Drive arrays and 2K Delivery

[Lee Warner]

I've been looking at various options with the CalDigit and G-Tech arrays for setting up a FCP system that is future proofed somewhat. I want to be able to support 2k workflow, but I need some input from the forum as to what that means when it comes to hardware to support it.

At what point does it become important to be able to sustain error-free 2k playback if the edit is locked using ProRes transcodes? How are you delivering 2K finished product to your client? I am assuming some type of external portable drive or am I way off base? I currently output HD-SDI in real-time to XDcamHD discs with a Windows based system and it's obviously important that in that case, the drive array must keep up.

Lee

 

[Tom.Wong]

Pro res is a intra frame codec so the system doesn't actually work as hard doing playback. It also depends on what flavor of pro res you use, the higher the bandwidth the faster your disks need to be in order to sustain proper playback, especially at 2k.

So assuming you're doing a final confrom, pro res 4x4, a simple raid 5 array or raid 4+ disk raid 0 will give you more than enough bandwidth for simple playback and offload to tape, especially if the timeline is already rendered down.

BUT that's kind of pointless in some ways because there are no 2k tapes to offload to. The faster your disks simply means the faster you can edit, more filters, more effects, more streams stacked on top of each other so you can get playback, to have "error free 2k playback" is only as important as you feel it is. Some people are fine with a few dropped frames while editing every once and awhile.

As for delivery, at 2k i can only assume it's for a filmout. Broadcast, by my experience usually only want 720p, I've rarely been asked for 1080 master file. For a full 2k master you can simply export the file out for the client....

 

[Lee Warner]

Thanks Tom for your help. One of arrays I have been looking at is the 8TB G-Tech esPro running in Raid5.

They say....
When used with the G-Tech PCIe x8 RAID controller a single G-SPEED eS PRO enclosure with four 7200 RPM, SATA II drives in RAID 0 mode supports multi-stream ProRes 422 HQ playback and a single-stream of uncompressed 10-bit HD.

I can just squeeze enough out of the budget to start with one of these units and add another later on. $3,299.99 for one with a controller.

Would you feel comfortable running with this unit for most of your projects?

Lee

 

[Tom.Wong]

lol. i would LOVE having one of those, i'm just too poor to get one. i'd keep it in a raid 5 solution though, you get 1 failed disk in a array like that, the whole thing is gone.

there are also several ESATA solutions, and man other reputable companies to look at, caldigit, firmtek, if the OWC brand raid 5 esata solutions are well rated with good speeds.

keep in mind there are also offline online editing formulas and solutions that can save you a lot of money and hard drive space.

but to answer your question, yes, editing on a es pro would be awesome.

 

[Callum Just]

I’m on a mid budget feature at the moment as the DIT. We are shooting with three red cameras and a 5D so creating a lot of material every day.

The budget couldn’t stretch to a small server so we are using a series of Drobos.

http://www.drobo.com/

These can hold up to 16TB of data each and work through firewire 800. They are not fast enough to do anything with the r3d’s but are fine with ProRess 444’s. Because you have to buy your own harddrives it works out much cheaper than g-techs RAID’s.

 

[Graham_C]

Callum,

`They are not fast enough to do anything with the r3d’s but are fine with ProRess 444’s.`

If the Drobo`s aren`t fast enough,what would be do you reckon,the Gtech pro?

 

[Jason Samuel]

I just bought a CineRAID 12 bay RAID tower and I love it.. They have a bunch of different solutions.

www.cineraid.com