Media & Entertainment

"Business opportunities are like buses, there is always another one coming.” This is a favorite quote of mine, largely because of the truth that it speaks; specifically, that it takes much more than an opportunity or idea to ultimately have its inherent benefits or value come to fruition. Thinking about existing capability, understanding the business transformation required, and then properly executing these changes are all critical steps to achieving success.

Like most video production and post-production studios, your organization is probably implementing new tools to meet rising demand for finished content in multiple, high-resolution formats. Perhaps you are upgrading software or buying powerful new editing platforms that can manipulate and master such large files. However, to ensure that your workflow doesn’t have any bottlenecks in streaming 4K content, especially in an all-IP storage environment, understanding what kind of performance your storage infrastructure can deliver should be a high priority.

It’s now been two months after a very rewarding NAB conference, and as the relentless pace of digital transformation in the M&E industry continues to accelerate, Quantum in parallel also hasn’t let our proverbial foot off the gas.

If you’re in the media and entertainment industry, 4K is a term now nearly as ubiquitous as HD. And if your organization does post production, broadcast, or content distribution, odds are you are already working with 4K media, according to a new survey from Quantum and postPerspective.

It’s time to step up the 4K planning. More and more frequently your clients are asking for 4K video so they can meet end-user demand for ultra-high-definition content. Even if you’re still delivering some SD and HD video, moving to 4K workflows now can help you future-proof your work—you’ll be able to remaster your production files more easily in 4K tomorrow if you work in 4K today.

One of the things I like most about the technology industry is that it is characterized by a relentless quest for improvement. There is always something newer, faster and better right around the corner. Never a dull moment. And always the drive to be first and best.

Thinking about adding a little flash to your workflow? You’re not alone. More and more, video production teams are incorporating flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs) into their storage environment as a way to boost performance for key post-production tasks.

Is your creative agency seeing an influx of requests for video? If so, you’re not alone. As advertisers look for the latest ways to grab the attention of their busy and easily distracted customers, many are asking ad agencies to incorporate video into comprehensive campaigns that span print, TV, social media, custom apps, and beyond.

StorNext® has long been a staple product for Mac users, proven by the fact that an estimated 80% of Quantum’s media and entertainment StorNext customers use Apple workstations. With so many Mac users, we constantly strive to deliver features that will enhance their experience. One of the latest, Mac Offline File Status and Retrieve, was launched as part of StorNext 6. This new feature makes archival and retrieval operations easier and more efficient by providing users with the ability to browse the archive without the potential of accidental retrievals initiated by the Finder. To learn more about this capability, I talked with Jordan Winkelman, Quantum’s resident Mac expert and solutions architect. Below are excerpts from our discussion.

Whether you run a post-production house or an in-house corporate video department, your clients are requesting more video assets. And as viewers continue to upgrade to the latest mobile devices and 4K TVs, those clients are pushing you to deliver more of your work in HD, 4K, and other high-quality formats.

Just last week, Quantum announced a new Xcellis® Scale-out NAS solution that delivers the highest levels of storage performance and scalability in a cost-effective, Ethernet-based appliance.

Make no mistake, 4K is here. Whether you work for a creative agency, post-production studio, or in-house video team, you probably have clients already requesting 4K content to satisfy the increasing appetite for compelling, ultra-high-definition content.