Backup and Storage: Solutions to Meet Ever-Growing Needs

  

 

There are sweeping changes occurring in the professional broadcast and video market. Video is now accessed by viewers through mobile devices and the Internet, in addition to traditional broadcast and cable outlets, or DVD and Blu-Ray players.

 

Video is for more than entertainment, however. Corporations, museums, libraries, and retail stores have all turned to video to help them gain attention and generate interest.

 

This quantum shift is due in large part to the marketplace turning digital. There is a potential downside, however. From HD footage, 3D computer-generated animation and motion graphics, to still images, the complexity of file formats and their sizes are causing storage and backup challenges.

 

All this growth and large file sizes have created an insatiable need for storage and backup solutions. Tape remains the best method for long-term storage, according to recent studies. Tape, especially LTO, is the best long-term because of its significant Total Cost of Ownership benefits, due to its lower cost per gigabyte, lower operating expenses and lower energy costs.

 

LTO-5 has been developed to meet the market needs for storing and archiving rich media content, not just in the broadcast and video arena but also in medical, video surveillance and other applications.

 

LTO-5 is often referred to as the tape that thinks it’s a hard disk drive since LTO-5 uses the same file structure and directory trees as hard disk drives, for easy data access. LTO-5’s Linear Tape File System has dual partitions. One holds the index for quick file location while the second holds the content. LTO-5 also has a drag-and-drop feature that allows users to manage files directly on tape.

 

For all these reasons, LTO-5 has become the media of choice for archiving and is considered the new RAID. It offers all the benefits of a hard disk drive with the low total cost of ownership and long archival life of tape.

 

Maxell’s LTO-5 features NeoSMART. This innovative technology platform continues Maxell’s legacy of innovation established and strengthened by the 1,500 patents Maxell holds worldwide. It also brings a host of added benefits to archival applications.

 

For post-production professionals looking to backup large files and free up server space, an external desktop hard disk drive is a smart choice. External drives have capacities of up to three terabytes, so they have the space to easily and cost-efficiently backup HD files. Things to consider when selecting an external drive are:

 

• Durability – drives should be for professional environments. Maxell’s maxdata quad hard disk drives have a durable aluminum housing and excellent shock resistance.

 

• Wide temperature range – the drives should be able to meet industrial-grade temperatures, such as minus 20 degrees to 60 degrees Celsius.

 

• Compact – space is at a premium in the post suite. External drives should be small and be able to be positioned vertically or horizontally.

 

Digital technology has reshaped the video and broadcast landscape. It has created new opportunities and an equal amount of challenges, particularly for storage and archiving. To understand the technologies that are best for your backup needs, visit www.maxell-usa.com.

A Look Into the Future of Media and Storage: Bigger Images = Bigger Budgets

 

In our continued efforts to forecast top trends of 2012, we’ve been talking to broadcast and media professionals of all kinds. Included in that group, of course, are those who are “in the trenches,” shooting, producing and editing media on a day-to day-basis.

 

This week, we learn what Randall Dark, President and CEO of Randall Dark Productions, believes the biggest emerging trend will be this year. An undisputed globally recognized pioneer in emerging technologies, Randall was the co-founder of HD Vision Studios in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Television Arts and Sciences Academy and is one of a select few members of the Consumer Electronics Association’s Academy of Digital Pioneers, a group recognized for their efforts implementing Digital Television in the United States.

 

According to Randall, "Creating 4K images and 3D images increases the complexity of workflow and the amount of storage dramatically, and will ultimately be reflected in overall budgets.”

 

We thank Randall for his insight. No doubt, 4K and 3D images will require more storage capacity. From a workflow perspective that may mean more post-production suites will have an even greater need for external hard disk drives (HDDs). Thankfully, many HDDs now have capacities of up to 3TB to better accommodate these large files.

