When it comes to color fidelity and control in live production and post workflows, having the right tools to manage color pipelines is critical. In this blog, we explore the capabilities of the Colorfront Color Pipeline available in both the AJA ColorBox and its openGear counterpart, the OG-ColorBox, with insights shared by Senior Product Manager Tim Walker.

What is the Colorfront Color Pipeline?

The Colorfront Color Pipeline is a powerful color management system integrated into AJA’s ColorBox and OG-ColorBox. Designed for on-set, broadcast, and post workflows, this pipeline offers three tailored modes to help users match the needs of their production environments:

1. TV Mode
2. Live Mode
3. SDR to Dolby Vision® Preview Mode

Let’s dive into what each mode offers.

TV Mode: Streamlined for Simpler Broadcast Workflows

Best for:

• Live television broadcasts
• Standard production pipelines without complex camera log conversions

TV Mode is all about simplicity and speed. It’s geared for display-referred workflows where full-scale color grading isn’t required. If you're working in live production or standard post where your color needs are straightforward (think: Sony S-Log3 as the most complex input), this mode keeps your controls lean and intuitive.

Key Features:

• Ideal for display-referred workflows
• Supports standard color conversions
• Uses video-style controls like Lift, Gamma, and Gain
• Minimal configuration, maximum efficiency

Live Mode: Built for Broadcast Versatility

Best for:

• Broadcast and live event workflows
• Environments that require multiple LOG format support

Live Mode expands your capabilities by supporting a wide range of camera LOG formats and color spaces. This mode is perfect for productions that bring together footage from various camera systems and demand accurate, real-time color processing.

Key Features:

• Broad support for camera LOG and color space formats
• Maintains video-style control interface
• Great for fast-paced live or studio-based productions
• Flexible enough for multi-camera environments

SDR to Dolby Vision® Preview Mode: Controlled HDR Transforms

Best for:

• Previewing SDR content as Dolby Vision HDR
• Delivering perceptually matching SDR to HDR content

This mode brings high-end HDR capability into a controlled preview environment. Whether you’re working on live or recorded content, this feature uses Colorfront’s proprietary transforms to give you accurate SDR-to-HDR conversions.

It mirrors the SDR2DolbyVision node in Colorfront Transkoder, with simplified controls focused on highlights and contrast—making it user-friendly even for quick-turnaround workflows.

Key Features:

• Previews SDR content in Dolby Vision HDR
• Includes simplified highlight and contrast controls
• Can be used for actual SDR-to-HDR conversion
• Matches Transkoder’s professional-grade color science

Learn More

Whether you're working on a high-speed live broadcast, managing diverse camera inputs, or prepping HDR-ready deliverables, there's a mode tailored to your needs. With intuitive controls and Colorfront’s renowned processing under the hood, your color workflow just got smarter and faster.

Explore the AJA ColorBox and OG-ColorBox with Colorfront integration here:

AJA ColorBox In-line HDR/SDR Algorithmic and LUT Color Transforms for 4K/UltraHD/HD Workflows A compact, high-performance converter designed for color-managed workflows in broadcast, live events, and on-set production. Shop Now