Imagine Products Has Released PreRoll Post for Windows ($499)

Imagine Products, Inc. has released PreRoll Post for Windows.

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Used heavily in broadcast and post-production, PreRoll Post allows Windows users to create nonproprietary backups of any file or folder using the open-source LTFS. The archiving application streamlines the process of placing any file types onto an LTO-7, LTO-6, or LTO-5 tape, or onto Sony Corp.‘s Optical Disc Archive (ODA), at a price that is far more affordable than that of comparable tools.

“Most people keep archives on HDDs, which become less and less reliable the longer they sit on the shelf. PreRoll Post mitigates that problem by ensuring you can backup full-resolution media to local disk and to a long-term tape or cartridge in an easy and almost foolproof way, so archives are made correctly the first time,” said Michelle Maddox, marketing director, Imagine Products. “PreRoll Post for Windows is really a one-of-a-kind product for its price point. Anything comparable for Windows would cost thousands of dollars, versus just a few hundred dollars for PreRoll Post. Even better, it’s compatible with our ShotPut Pro application for Windows, which has become the industry’s de facto standard for offloading.“

PreRoll Post relies on checksum technology to ensure the files on tape exactly match the originals. By storing the checksum values for each file, It also verifies files during restoration back to HDD whenever they’re retrieved. This process provides confidence that all copies of files match the originals.

Within the PreRoll Post application, the LTFS mounts a tape as a volume (like a HDD) within Explorer, making it possible to write to and read from the tape as if it were a disk, without other proprietary software or formatting. PreRoll Post makes it easy to search for and retrieve previously backed-up files. Drag-and-drop functionality for both archiving and retrieval allows users to drill down into folders on mounted or unmounted tapes/cartridges to locate the files or folders they seek – eliminating the need to insert and search each tape individually until the correct file or folder is found. Instead, once they determine which tape or cartridge holds the file or folder they’re after, users can insert that tape or cartridge and pull what they need.

For content creators or post houses that create LTO deliverables for Discovery Channel, PreRoll Post offers a Discovery Channel mode to ensure the LTO tapes meet the network’s specifications for field, graphics, or program masters. In this mode, PreRoll Post automatically places files in the proper locations on the tape to meet Discovery Channel specs.

PreRoll Post is hardware-independent, meaning that it is compatible with any LTFS-compliant tape drive, including MagStor, mTape, UNITEX LT60 with USB 3.0, 1Beyond, or any desktop-connected LTO drive, as well as Sony’s ODA.

Simple installation instructions walk the user through setup for the appropriate drive. Users can customize settings, such as naming conventions and notifications via email/text, to ensure archiving consistency.

PreRoll Post for Windows is available for download. It cost $499.