 

Large files will also increase the cost of archiving, which will place greater importance on selecting the right media technology for the job. As you may recall, there were two studies at the end of last year that stated LTO is the best media for long-term storage and archiving. The main reason? LTO has significant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) benefits over disk, including lower cost per GB, lower operating expenses and lower energy costs.

 

Selecting LTO-5 is one way to control archiving costs. Stay tuned for more predictions, coming soon!

 

To read a full interview with Randall, click here: http://www.maxellpromediablog.com/weblog/2010/04/ten-questions-with-randall-dark.html

 

Have something to say about this post? We’d love to hear it. Leave a comment here or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

A Look Into the Future of Media and Storage

 

Over the past four decades, there have been countless advances in media and storage, and Maxell has been there for the entire – sometimes wild – ride. One of the ways we have been able to stay ahead of the pace is by keeping our (figurative) finger on the pulse of the ever-growing world of media storage and archiving.

 

One key way to notice trends and develop technologies is to pay attention to the people who make the industry what it is. To that end, we’ve reached out to industry professionals, ranging from filmmakers to editors and more, to ask them what the top trends of 2012 will be. We’ll share those insights with you in a series of blog posts right here.

 

To kick things off, here’s what Brett Moss, Gear & Technology Editor of Radio World, thinks the New Year will bring:

 

"For radio broadcasters I’d have to say that it’s more of the same, albeit bigger and cheaper. More stations/clusters and groups turn to large automation/content management systems – which need increasing amounts of storage, mostly networkable. Feeding that is the proliferation of digital networking, i.e. Ethernet/Cat-5 distribution and IP delivery methods.

 

“Not to be forgotten is the stampede into ‘streaming,’ which of course requires servers and storage space as well (part of a full-blown content management scheme). Throw in inexpensive handheld recorders and there’s a need of offloading storage for them, be it either as SD card media or desktop external USB drives or dumping ‘on the network.’ More radio people are using smartphones as ENG-style recorders. Utilizing SIP codec apps, they are sending that material back to the studio. It needs to be stored there in the content management system."

 

Stay tuned for more predictions, coming soon! To read what Brett thinks of the Maxell maxdata Quad Hard Drives, click here: http://www.rwonline.com/article/maxell-ships-external-hard-drives/24127 and you can access more of his stories at: www.rwonline.com.

 

Have something to say about this post? We’d love to hear it. Leave a comment here or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

External Hard Disk Drives: Viable Solution for Short-term Storage

 

In our previous post, we stated that each set of archiving circumstances warrants an appropriate storage solution. We’ve already suggested long-term storage options, so in this post we’ll offer insight into the best short-term storage options and the reasons behind their effectiveness.

 

As has been proven time and time again, tape is the best option for long-term backup. For short-term backup, though, it is a widely held belief that hard drives are the best fit. Workflow is one of, if not the number one concern when it comes to post-production. Certain technologies are better suited to simplify the integration of footage into your workflow, resulting in a more fluid process and, therefore, leading to quicker production. Towers, for example, are an excellent solution for most short-term storage needs; they can integrate multiple technologies, providing optimal flexibility and accommodating a diverse array of equipment.

 

Ron Bianchini summarized it well in his Dynamic Storage Tiering article in Broadcast Engineering:

“By combining multiple storage tiers in a single appliance with integrated software to automatically organize data for maximum performance, broadcast organizations are better positioned to ensure their most mission-critical information is readily available while proactively dealing with the realities of economics in today's challenging business environment.”

 

A dynamically tiered NAS infrastructure is necessary for many in the broadcast industry, however, other video professionals do not need to make such a heavy investment. External hard disk drives can fit the bill for many videographers, and professionals in the corporate video and post-production fields.

 

The maxdata quad HDD is a compact alternative. Economical and flexible, the maxdata HDD has a quad interface specifically designed to address the large files associated with HD environments, including audio/video editing, digital photography and animation files. Available in 1TB, 2TB and now 3TB versions, it provides video, broadcast and post-production professionals with the capacity, durability and overall performance necessary to easily and cost-efficiently archive and back up HD files.

