Digital Video - May 2008 - (Page 19)

did not have a huge capacity but did have the added speed of these WD speed demons. The first benchmark test is the AJA System Test utility, simulating various video frame and file sizes. In a read/write test, a 1920x1080 8-bit option with a 4GB file size produced avery respectable 208.3MB/s write and a read rate of 237.9MB/s. Similar results were achieved with 10-bit uncompressed settings. Benchmarks and real world are yet another matter. With the drive half full of data, I tested editing in Final Cut Pro 6.0.2 video frame sizes of 1080i60 8- and 10-bit uncompressed, 720p24 1280x720 8- and 10-bit uncompressed, ProRes 422 and 422HQ at 1920x1080 60i settings. Despite a data rate from the AJA System Test that would theoretically support 1080i60 10-bit uncompressed, I was unable to play a clip without dropped frames. Eight-bit uncompressed fared a bit better with the occasional dropped frame. I do believe that four-drive RAIDs are right on the cusp of ability to handle uncompressed video, and I’m more comfortable with a minimum of five drives or more to deal with uncompressed 1080. The uncompressed 720p both 8- and 10bit edited without a snag, and I was even able to achieve up to seven layers of real time in FCP with 720p 23.98 8-bit uncompressed files. I expect similar results with Avid DNxHD even at the 145MB/sec data rate. The ProRes 422 and 422HQ footage captured and played back with ease. The main concern I raise, then, about the Sidecar is the four-drive capacity, which does limit its usefulness for uncompressed footage. Yet I also should note that users working in uncompressed or even 2K environments may opt for higher end storage solutions. Furthermore, the high-quality images produced by ProRes 422 or DNxHD are adequate for a number of users. Secondary to this concern, though, is the presence of only one four-lane multiport mini-SAS connector on the interface card. This limits the expansion of the unit for those who might want to utilize two 4drive Sidecars to create an array of eight drives. The only option is to buy a second Sidecar/interface card package and consume another precious slot in your computer. The Sidecar does not support RAID 6, which provides even greater redundancy with double parity and the potential of two hot spares, allowing the failure of two drives. This does not make sense, of course, with a four-drive array and might be a deterrent to those who wish this higher level of redundancy. But as in the case of the size of the array relative to uncompressed video, Sidecar is addressing a different market. The bottom line for editors seeking speed, backup through redundancy and sturdy construction: 3ware Sidecar is worth the added steps of buying and installing your own drives. It delivers speed, capacity and allows a greater number of editors to move from slower, less-reliable storage up to the world of hardware-based RAIDs. DV http://www.kinoflo.com http://www.kinoflo.com http://www.kinoflo.com http://www.kinoflo.com http://www.kinoflo.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - May 2008

Digital Video - May 2008 Contents DV Update Close-Up AJ-HPX3000 Camcorder Sidecar Raid Zoom H2 Recorder Instant Expert 324 Flat-Panel Display Extreme 35MM Adapter Type-S JIB How Slow Can You Go? Global Gastronome Mixing It UP Long-Distance Runaround Tools & Technology DV 101 Production Diary

Digital Video - May 2008

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