LSI Demos New RAID Storage Deployments for Film and Broadcast

LSI Corporation demonstrated new uses for RAID adapters in broadcast environments at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The demonstration showcased how laptops using LSI 3ware adapters make it possible for directors to view live, uncompressed video playback on the set or on location.

In addition, LSI is teaming with filmmaker Thor Wixom to demonstrate a massive 14 TB storage system with RAID 5 and 6 protection for post-production video editing on a Mac Pro for the soon-to-be-released film Standing Ovation. The technology demonstration will feature LSI 3ware high-performance RAID adapters and new 2 TB enterprise hard drives from Western Digital.

"We’re teaming with some of the best creative filmmakers and solution providers to deliver the benefits of RAID performance and protection to the broadcasting and filmmaking industries," said Brent Blanchard, worldwide channel sales and marketing director, LSI. "Movie and television production present one of the fastest-growing market opportunities for RAID storage."

3ware adapters bring high-performance RAID to laptops
LSI is teaming with Magma and AIC to demonstrate how laptops with RAID performance and protection make raw, live video playback a viable, portable option for directors and film crews on the set or on location.

"Continuity is one the biggest challenges on any film set," said Wixom, who was the ‘A’ camera operator and workflow wizard for Standing Ovation. "Having the laptop and a RAID system on the set makes it possible to immediately playback any portion of the film to ensure proper blocking and positioning of the actors and the overall scene. Having this capability on set avoids having to return to the studio which is a big plus for saving directors’ budgets and lowering the frustration level."

The technology demonstration featured a RAID system based on ExpressCard technology and using a compact AIC enclosure with 2.5-inch disk drives. The enclosure utilized a Magma ExpressBox1 Pro external expansion device containing an LSI 3ware SAS RAID adapter that connects the drives to the laptop. The demonstration showcased backup of footage from a RED ONE camera directly to the storage system with RAID 5 protection.

"One of the most frequent complaints we hear about external laptop storage is how USB kills the performance," said Randy Jones, president and CEO of San Diego-based Magma. "Our Magma ExpressBox1 Pro brings the power and performance of PCI Express technology to laptops, which means an ordinary laptop can be turned into a powerful gaming computer, scientific computer or an audio/video editing workstation. We’re excited about bringing hardware RAID performance to our solution set."

Post-production video editing on 14 TB RAID system
Visitors saw clips from Standing Ovation, a family-oriented musical which was filmed with the RED ONE camera. Film makers used LSI 3ware adapters for RAID protection and performance in the creation and post-production of the film. The film was running live on a Quad-Core AMD processor-based workstation with 16 GB of RAM, supported by a 14 TB, RAID 6 system with new 2 TB drives from Western Digital and an 8-drive enclosure from JMR Electronics.

"For Standing Ovation editing and for storage of high-resolution masters, which required about 5 TB of capacity, we used an LSI 3ware RAID adapter," said Wixom. "We took a somewhat unorthodox approach on this film by using both Mac and PC products in production and post-production workflow to take advantage of the faster processing available on the AMD processors. The fact that 3ware adapters are fully compatible with both the Mac and PC was critical to success."

Demonstrations in the LSI 3ware booth utilized workflows similar to the ones used for Standing Ovation and feature an 8-core AMD workstation and the CineForm Digital Intermediate (DI). The RED ONE camera used to shoot the film also will be on display.

"The demonstration at NAB showed how the right drives, RAID adapter, computer system and digital camera work together to give post-production teams fast video editing options," added Wixom. "The workstation demonstration also swhowed the CineForm offline/online process and editing directly from the RAID storage system in both 2k and 4k."

"We’re excited to see LSI pair their 3ware adapters with our WD RE4-GP 2 TB drives," said Tom McDorman, WD’s general manager and vice president of Enterprise Storage Solutions business unit. "This demonstration gives broadcasters and directors a look at what is possible – that they can have low power and reliability without sacrificing performance. Our WD RE-GP drives feature industry-leading capacity, great performance and low-power and cooling capabilities that make it ideal for demanding computing and storage environments."

LSI 3ware adapters are available through a worldwide network of distributors, integrators and VARs. The 3ware product line was recently acquired by LSI Corporation.