 

The Bottom Line: Using hard drives to store footage on a rotating basis based on how frequently it is used provides better overall performance at a lower cost.

 

Click here for information on Maxell Professional Media digital storage devices. We’d like to hear what you think about this. Comment on this post or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

Tape Once Again Shown to Be Best for Long-Term Archiving

 

Broadcast professionals who face the ongoing challenge of ever-growing archive libraries, this post is for you.

 

In an August Broadcast Engineering article, Brad Dick shared some IDC estimates. According to those estimates, in 2007 worldwide data volume was at 281 exabytes—100 times more than just eight years prior—and by 2012 is expected to mushroom to 2,855 exabytes.

 

In related news, two recent studies revealed by the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) consortium have revealed that, contrary to popular opinion, tape continues to thrive and is, in fact, the best method for long-term storage. The LTO Program technology provider companies announced that the results from two separate studies showed that tape has significant Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) benefits over disk. Among those benefits are lower cost per GB, lower operating expenses and lower energy costs. While this may be a surprise to some, it only confirms what we at Maxell have been stating for years.

 

Both studies by the LTO group evaluated the costs of long-term storage for various scenarios that included tape and disk as the primary storage medium. In each case, tape boasted the optimal long-term cost advantages.

 

“The Notion that ‘tape is dead’ ignores the substantial evidence that favors tape as a lower cost, environmentally friendly removable medium that is well suited for offline data protection as well as high growth compliance, fixed content and archiving applications,” said Senior Analyst Mark Peters, who conducted an ESG study.

 

The Clipper Group study on archiving very large data collections also found that tape is much less expensive than disk, and uses far less energy. The TCO under The Clipper Group’s 12-year scenario found the disk solution to be 15 times greater than the cost of a tape solution. One of their reports stated, “Storing infrequently-accessed data on disk is equivalent to keeping your car running in the driveway – it wastes energy and it costs money.”

 

As the studies confirm, tape is the optimal low cost storage medium for long-term data retention. One of the more popular – and best suited – tapes for long-term archiving is LTO Ultrium 5. It has the capacity (up to 3TB) and performance necessary for archiving, with all the benefits of an open standard.

  

Like all LTO Ultrium 5 tape, Maxell’s product features all the benefits of LTO, including Write Once Read Many (WORM), which prevents data from being erased or overwritten.

 

Maxell’s LTO Ultrium 5 offers:

-  Patented corrosion resistant Ceramic Armor metal particles for superior data life

-  High coercivity mico-particles for a high level of output, a superior signal-to-noise ratio and a low, stable error rate

-  Advanced Dispersion Technology (ADT) for strong signal strength and consistent high-density recording

-  Superior tape strength and a heavy duty cartridge that is rated for over 1 million head passes with a 30+ year storage life.

 

The Bottom Line: Certainly, each set of storage circumstances warrants an appropriate solution. For long term archiving, all signs point to tape. We’d like to hear what you think about this. Comment on this post or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

Optimizing Workflow in Today’s Evolving World

 

 

Whether you back up projects differently every time or you have an elaborate deep-storage plan, at least some element of uncertainty is likely to exist within anyone’s workflow. Digital storage has become essential, but continues to undergo radical changes.

 

In a recent article, Broadcast Engineering posed the following question: “Are television stations equipped to meet the demands of the evolving content delivery landscape, or will they be overwhelmed by the workflow and quality control requirements that must be met to support mobile and Internet delivery of television content?” The article goes on to report findings from the 2011 Positive Flux Study, “U.S. TV Stations Infrastructure: The HD Transition Has Just Begun.” According to the study, “While almost 90 percent of stations have adopted nonlinear editing, most have not taken the next step of developing unified workflows to eliminate process duplication for content delivery to multiple platforms.”

