AJA: ColorBox In-line HDR/SDR Algorithmic and LUT Color Transforms

Key Features
- 12-bit 4:4:4 12G-SDI I/O for up to 4K/UltraHD HDR/WCG 30p
- 10-bit 4:2:2 12G-SDI I/O for up to 4K/UltraHD HDR/WCG 60p
- 12-bit 4:4:4 HDMI 2.0 output for up to 4K/UltraHD HDR/WCG 30p
- 10-bit 4:2:2 HDMI 2.0 output for up to 4K/UltraHD HDR/WCG 60p
- Ultra low latency, less than ½ a video line
- Extensive AJA Color Pipeline built around the 33pt. 3D LUT processor with tetrahedral interpolation
ColorBox - In-line HDR/SDR Color Transforms, 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0, AJA Color, Colorfront, ORION-CONVERT, BBC HLG LUTs, NBCU LUTs
Introduction
ColorBox from AJA is a compact, high-performance converter for color managed workflows designed to specifically meet the conversion needs of broadcast, live events, and on-set applications. Supporting Standard Dynamic Range (SDR), High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Wide Color Gamut (WCG) signals, it utilizes 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 for single wire 4K/UltraHD HDR up to 4:2:2 10-bit 60p or 4:4:4 12-bit 30p with a unique color processing pipeline.
Built around the 33-point 3D LUT processor with tetrahedral interpolation, AJA Color Pipeline provides additional 4x 1D LUTs and 2x 3x3 matrices that are each individually configurable even as Proc Amps or RGB Color Correctors. Easily manage color processing options via the web user interface which can be accessed directly from a wired Ethernet connection or through a wireless connection via a third party WiFi USB adapter.
ColorBox includes processing pipeline modes from Colorfront and NBCU LUTs, as well as a powerful AJA Color Pipeline. ColorBox also expands its capabilities by offering licensable upgrade options for advanced color managed workflows, including BBC HLG LUTs and the all new ORION-CONVERT engine. ORION-CONVERT’s unique real-time floating point math approach to color transforms produces higher precision results to get “access to the colors between the colors.” This enables pixel perfect color transforms and round tripping where maintaining colors is paramount.
ColorBox also offers a sophisticated test pattern generator and frame store, bringing useful tools to your workflow, including the ability to capture up to a 4K image as a 16-bit .tiff file for the highest quality reference stills. ColorBox can even overlay information onto the image, including helpful user definable text fields. These images can be saved locally on ColorBox or onto a third party connected PC running an application like Pomfort’s Livegrade Pro/Studio and Assimilate Live Looks.
Features
- 7x nodes plus Overlay
- 1x 3D LUT processor, user configurable as 3D LUT or Dynamic
- 4x 1D LUT processors, user configurable as 1D LUT, Dynamic, or Color Corrector
- 2x 3x3 Matrix processors, user configurable as 3x3 Matrix, Dynamic, or ProcAmp
- Supports industry standard file types, no conversion to proprietary format required
- Configurable Colorspace, Range, and Transfer Characteristic
- Full frame LUT processing
- AJA Color
- Colorfront Mode
- ORION-CONVERT Mode (Licensable option)
- BBC HLG LUT Mode (Licensable option)
- NBCU LUTs
- Up to 4K/UltraHD frame capture and recall
- Capture pre or post processed images
- User Text
- Input and Output signal information
- Pipeline Configuration
- Overlay can be captured with image for future reference
- 16x 1D LUTs
- 16x 3D LUTs
- 16x 3x3 Matrices
- 16x Images
Tech Specs
HDR/WCG Real Time Processor
- HDR Conversions
- HDR to HDR
- HDR to SDR
- SDR to HDR
- Colorimetry
- BT.709 and BT.2020
Video Formats
- (4K) 4096x2160p
- (UltraHD) 3840x2160p
- (2K) 2048x1080p
