional audio path is assigned. AJA's sheet says embedded-audio hardware is present but functionality is firmware-controlled and directs users to SDK Support; the NTV2 device reference also asks users to confirm audio with AJA. Verify the exact firmware and application before planning sound capture.
Explore this need in the finder →Is the KONA XM's streaming DMA mode the same as a standard Control Room setup?
No. AJA's supplement describes special XM firmware and says that, as of SDK 17.5, only the Linux NTV2 kernel driver supports the streaming-DMA APIs; the documented streaming path transfers video, not audio or other ancillary data. The finder plan uses ordinary documented Windows Control Room compatibility and does not claim that special firmware behavior.
Explore this need in the finder →Which KONA XM cooling configuration is being offered?
AJA's current product page lists KONA-XM-F-R0 with a fan and KONA-XM-P-R0 without a fan. An older NTV2 page still describes the active-cooled OEM configuration as planned, and neither image nor model name proves a seller's exact suffix or package. Check the part number and thermal design directly.
Explore this need in the finder →KONA XM is a specialized PCIe video I/O card aimed at original-equipment developers building low-latency video systems, including AI/AR and medical-device applications. Its unusual strength is not a USB-streamer feature set: AJA documents a direct PCIe 3.0 x4 design, 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 in/out, and a special firmware path for streaming DMA. The normal comparison is therefore about the exact integration, driver and source path—not a plug-and-play promise. This is a documentation-based assessment, not a hands-on test or a statement of medical approval.
Two input types, but one selected source in this assessment
AJA lists one 12G-SDI input and one separate SDI output, plus one HDMI 2.0 input and a distinct HDMI output. The spec sheet describes SDI input-to-SDI monitoring and an HDMI output that can monitor an SDI source. It does not establish a direct HDMI-input-to-HDMI-output loop, so the output connectors are not treated as a gaming-console passthrough route. Nor do four video connectors mean four capture feeds.
The format table reaches 4K DCI and UltraHD through 60p over SDI and HDMI. Its more useful boundary is the color mode: AJA lists 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 through 60p and 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 through 30p. The card can also handle 2K, HD and SD rasters. Source timing, color space, driver, application, PCIe bandwidth and recording storage all remain part of a working system; this format list is not a measured performance claim.
OEM design changes the software question
The product page specifically describes Windows and Linux support for OEM applications through the AJA SDK. AJA's v18 Control Room manual also names KONA XM in its supported-hardware list, so this assessment includes a conservative Windows Control Room plan for one source at a time. That does not make every optional firmware feature a Control Room feature, or establish a KONA XM OBS configuration. Confirm the exact OS, driver, source mode, firmware and integration with AJA before designing around it.
The special XM streaming-DMA feature is especially easy to misunderstand. AJA's SDK supplement describes a separate “XM” firmware for continuous asynchronous DMA. It says that, as of SDK 17.5, only the Linux NTV2 kernel driver supports those streaming-DMA APIs, and that the current streaming path transfers video rather than audio or ancillary data. KONA XM's general Control Room support and this developer-only path should not be collapsed into one universal low-latency setup. AJA's language about sub-frame processing is a design claim, not a result measured in this review.
Do not assume sound or HDR recording from signaling alone
The sheet describes on-board embedded-audio hardware but says functionality is controlled by firmware and directs users to SDK Support. The current NTV2 device reference likewise asks users to contact AJA about KONA XM audio. No audio-capture match is assigned here. A real OEM integration should resolve the firmware and audio path before choosing a card for a sound-critical job.
AJA documents SDI VPID signaling for HDR characteristics and HDMI HDR10/HLG infoframes. Those statements describe signal metadata support; they do not by themselves establish what metadata a particular captured file will preserve. No app- and rate-specific HDR recording plan is claimed. Similarly, an HDMI output's presence is not proof of a direct HDMI input loop.
Identify the cooling and power variant
AJA's current page lists two cooling versions: KONA-XM-F-R0 with a fan and KONA-XM-P-R0 without one. The older NTV2 device page still calls the active-cooled OEM version planned, so the exact page and the board in a seller's offer need to be compared. The product-page image shows the connector panel and model family, but not the seller package or a conclusive cooling configuration.
The spec sheet lists PCIe Gen 3 x4, about 20 watts typical, and power from either the PCIe slot or a six-pin auxiliary connector. Check the workstation's actual slot, power capacity, airflow and card clearance against the precise offered version. AJA's listed part numbers are useful identifiers, not proof that any particular retailer is supplying one of them. Optional KONA Xpand/breakout accessories, included cables, return terms and warranty should be verified separately.
Who should consider it
KONA XM makes sense as a candidate for an OEM or advanced production team that needs one documented SDI or HDMI source into a compatible 4K60 Control Room or custom SDK workflow. It is not a generic USB capture card, a guaranteed HDMI display pass-through device or a ready-to-deploy clinical system. If a requirement depends on streaming DMA, sound, captured HDR, simultaneous channels or cooling noise, ask AJA and the integrator to confirm that exact combination before purchase.
Primary references: AJA's KONA XM product page and specification sheet, the Control Room Manual v18, and AJA's NTV2 device reference and KONA XM supplement.
Key specifications
Key details at a glance
| Signal input | One full-size 12G-SDI BNC input, separate from the SDI output. AJA specifies one SDI input and one output; do not treat the two BNCs as two capture inputs. / One full-size HDMI 2.0 Type-A input, separate from the HDMI output. AJA describes the ports as unidirectional; direct input-to-display routing is not established by the port count. |
|---|---|
| Confirmed capture formats | AJA lists 4K DCI/UHD, 2K, HD and SD modes through 60p over 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0. The current sheet specifies 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 through 60p and 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 through 30p; check source timing, color format, host bandwidth and the selected application. / The product sheet describes one capture channel per SDI or HDMI input. Its separate two-channel 4Kp60 statement does not define a universal simultaneous-input recipe, and is not converted here into two independent sources. |
| Confirmed passthrough formats | AJA describes simultaneous SDI input-to-SDI monitoring and HDMI monitoring of an SDI input. No direct HDMI-input-to-HDMI-output route or consumer display-passthrough mode is assigned in this chooser. |
| Computer connection | Internal pci express gen 3 x4. this is not a usb capture device or native thunderbolt peripheral. the current sheet lists typical 20 w power and permits pcie-slot or 6-pin auxiliary power; confirm the exact host slot, power source, cooling, clearance and device firmware. |
| Named compatible software | AJA Control Room v18's supported-hardware list includes KONA XM. The product page nevertheless positions the board for OEM applications via the AJA SDK; confirm the precise driver, firmware, source mode and application integration. / AJA's current KONA XM page names Windows and Linux support for OEM applications. No model-specific OBS configuration was established from the official compatibility material reviewed for this assessment, so no OBS operating plan is assigned. |
| HDR recording | Aja documents sdi vpid hdr signaling and hdmi hdr10/hlg infoframe support. the documents reviewed do not establish a windows, rate- and application-specific hdr recording-file recipe for kona xm, so no hdr recording 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.