Tokyo-based CrossTec Inc. provides high performance, cost effective digital technologies and production services to clients across the Japanese broadcast industry. The company has worked on a range of high profile projects, including the popular TV Asahi variety show "Gon Nakayama & Zakiyama no Kiritoru TV," which features former soccer star Masashi Nakayama and comedian Hironari Yamazaki. With the market increasingly embracing higher resolution content, CrossTec began to see an uptick in client demand for 4K recording capabilities and rounded out its production arsenal with seven AJA Ki Pro Ultra recording and playback devices.

“Ki Pro Ultra has helped unify our production process and given us the flexibility to meet both HD and 4K recording demands. Having the ability to record in 4K 60p will be vital as our clients transition to 4K delivery,” shared Osamu Chichida, Image Coordinator, CrossTec.

Although CrossTec’s productions vary, Ki Pro Ultra, Ki Pro Rack and Ki Pro are workflow staples. In a typical production, HD signals from a main line are typically input to seven Ki Pro Ultras and five Ki Pro racks, and output to seven additional Ki Pro Racks and five Ki Pros. HD files are recorded in 1080p 29.97fps ProRes 422 (SQ) and then internally down-converted to SD for offline editing, most often in Final Cut Pro. “Our Ki Pros have sped up the production process and saved us a lot of time, money and resources,” shared Chichida. “Once recording stops, we have ProRes files ready to go, so we can quickly down-convert them for the post team, and they can begin editing the same day.” 

With Ki Pro recorders at the center of its workflow, CrossTec has streamlined operations and is confident that its media is safe. “The Ki Pro devices make it easy to control recording remotely or gang record across multiple units using built-in Ethernet ports, which has simplified production. And they’ve shown reliable performance in the field time and time again,” concluded Chichida. 

About AJA 
Since 1993, AJA Video has been a leading manufacturer of video interface technologies, converters, digital video recording solutions and professional cameras, bringing high quality, cost effective products to the professional broadcast, video and postproduction markets. AJA products are designed and assembled at our facilities in Grass Valley, California, and sold through an extensive sales channel of resellers and systems integrators around the world. For further information, please see our website at www.aja.com.