 

Positive Flux president Larry Thaler stated, “Alongside completing their HD transition, stations should be carefully considering organizational improvements and workflow tools that will enable them to dynamically adapt their production and delivery chains without creating parallel organizations or new layers of technology.”

 

We agree with Mr. Thaler. Anyone who is paying attention to the evolution of the industry knows they must be doing just that—evolving! That can make committing to a single technology a bit like playing financial Russian roulette, especially when one considers how quickly technologies can change.

 

One solution is integrating storage towers and racks that can be configured in a variety of ways to accommodate different formats into your workflow. Such solutions can combine Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) functionality with “Just a Bunch of Disks” (JBOD) usability. They can be configured with a combination of technologies, such as iVDR, SATA, or IDE Drive trays, as well as accommodate both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch Hard Disk Drives (HDDs).

 

By combining various technologies into a single tower or rack, workflow can be optimized and made more efficient. It can also help make the investment in technology just a little bit safer, since it provides the flexibility to change more easily.

 

The flexibility of these configurations also assists in transferring footage, especially when iVDR is used. According to our friend, wedding videographer Janice Celeste, of Celeste Studios, the process of importing footage from the tapes into Final Cut Pro can take up to 20 hours, as many of the weddings she shoots last a few days. By being able to simply place the iVDR cartridge into the desktop adapter, she says that what traditionally is the most painful part of the workflow can be completed in a matter of minutes.

 

If you’ve used the Maxell iVDR, we’d like to hear what you think about it. Comment on this post or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

External Hard Drives Help with Ongoing HD Archiving and Backup

 

High definition has created an archiving and backup challenge for video, broadcast and post-production professionals. With the ever-growing demand for HD and 3-D content, storage requirements are something every successful content creator, owner, producer and distributor must now address.

 

As acquisition and post-production tools continue to evolve, different variables—new technology, protection and other needs—come into play, creating exponential storage requirements. Internet access regularly exposes computers to potential security threats, which are becoming increasingly difficult to guard against, even with firewalls and antivirus programs. Aside from online threats, for professionals working in an environment where multiple people have access to the same system, files are at higher risk of inadvertent corruption or loss. Additionally, the massive amount of space required for multimedia storage is now taking up larger amounts of space on the hard drive. The good news is that all of these concerns can be addressed with an external hard drive.

  

According to Broadcast Engineering, the digital media market is currently experiencing the largest explosion in data growth the world has ever seen, and there is no sign of it slowing down. With this growth comes the inevitable challenge of effectively storing large amounts of data while still maintaining production efficiency. Maxell’s maxdata tank quad 3.5-inch external desktop hard disk drive (HDD) with quad interface was specifically designed to address the large files associated with HD environments, including audio/video editing, digital photography and animation files. With 1TB and 2TB capacities available, the maxdata HDDs provide video, broadcast and post-production professionals with the capacity, durability and overall performance necessary to easily and cost-efficiently archive and backup HD files.

 

 

 

 

 

The bottom line: video editors need storage hardware with quick throughput and substantial capacity. Hard drives are the only solution and external drives make the most sense.

Corporate Video Production Made Easy and Affordable

A professionally made corporate video can greatly enhance a company’s profile and can be used in a variety of applications. Many companies incorporate video to tell a story on their website, via social media platforms, and in their trade show booths.

 

As is the case in many broadcast scenarios, countless hours of footage will end up being edited down to just a few minutes, especially if the video’s “stars” are not actors, which is often the scenario in corporate videos. With all of these variables involved, there’s nothing worse than losing footage or having to switch media or a battery right in the middle of that “perfect take.”  

 

For all of these reasons, more and more corporate video professionals are using the iVDR suite of products from Maxell Professional. The technology enhances the production of high-quality corporate videos with three fundamental advantages: Size, Capacity and Price.

