November 2016 MANAGEMENT 21
StorNext drives collaborative edit workflow for 3 MNC Group TV stations
by kuswandi aslan
In Indonesia , the MNC Group owns three television stations : MNC TV , RCTI TV and Global TV . To simplify overall monitoring and maintenance for these stations , we have integrated our post-production operations within one system that supports a collaborative edit workflow across 120 edit seats — both Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer .
For this integration , we deployed a Quantum StorNext shared storage system with MXFserver running as the file management system because , together , these technologies allow our edit team to work with both Mac and PC systems running Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer without the need for transcoding . We selected this approach after evaluating several competing solutions , determining that Quantum and MXFserver could best address our requirements .
Quantum and the MXFserver team worked closely to understand our needs , design and test this system , and ultimately ensure that we could successfully establish efficient media sharing across all our edit systems . On a daily basis , the speed enabled by this new edit workflow — built on one of the world ’ s largest installations of MXFserver clients — makes it possible for MNC TV , RCTI
LTO Program explains benefits of LTO technology
TV and Global TV to get content to air more quickly .
In moving to Quantum technology , we have also addressed our stations ’ need for seamless access to archived media . In addition to facilitating primary storage on Quantum ’ s high-performance QXS- 1200 disk array , StorNext functions smoothly with an existing XSAN and effortlessly drives our existing HP and Spectralogic LTO tape libraries to enable cost-effective archiving . Leveraging the StorNext API , our internal team of developers will be able to create a media asset management ( MAM ) system tailored to our television stations ’ unique requirements .
We took our new StorNext and MXFserver systems online in July this year , and we were quite satisfied with their ease of implementation , as well as the comprehensive and friendly support provided by Quantum . The resulting system has delivered on Quantum ’ s promise of exceptional compatibility with third-party systems , and also on its predictions for excellent performance in supporting our collaborative edit workflow .
To simplify overall monitoring and maintenance for the its three TV stations , MNC Group has integrated its postproduction operations within one Quantum system that supports a collaborative edit workflow across 120 edit seats .
As we look ahead to the future of post production for MNC Group stations , we appreciate that we can scale up our StorNext system very simply and easily as our operations demand . In the meantime , we plan to leverage this new storage infrastructure to facilitate the migration of our extensive SD content library to an HD format .
Kuswandi Aslan is head of Integrated IT Broadcast at MNC Media .
Laura Loredo , an LTO Program representative , was at IBC 2016 to showcase , among other demonstrations , how copies of video files integrated with LTFS can be easily saved to an LTO-7 tape cartridge .
September was a busy month for the LTO Program , who was present at both the Storage Developers Conference ( SDC ) in Santa Clara , California , as well as IBC 2016 in Amsterdam .
At both events , LTO Program representatives were keen to discuss how LTO tape and the Linear Tape File System ( LTFS ) can provide a positive impact on data centres — both now and into the future .
For instance , the LTO Program was keen to highlight how tape remains the most cost-effective storage option for acquisition , energy consumption , floor space usage and personnel . Because tape cartridges can remain offline , they are separated from the main operating system and thus cannot be electronically accessed . This , said the LTO Program , creates an air gap between the tape and the system , helping to prevent unwarranted access by hackers and malware . LTO technology is also equipped with tape drive-based 256-bit AES encryption to protect sensitive information .
LTO-7 drives are able to maintain data transfer rates of up to 300Mbps native and 750Mbps compressed , while LTO-7 tape provides up to 6TB of native storage capacity , and up to 15TB of compressed storage per cartridge .
LTO tape technology can also be deployed in conjunction with the Linear Tape File System ( LTFS ) open software specification , for ease of use and portability for open systems ’ tape storage , said the LTO Program .
One current user of LTO technology is the Czech division of HBO Europe , which is using LTO tape in a 48-slot tape library with LTFS to manage the storage of its vast array of video projects .
The library stores original content including movies , documentaries and ongoing programme series . Nikolay Utyaganov , technical director of HBO Europe , Czech division , and his team are responsible for the safe storage of all the raw footage , workflow , interim and final cuts for all of channel ’ s projects . “ With LTO , we have benefitted with cost-efficient and reliable storage for managing our valuable video assets ,” he explained .
LTFS implementations can be used with a standalone single tape drive , or in small and large tape library configurations integrated with disc and flash storage for MAM .