- (HD) 1920x1080p
- (HD) 1920x1080i
- (HD) 1280x720p
Color Processing Pipeline
- Processes in 12-bit RGB
- 5x pipelines; AJA Color, Colorfront, ORION-CONVERT, BBC HLG LUTs, NBCU LUTs
- 7x processing nodes plus Overlay in AJA Color; 4x 1-D LUTs, 2x 3x3 Matrices, 1x 3-D LUT
AJA Color Pipeline (ACP)
- 7x nodes in order of processing:
- 1D LUT, 3x3 Matrix, 1-D LUT, 3-D LUT, 1-D LUT, 3x3 Matrix, 1-D LUT, Overlay
- Supports 10 and 12-bit 1-D LUTs
- Supports custom 33 point .LUT and .CUBE format 3-D LUTs*
- Supports custom .LUT format 1-D LUTs
- Supports custom .SPIMTX format matrices
- Tetrahedral 3-D LUT interpolation
- 3-D LUT configurable as LUT or Dynamic
- 1-D LUTs configurable as LUT, Dynamic, or Color Corrector
- 3x3 Matrix configurable as Matrix, Dynamic, or Proc Amp
- Configurable Color Space, Range, and Transfer Characteristic
- Nonvolatile storage of 16x 3-D LUTs, 16x 1-D LUTs, and 16x 3x3 Matrices
*Various 3-D LUT sizes are supported, but will be converted to 33 point for processing
Dynamic LUT Processing
- Supports third party apps for automatic loading and display of 3-D LUTs
- Reflects dynamic changes in real time from source software
- Full frame LUT processing
- Supported by
- Pomfort Livegrade Pro and Studio
- Assimilate Live Looks and Live Assist
Colorfront Pipeline
- Processing Based on Human Perception Model
- Perceptually optimized color volume remapping
- Preserves the original creative intent
- Input Video Dynamic Range/Color Gamut
- SDR BT.709
- PQ BT.2020
- HLG BT.2100
- Output Video Dynamic Range/Color Gamut
- SDR BT.709
- PQ BT.2020
- HLG BT.2100
ORION-CONVERT Pipeline
- Conversion algorithm that uses floating point math
- Pre and post transform Knee and Amount controls
- Display-Light and Scene-Light Modes
- Configurable HDR and SDR IRE Reference anchor points
- Configurable HDR Peak Nits sets system gamma for display light conversions
- Configurable Output Clamping
- Input Video Dynamic Range/Color Gamut
- SDR BT.709
- PQ BT.2020
- HLG BT.2100
- Output Video Dynamic Range/Color Gamut
- SDR BT.709
- PQ BT.2020
- HLG BT.2100
BBC HLG LUTs Pipeline
- Mathematical dynamic range mapping per ITU-R BT.2408
- SDR/BT.709 Scene Referred to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- SDR/BT.709 Scene Referred to HLG/BT.2100 Strict v1.5
- SDR/BT.709 Scene Referred UpMap to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- SDR/BT.709 Scene Referred UpMap to HLG/BT.2100 Strict v1.5
- SDR/BT.709 Display Referred to HLG/BT.2100 v.1.5
- SDR/BT.709 Display Referred UpMap to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- SDR/BT.2020 Display Referred to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- SDR/BT.2020 Display Referred UpMap to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- PQ 1000 Nits Display Referred to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- PQ 4000 Nits Display Referred to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- S-Log3/BT.2020 100% Scene Referred to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- S-Log3/BT.2020 200% Scene Referred(SR-Live) to HLG/BT.2100 v1.5
- HLG/BT.2100 to SDR/BT.709 Scene Referred v1.5
- HLG/BT.2100 to SDR/BT.709 Scene Referred Strict v1.5
- HLG/BT.2100 to SDR/BT.709 Display Referred v1.5
- HLG/BT.2100 to SDR/BT.709 Display Referred Super White v1.5
- HLG/BT.2100 to PQ 1000 Nits Display Referred v1.5
- RGB Color Corrector and ProcAmp
NBCU LUTs Pipeline
- NBCU LUTs developed by NBCUniversal Media, LLC
- 1-NBCU_SDR2HLG_DL_v1, SDR UpMap to HLG using Display Light v1.0
- 2-NBCU_SDR2HLG_SL_v1, SDR to HLG using Scene Light v1.0
- 3-NBCU_HLG2SDR_DL_v1.1, HLG to SDR using Display Light v1.1