 

We recently heard from Phil de Marne, an executive producer at Building Media, Inc. (BMI), who produces videos and interactive presentations for distance learning programs. He used the Maxell iVDR VC102 with both his Panasonic and Sony HD cameras for a project for the Department of Energy. According to Phil, “It works great with both cameras. The iVDR VC102 is very easy to operate – my crew had it installed and ready to use in just 5-10 minutes.”

 

  

 

Phil and his crew are fond of the iVDR VC102 for a number of reasons. The technology provides a larger capacity cartridge and longer battery life, which allows users to acquire more footage and enjoy the benefits of real-time digital backup, so corporate videographers never have to worry about losing footage that may be hard – or impossible – to acquire again. The product line also makes data transfer much more efficient. To top it all off, Maxell iVDR products are cost effective when compared to other media options.

 

The iVDR VC102 is compatible with an array of cameras, so virtually any company is able to use it successfully. Plus, its large capacity of up to 500GB allows crews to capture an entire day of HD shooting on a single cartridge.

 

 

 

Another key factor in corporate video applications is simplicity. The iVDR VC102 has a control wheel to toggle through setup, an easy-to-read display, and bright LED indicator buttons. As Phil noted, his crew was using the iVDR VC102 in literally minutes.

 

Visit www.maxellpromedia.com, the Maxell Professional Media Blog at www.maxellpromediablog.com or Maxell Professional’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MaxellProMedia to learn more about iVDR.

High-Speed Technologies and Large File Capacity Continue to Cause Industry Buzz

 

The introduction and subsequent buzz surrounding the Thunderbolt interface has once again cast a spotlight on the need for broadcast, video, and post production professionals to acquire, transfer, and work with large files. Whether it’s HD footage shot in the field or graphic files whose vivid, realistic imagery has increased their sizes to levels not imagined a decade ago, the professional broadcast and video industry is looking for equipment that can streamline acquisition and workflow.

 

Thunderbolt may be the latest I/O technology but it certainly is not the only interface that can handle the job of transferring large files. High-speed USB2.0 and FireWire are current standard transfer technologies that are up to the present task. Thunderbolt is also not the only technology that is addressing this new age of high capacity. Media advances are playing vital roles as well.

“ Our 500 GB iVDR EX cartridge…is designed to meet the demands of HD and other large files. ENG crews, videographers, digital cinematographers, corporate video crews, and others can record up to 40 hours… ”

 

Recognizing the growing industry need to accommodate large files, Maxell has done its part, at least from a media perspective. Our 500 GB iVDR EX cartridge, when incorporated with either a VC102 or iVDR standard adapter, is designed to meet the demands of HD and other large files. ENG crews, videographers, digital cinematographers, corporate video crews, and others can record up to 40 hours with a single cartridge. That eliminates the need change media – be it tape, disk, or solid state –right in the middle of a shoot, in many cases.

 

 
 
 

The need for efficiency continues into post production, where time means money. Maxell partnered with Addonics Technology to develop storage towers and cipher towers that make transferring acquired footage into the workflow easier and faster. Once there, the footage can be edited into the final production with the vivid, life-like appearance that viewers have come to expect in the few short years HD has been in their living rooms.

 

So, while Thunderbolt has received its fair share of attention (and in many respects deservedly so), it is not the only technology that is addressing large files and how to best handle them. It is a challenge that will not soon go away and one that many companies, including Maxell, are addressing in their own respective ways.

NAB: A View From The Top

  
 In our previous post, we discussed some of the trends we noticed at NAB. Today, we’ll review what some other industry leaders thought was most noteworthy.  

 

1. Attendance

The octogenarian event boasted a 4% increase in attendance, rising from last year’s 88,044 registered attendees to an impressive 92,708. International attendees from 151 countries accounted for 25,691 registrations, up from last year’s 23,900. The number of exhibitors also jumped from 1,450 to 1,550.  

 

We’re not sure these figures passed our “eye test.” They seem a bit high, judging from what we saw. What do you think?

