[Sponsored Post] AJA ColorBox: Powerful Color Conversion

Many modern productions involve HDR and SDR sources, requiring complex color pipelines, so establishing a master HDR format and transforming sources to match it are crucial to achieving a consistent, high-quality live output. ColorBox, AJA’s new in-line algorithmic and LUT based color transform video processing device, streamlines this process. It enables conversion between standard dynamic range (SDR), high dynamic range (HDR), and wide color gamut (WCG) sources; including camera log inputs. The portable device leverages 12G-SDI in/out and HDMI 2.0 out for up to 4K/UltraHD 60p 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 and 30p 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 signal support.

As no live production methodology is the same, AJA built ColorBox to support a range of approaches. It includes five color processing pipelines: NBCU LUTs, Colorfront, AJA Color Pipeline (ACP), BBC HLG LUTs, and ORION-CONVERT; the latter two require a license for watermark removal. ACP uniquely features a 33-point 3D LUT processor with tetrahedral LUT interpolation, four built-in user-configurable 1D LUTs, and two user-configurable 3x3 matrices. ORION-CONVERT leverages floating-point math to help eliminate interpolation errors and produce higher precision results for pixel-perfect transforms and round tripping. 

Recognizing live is only live once, low latency was a key consideration in engineering ColorBox. As such, the device delivers high-quality color processing with a latency less than half of a video line, avoiding noticeable delays as content is fed to in-venue displays or round tripped between devices and HDR/SDR. ColorBox setup and operation are also easy via an intuitive web-based UI that users can access with a wired ethernet connection. For live operators who prefer to use a tactile control device to control color correctors, ColorBox integrates with third-party hardware panels from SKAARHOJ and CyanView. 

To ensure your desired look is maintained as it moves throughout the pipeline and production stakeholders, ColorBox also features startup presets and a UI video preview window so that team members can view an incoming signal and changes in real-time. For OB trucks and rental companies, the device can also be reset to factory mode so proprietary LUTs and settings can be wiped post-event. With ColorBox’s expansive toolset, you can walk into any production confident that you’ll have color conversion and management tools to handle any scenario thrown your way. For more details, visit www.aja.com/colorbox.