- 4-NBCU_SDR2PQ_DL_v1, SDR UpMap to PQ using Display Light v1.0
- 5-NBCU_PQ2SDR_DL_v1, PQ to SDR using Display Light v1.0
- 7-NBCU_HLG10002PQ_v1, HLG 1000 Nits to PQ v1.0
- RGB Color Corrector and ProcAmp
Video Input and Output SDI
- 1x 12G-SDI Input BNC, SMPTE-292/424/2081/2082
- 2x 12G-SDI Output BNCs, SMPTE-292/424/2081/2082
- YCbCr 4:2:2/4:4:4
- RGB 4:4:4, SMPTE or Full level
- 10 or 12-bit
- 1x 12G-SDI
- (4K) 4096x2160p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94, 60
- (UltraHD) 3840x2160p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60
- 1x 6G-SDI
- (4K) 4096x2160p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
- (UltraHD) 3840x2160p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
- 1x 3G-SDI (Level A or B-Dual Link)
- (2K) 2048x1080p 23.98, 24, 25, 47.95, 48, 50
- (2K) 2048x1080PsF 23.98, 24, 25
- (HD) 1920x1080p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60
- (HD) 1920x1080PsF 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
- (HD) 1920x1080i 50, 59.94, 60
- (HD) 1280x720p 50, 59.94, 60
- 1x 1.5G-SDI
- (2K) 2048x1080p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
- (2K) 2048x1080PsF 23.98, 24, 25
- (HD) 1920x1080p 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
- (HD) 1920x1080PsF 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
- (HD) 1920x1080i 50, 59.94, 60
- (HD) 1280x720p 50, 59.94, 60
Note: Raster and Frame Rate Dependent, please see ColorBox Video Formats in Documents and Manual
Video Output HDMI
- 1x HDMI Type A connector*, HDMI v2.0b
- HDR infoframe generation with pass-through for Colorimetry and Transfer Characteristic
- YCbCr 4:2:2
- RGB 4:4:4, SMPTE or Full level
- 8, 10, or 12-bit (HFR 4K/UltraHD 4:4:4 limited to 8-bit)
- 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD
*If a connected monitor doesn’t support HDMI protocol the unit automatically switches to DVI protocol (which does not pass audio)
Note: Raster and Frame Rate Dependent, please see ColorBox Video Formats in Documents and Manual
Video Processing
- Nominal video delay is less than 1/2 video line
- Motion adaptive deinterlacer
- Proc Amp controls
- Color corrector
- Legalizer
Frame Store
- Capture and Recall up to 4K/UltraHD 16-bit .TIFF
- Capture and Recall .TIFF, .PNG, .JPEG
- Capture input or output
- Nonvolatile storage of 16 images
Test Pattern Generator
- 10 or 12-bit
- 9x patterns built-in
- SDR and HDR test patterns
Ancillary Data
- All embedded ANC packets pass-through, including camera ancillary data
- Overlay ancillary data on image
Audio Input Digital
- SDI embedded audio, 24-bit, 16-channel
Audio Output Digital
- SDI embedded audio, 24-bit, 16-channel
- HDMI embedded audio, 24-bit, 8-channel
Network Interface
- 1x RJ-45, 10/100/1000 Ethernet
- Embedded web server for remote control
- REST Interface
- WiFi control available via 3rd party WiFi USB adapter*
*Lynksys AC1200 and Netgear AC1900
USB Interface
- 1x Mini-USB for IP configuration using AJA eMini-Setup
Presets
- 10 Pipeline Presets per mode (AJA Color, Colorfront, ORION-CONVERT, BBC HLG LUTs, NBCU LUTs)
- Startup Preset
Size (w x d x h)
- 4.10" x 7.54" x 1.66" (104.1 x 191.6 x 42.1 mm)
Weight
- 1.0 lb (0.5 kg)
Power
- External power supply required
- Enclosure: 10-18VDC regulated, 4-pin mini-XLR, 16W typical 3G-SDI, 21W typical 12G-SDI, 25W max.
- AC Adapter, included: 100-240VAC, 50/60 Hz, universal input, 60W
- Optional spare AC adapter sold separately, AJA-PWR-12-60W
Environment
- Safe Operating Temperature: 0 to 50 C (32 to 122 F)
- Safe Storage Temperature (Power OFF): -40 to 60 C (-40 to 140 F)
- Operating Relative Humidity: 10-90% noncondensing
- Operating Altitude: <3,000 meters (<10,000 feet)