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NAB 2008

Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Perspective on this year’s show.

           

Current-generation data tape drives such as the Quantum SDLT 600A provide a time-tested solution for archiving and long-term storage. A single 300GB cartridge can hold approximately 15 hours of DVCPRO HD recorded in 24pN native mode.

A Word on Storage

Even for shooters who prefer tapeless workflow and flash recordings, confusion remains with respect to long-term storage and archiving. For some folks, output to videotape continues to be a viable option, but this is hardly ideal. There are the hassle and expense of transfers and media, maintaining an appropriate VCR, and the likelihood of tape degradation over a matter of only several years.

For most of us, the hard-disk drive (HDD) offers the best mix of economy and convenience — and for that reason, the HDD has become a default archiving medium. But this, too, is an imperfect solution and one fraught with risk. Hard drives must be spun up and sufficiently exercised from time to time to ensure operability and data access. HDD reliability and longevity is also questionable, as is suggested by the five-year warranty that's typical of most manufacturers for their best commercial-duty hard-disk drives.

Optical discs, such as Blu-ray, could offer a solution to some content producers, but current capacities are limited, disc media is expensive, and write speeds are slow — topping out at a relatively lumbering 58MBps. Proprietary optical media types might provide better performance, but thus far, that proprietary nature has limited the applicability of formats such as XDCAM. Of course, we can look ahead to cutting-edge technologies such as Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD), which can store up to 4TB on a single 12cm disc, but practical implementation still appears far off. Read/write speeds measured sometimes in days are simply impractical for most users.

Thus, it may seem ironic that the best archiving option for today's production facilities is Super DLT and LTO data tape. Over several decades, such tapes have proven reliable within media libraries of all types — most notably at the major Hollywood studios committed to preserving the world's highest-value digital media assets.

The latest generation of Super DLT and LTO drives from Quantum are optimized for professional video applications, with a file system and directory written to each data cartridge. This means proprietary software is no longer necessary to retrieve data, and data can be accessed from any computer simply and easily via a web-connected browser at any location in the world.

The new data tape systems play especially well with Panasonic's P2 HD workflow, because the MXF files and metadata are stored and retrieved easily — either in their entirety or as subclips in what Quantum calls a “partial restore.”

Because the SDLT drive or LTO directory appears on the desktop, users can search the contained files by various parameters, including timecode. HD Log from Imagine Products provides ideal support for SDLT and the P2 system, because the software can write directly to the SDLT drive.
— B.B.

Lens Adapters Offer More Choices

Lens adapters open up the 1/3in. JVC camcorders to a wider range of 1/2in. and 2/3in. SD and HD lenses — and even still-camera lenses. Mike Pellegatti (pictured), owner of Wild Visions, a Phoenix-based full-service production company with an emphasis on wildlife documentaries, has come to rely on the flexibility and better image that's possible when he attaches larger lenses to his GY-HD200U. When adapters, such as JVC ACM-17 or ones from Zoerk, are attached to cameras with smaller image targets, a smaller central portion of the large lens hits the small imagers. Users get the “sweet spot,“ the section around the lens axis that offers the best optical quality the lens can deliver (as compared to the edges of the same lens).

With his older gear, which included comparatively larger Sony Beta SP and Sony D35 camera rigs, trekking through the woods often proved difficult for one person, according to Pellegatti. He has owned all three JVC ProHD camcorders at one point or another, and he says he appreciates the advantages that lens adapters add. “The JVC cameras provide a wonderful picture and weigh considerably less than my old rig,” Pellegatti says. Nikon still-camera lenses and 2/3in. video lenses facilitate greater magnification for his JVC camcorders. “That's extremely important when working with wildlife,” he says.

For more information about Wild Visions, visit www.wildvisions.net.
— D.O.