LaCie/Seagate Announces Fast Desktop Storage and Thunderbolt 3 Portfolio

LaCie, brand from Seagate Technology plc, announced its Thunderbolt 3 portfolio of storage solutions aimed at helping video professionals with high-resolution footage.

First, the Bolt3 combines Thunderbolt 3 speed with M.2 PCIe SSDs to create a fast desktop drive. In addition, the 12big Thunderbolt 3 and 6big Thunderbolt 3 are ready to handle massive amounts of content thanks to fast transfer speeds, RAID-5/6 security and enterprise drives. These storage solutions, design by Neil Poulton, are companions to the all-new MacBook Pro.

Bolt3

For the Bolt3, company’s harnessed the breakthrough performance potential of Thunderbolt 3 and paired it with two M.2 PCIe SSDs striped into a 2TB volume. Bolt3 delivers speeds of up to 2,800MB/s and cuts valuable time off of post-production workflows, such as ingesting RAW footage from RED or Blackmagic cinema cameras or transcoding 4/5/6K footage using Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Videographers can also transfer a terabyte of 4K ProRes 4444 XQ footage from the Bolt3 to RAID storage-such as the 12big Thunderbolt 3-in five minutes and 11 seconds ^(*).

The Bolt3 is engineered for reliability – from the enclosure to the internal components – to endure intensive storage tasks. Each product is individually computer numerical control machined from aluminum blocks for durability and heat dissipation. Cooling helps to ensure long-term component health. The stand securely docks the product with neodymium magnets-and detaches for easy transport.

12big

With up to 120TB of capacity, the performance of Thunderbolt 3 and RAID-5/6, the 12big, first shown at the 2016 National Association of Broadcasters Show, and the 6big help video professionals meet the data demands of 4/5/6K cameras. Both feature Seagate enterprise drives with 256MB cache and 7,200rpm for accessibility, reliability and performance.

“From ultra high-resolution cameras to virtual reality to drones, the new experiences that content creators can bring to life are truly exciting,” said Tim Bucher, SVP, Seagate, and branded solutions, LaCie. “Creating these experiences generates unprecedented amounts of data while requiring extreme performance, and today we’re thrilled to help our customers by offering best-in-class storage solutions that excel in even the most demanding video workflows.“

12big

Thunderbolt 3 speeds of up to 2,600MB/s for 12big and 1,400MB/s for 6big slash time off nearly every post-production workflow task. Users can then edit multiple streams of ProRes 422 (HQ), ProRes 4444 XQ, as well as uncompressed HD 10-bit and 12-bit video. Photographers can also transfer RAW photos quickly and edit in Adobe Lightroom without lag. Plus, with up to 120TB of capacity, the 12big can store 100 hours of 4K ProRes 4444 XQ footage in RAID-5 ^(*).

With double the video bandwidth of its predecessor, Thunderbolt 3 lets a user daisy chain dual 4K displays or a single 5K display to the 12big or 6big. With two 4K displays, users can spread out their workspace by dedicating one display to the timeline and the other to previewing 4K footage, for example. It’s also possible to power a compatible laptop through the USB-C cable ^(**). Additionally, the user can connect to USB 3.0 computers via the included USB-C to USB-A cable.

The 12big and 6big are engineered to handle demanding video workflows. Front-accessible drives offer quick drive replacement and front-facing drive status LEDs help the user keep track of drive health and RAID build status. The aluminum enclosure dissipates heat better than plastic, while two thermo-regulated fans pull heat away from internal components. Both the 12big and 6big are protected by a five-year limited warranty that covers drives, enclosure and spare parts.

The company has partnered with Pelican Products, Inc. to offer custom cases to safely transport the 12big or 6big to and from set. The Pelican Storm Case is an injection-molded case made of HPX high-performance resin that is virtually unbreakable and resistant to dents and shatter. The custom, durable foam configuration houses a 12big or 6big, multiple firm’s rugged drives and accessories such as cords or a power supply. The cases are lightweight, airtight, watertight and backed by Pelican’s lifetime warranty ^(***).

Availabiliy:

• The Bolt3 will come in a 2TB SSD capacity for $1999.

• The 6big will come in 24, 36, 48 and 60TB capacities starting at $3199.

• The 12big will come in 48, 72, 96 and 120TB capacities starting at $6399.

• The custom Pelican Storm cases start at $349. All company’s Thunderbolt 3 solutions and the custom Pelican Storm cases will be available at firm’s resellers this quarter.

^(*) Based on 764GB per hour of 4K GoPro footage (source) and 764GB per hour of 4K ProRes 4444 XQ footage (source). Quantitative usage examples for various applications are for illustrative purposes.
^(**) Delivers up to 15W to power compatible laptops.
^(***) Full details