At the heart of video production is a component that is all too often overlooked but that influences almost every part of your production workflows. Those experienced in video production know the component I’m referring to is your storage.
Your storage influences how you edit, how well you work together, and the quality of video you are able to produce.
Storage is important for many reasons. Video files are large and as resolutions increase they continue to grow larger. A single hour of 4K footage occupies approximately
500GB**. Large files strain the speed (throughout) of your storage and the ability to keep up with the demands of editing software.
Your storage must also have enough capacity to hold your ever growing library media files. Clips must be available when you need them for your projects. Creativity does not patiently wait for you to find that perfect clip on a disk somewhere.
Video files are now so big that online backup is generally not feasible so protecting your files becomes another vital function your storage must address.
When choosing a storage solution you must consider what you need to further your production workflows. What resolution will you most commonly be working at? How many media files do you have that you need ready access to? How many editors will be accessing the storage simultaneously. Will it be just you, or 2-3, or more? Will editors be working on the same project at the same time and need to seamlessly share media?
Choose the right storage solution for your needs and it functions seamlessly and transparently out of sight and out of mind.
Choose the wrong storage and you can expect frustrating delays during your projects or even downtime whilst you wait on hold for tech support.
Many approach storage they same way they buy electronics: You look online and buy something that looks good only to realize that what seemed like a great idea is actually anything but as it doesn’t help you solve the problems that have been limiting you and may also create new ones.
Most storage you see online is what’s called Network Attached Storage (NAS)—essentially a bunch of drives in a box that you mount, or attach, directly to a computer or a network—that functions a lot like a big external drive.
While adequate for some applications you soon discover it is not the greatest thing for video production. It is typically not fast enough for more than 1-2 concurrent users to ingest, edit, or transcode and does not provide an easy way to share files as you work. In addition, as your business grows and the resolutions you work with continue to increase, your media library quickly outgrows available capacity.
The MSS 280 from ASSABET Technology differs from NAS storage in a number of significant and beneficial ways that are designed to make video production easier and more efficient.
It has the speed to allow several editors to work concurrently and the capacity to hold hours of your valuable media files while protecting them against loss. It also uniquely appears to your workstation as local storage which provides a number of inherent advantages for both you and your favorite editing app. You can read more about these in our case study of ‘Matt, Jan and Karen: Video producers with a growing business’ or if you prefer a more straight forward approach you can see all the features here or download the MSS 280 data sheet here.
Choosing storage is an important decision. Make sure you consider all your options and how they will help further your goals whether they be commercial, educational, or spiritual. Better yet, talk to one of the friendly folk at ASSABET Technology. We can help you determine what you really need. If our solutions are not right for you we will tell you exactly that. At ASSABET Technology we’re not just about selling equipment—we want to provide solutions and build relationships and you don’t do that with aggressive promotion and half truths.
When you’re ready feel free to reach out. We firmly believe you’ll be glad you did.
