Oklahoma-based Kodiak Mobile Television has built a new mobile production
truck featuring a range of products from AJA Video Systems. The truck is
equipped with FS2 frame synchronisers, Ki Pros and Ki Pro Racks for file-based
acquisition and playout, a range of mini-converters as well as Io XT and T-TAP for
editing.
Production veterans Paul Bronsteader and David Kearnes started Kodiak Mobile
Television in 2011 and sister company Kodiak Production Group four years ago
and have since produced posted and live events, from gymnastics and Grand
Prix swimming to pro and college football.
“If there’s something that AJA makes a product for, we will use that product over
anything else out there,’ said Kearnes. “They not only have outstanding service
and tech support both before and after the sale, but their products just work.
We’ve done some pretty crazy things with AJA products and the performance
has always been spectacular.’
Kodiak’s truck is able to provide full-blown editing capabilities on site if needed,
or clients can immediately receive hard drives at the end of each production with
all their materials ready-to-edit as there is no need to digitise thanks to the Ki
Pros.
Kearnes knew that AJA’s solutions would be an affordable and reliable choice for
Kodiak Mobile Television. The truck houses five FS2 units for dual-channel
conversion and fibre I/O, 10 Ki Pro Rack units for tapeless recording and
playback, an Io XT and T-TAP for Thunderbolt-enabled editing, and various Mini-
Converters for video up/down/cross convert and fibre connectivity.
AJA’s tools are not only a reliable choice for Kodiak, but an efficient one. “We
love the performance of the FS1, so getting double the capacity in the same
amount of rack space with the FS2 is great,’ said Kearnes. “The Ki Pro Racks
allow us to rack mount with dual drive bays, plus the addition of DNxHD codecs
allows us to cover all bases whether we’re editing in Avid, Final Cut or Premiere
Pro. And using the Io XT and T-TAP™ allow us to have full edit capabilities at all
times, directly on light, compact laptops and iMacs. The bottom line is that AJA’s
products are not only letting us work more efficiently, they’re also saving
significant space – our truck’s GVW is less than 40 000 lbs as opposed to the
standard 80 000. Lightweight and compact products equals better gas mileage
and so more savings we can pass onto our clients.’
