The Media of the Future Depends Upon Storage
By Jim Bask
From Larry Jordan
Almost every day, I get an email from someone trying to decide what computer to buy. And I have a number of articles on my website on how to configure a new computer for video editing.
- Configure an iMac Pro for video editing
- Configure an iMac for video editing
- Configure a MacBook Pro for video editing
But, what surprises me is how few questions I get, asking about what storage to buy. Yet, as we move into 4K, 6K, 8K and HDR images, storage needs explode. Recently, during a Digital Production Buzz interview, Gary Watson, cofounder and Chief Technical Officer for Nexsan told me that a 4K HDR video file requires 1.8 GB / second of storage bandwidth. And 8K files are four TIMES bigger than that!
NOTE: Don’t ever assume you can edit 6K or 8K files “natively.” Both FCP X and Premiere easily support proxy files. Edit using proxies. Color grade using camera native. Both you and your storage will be grateful.
1.8 GB / second is faster than Firewire, Thunderbolt 1, even Thunderbolt 2. Yet, far too many editors assume that the speed of the computer is all they need to consider when buying a system that will “future-proof their editing.” Your computer is safe, most likely for years to come; but not your storage….[continue reading]