 

 

2. 3D

The industry-wide surge in 3D, led primarily by sports productions, was evident at NAB. For example, Sony and Panasonic introduced new stereoscopic cameras and several NAB sessions touched on the power of 3D to help broadcasters innovate and economize.

 

One of the most anticipated events at this year’s show was James Cameron’s Keynote. In reference to the merits of 3D technology, the titanically respected filmmaker (yes, we went there) said, "We realize that broadcast is the future of 3D" and also announced a new business devoted to 3D programming.

 

Further support for 3D came after the show from the industry experts sitting on the "3DTV In A Connected World" panel, held May 24^th at NewBay Media's Connected TV and 3D event. Kris Brown, worldwide HD marketing VP, Warner Home Video, said of 3DTV, "This is an irreversible trend. Early adopters are very satisfied. That will spread to friends and neighbors."  Bryan Burns, strategic business and development VP, ESPN, said, that there are more "3D-enabled sets now ... they have rolled out more rapidly than when HDTV was introduced."

3. The Future of Broadcast

Various discussions throughout the show centered on what the FCC might do regarding TV airwaves for mobile broadband and how it could affect broadcasters. Many are concerned about what will happen after the FCC auctions off the spectrum of weaker stations and repacks the band. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s breakfast speech didn’t appear to calm broadcasters’ worries. Aside from promising that non-participating broadcasters wouldn’t be forced into the VHF band and would otherwise be treated “fairly,” the widespread takeaway seemed to be that the Chairman views broadcasting as a hurdle that wireless broadband needs to get past.

 

Speaking of mobile technology, Mobile DTV made a strong showing at NAB, both at the Mobile DTV Pavilion and throughout panels and keynotes. Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC) executive director Anne Schelle updated previously disclosed figures, saying, "We project that mobile DTV will reach more than 77 million households — or more than two thirds of all viewers in America — in the next 12 months."

 

Here are some recommended links to learn more about NAB 2011:

 

http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/120710

 

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/04/15/50628/genachowskis-nab-speech-a-wasteland

 

http://www.prvibes.com/2011/04/nab-show-2/

 

http://photofocus.com/2011/04/14/nab-2011-show-report/

 

We hope the past two posts have given you a perspective of NAB 2011 if you were unable to attend. If you did make it out to Vegas, we’d like to hear what you thought of the show. Comment on this post or find us on Twitter or Facebook.

Multi-Format Solutions Hot Topic at NAB 2011

Now that the dust has settled from an NAB show that was invigorating to the industry on a number of levels, it’s time to reflect on the “hot buttons” in Las Vegas. Without question, one of the most talked-about topics among the reported 80,000+ who roamed the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center centered on cloud-based computing models as a means to cut costs in video production and as a viable tool for video distribution.

 

Another was Mobile DTV and its elements, including quality of service delivered, power efficiency, and government regulations restricting Mobile DTV modulation to ATSC A/153. There was also banter about Thunderbolt and how the interface technology will help make for faster transfer of large files, now so common in our industry.

 

While we heard many of those conversations in our booth, the biggest buzz was on something else. Professionals who came to us expressed the strong need for multi-format solutions that can provide them with flexibility and efficiency. Digital acquisition methods that can address multiple formats, such as Maxell’s iVDR, definitely drew interest.

The multi-format dialogue continued when it came to the overall workflow. Those at NAB were looking for a flexible system, not just for acquisition but for digestion, editing, and duplication as well. By the end of the show, it became apparent that NAB attendees were more open-minded to a different workflow and a different way of storage. They need a multi-format solution that will give them the ability to switch, whether out of convenience or necessity.

 

This opinion came from videographers and major networks, and everyone in between. The need to have nonlinear resources that can improve the workflow was as big a topic in our booth as cloud computing and Mobile DTV.

 

 
We’d like to hear from you. Tell us how important a multi-format solution is to your needs.