HRS Control Launches HRS KP Automation App to Simplify Control of Multiple AJA Ki Pro Units in Production

	Screenshot of HRS Control KP Automation Pro

HRS Control has introduced two new software products for automated control of AJA's popular Ki Pro family of file-based recorder/players including Ki Pro, Ki Pro Mini, Ki Pro Rack, and Ki Pro Quad. HRS KP Automation and the next-level HRS KP Automation PRO are dedicated Mac OSX applications that provide simple, easy control of multiple Ki Pro units.

"HRS KP Automation has been designed from the ground up to enhance the out-of-the-box experience of Ki Pro customers," says Drew Taylor with HRS Control. "We saw a lot of interest from AJA customers who wanted gang control capabilities for their Ki Pros. They were looking for a simplified, cost-effective solution for Ki Pro only control; they didn't need to build customized solutions with our UDC (Universal Device Control) product. So we devised a completely new application to control multiple Ki Pros from one location."

"Our Ki Pro products have been incredibly popular for live event, professional AV, and on-set broadcast and film productions. Many customers use multiple Ki Pro's and we're pleased that the smart engineers at HRS Control have provided a plug-and-play solution for automating gang configuration, record and playback for AJA's Ki Pro customers," said Nick Rashby, president, AJA Video Systems.

Developed for Mac desktop computers, HRS KP Automation is HRS Control's first Apple desktop-based app. "It's groundbreaking for us," Taylor says. "All of our other products are Windows-based, but a large majority of Ki Pro users have Apple computers because of the strong ties between AJA and Apple."

"The new app can be downloaded and used right away," he reports. "There's no learning curve, and no training is required. You put HRS KP Automation to action immediately."

HRS KP Automation is a base-level product offering all the features and functionality that most Ki Pro users require and supports Ki Pro, Ki Pro Rack, Ki Pro Quad, and Ki Pro Mini. With Ki Pro Automation "you can execute gang playback and record, download clips, and do file transfers to your local Mac or network hard drive for back up," Taylor explains.

Major features of HRS KP Automation include:
* Configuration of unlimited Ki Pros
* Downloading multiple Ki Pro clips to local and network storage
* Gang playback
* Gang stop
* Gang recording
* Gang loading of matching clips
* Loading individual clips, including stop or play after load

The app also displays current time code, current clip name, and shows the progress of clip downloads as well as proving users a range of additional status information for each Ki Pro. It also permits scheduling of recording, playback, and downloads.

HRS KP Automation Pro includes all the features of HRS KP Automation and more. The Pro version adds RS422 control (supported by Ki Pro, Ki Pro Mini, and Ki Pro Rack, but not by Ki Pro Quad) for the ability to load a clip and jump to a specific point in the time code. It also gives you the ability to upload clips from a network or local computer and to transfer clips from Ki Pro to Ki Pro. In addition, it enables users to store hot keys on the fly for any Ki Pro product that load a clip and jump to time code -- a playback utility that people with more demanding live productions, such as sports replays, are looking for," explained Taylor.

The apps' clean and clear interface design looks and feels familiar to users of AJA Ki Pro products. The layout features two columns. The left-hand column features buttons for transport commands and a download button for each Ki Pro unit. The right-hand column always shows clips on the selected Ki Pro; downloading is tracked with a progress bar. Selecting more than one Ki Pro unit for control triggers gang control with easy one-button execution.

HRS Control will be taking orders for HRS KP Automation at IBC in mid-September and shipping the app after the show. The company is accepting pre-orders for HRS KP Automation Pro, which is expected to release later this year.

"No dongles are required, and customers can sign up for a 30-day free trial before purchasing and downloading the app," Taylor points out. "HRS KP Automation users can upgrade at any time to the Pro version."

"Ki Pros are great products -- their users are really happy with them. We're proud to provide an automated tool to make multiple Ki Pro systems even easier to use in production environments."