Fusion DX800RAID and D400QR5 Chosen for Their Unprecedented Storage Capability and Speed
IRVINE, Calif. -- Aug. 23, 2011 -- Sonnet Technologies today announced that INSP -- The Inspiration Network, a television network dedicated to family-friendly and inspirational programming, is the latest client to use Sonnet's Fusion(TM) DX800RAID high-performance, eight-drive RAID SATA storage system and Fusion(TM) D400QR5 desktop four-drive RAID storage appliance. Both systems provide reliable and flexible locally attached storage for the network's video editing and production teams.
The four-drive Fusion D400QR5 features internal RAID 5 support to deliver data protection in the event of a drive failure. The system offers a quad interface for flexible connectivity, and delivers data transfers up to 220 MB/sec read and 210 MB/sec write when connected via eSATA and with its drives configured as a RAID 5 set. INSP chose the D400QR5 for its rough-cut editing suites to support multistream video editing, before the video is sent to a Final Cut Pro(R) finishing station.
Like the D400QR5, the eight-drive DX800RAID offers RAID 5 support but uses an included high-performance RAID controller card for greater performance and protection. With its eight drives formatted as a RAID 5 group, the DX800RAID yields impressive read and write file transfer speeds of up to 870 MB/sec and 850 MB/sec, respectively. At INSP, the DX800RAID systems are attached to the network's Final Cut Pro edit finishing stations, where they provide powerful local storage for final editing of video to be aired on INSP networks.
"We evaluated several products, but the field was limited by our requirement that the system provide at least 12TB of storage," said Jonathan Sprague, senior network engineer for INSP. "The Fusion D400QR5 not only meets this requirement, but it provides all of the speed, reliability, and security our rough-cut editors need. Likewise, the Fusion DX800RAID offered the perfect solution for our final editing stations with its breakthrough performance and proven data safety.
"The stacking ability of both units will allow us to expand beyond our initial single-unit setup easily. As our editors need additional local edit space, now all they have to do is plug in another drive bay, and connectivity to the new disk remains at editing-level speeds."
INSP, whose broadcast facility is located in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's fastest growing cable networks. With the expansion of digital content for their ever-increasing lineup of programs, the network was looking to find adequate disk space to accommodate multiple terabytes of RAW footage that was coming in from on-location shoots and other projects. As a solution, INSP sought to equip its Final Cut Pro editing stations with high-capacity and reliable storage capabilities. Both the Fusion DX800RAID and D400QR5 integrate an ultra-quiet Vantec Stealth(TM) fan, which is 80-percent quieter than a standard case fan, making the systems well-suited to INSP's noise-sensitive production environment.
"The Fusion DX800RAID and D400QR5 have met, and exceeded, all of our requirements for storage size, spindle count, connectivity, and reliability," added Sprague. "Giving our editors the ability to manage content from a single location instead of multiple USB/FireWire(R) HD systems is game changing, and the ability to expand disk storage easily as needed is a huge success factor -- especially as our HD content assets continue to grow."
"INSP's use of both the DX800RAID and D400QR5 shows the great versatility of our product family, and our strategy to deliver a storage solution that is appropriate for every stage of video production and post-production," said Greg LaPorte, vice president of sales and marketing at Sonnet Technologies. "We're pleased that our leading-edge RAID storage systems are playing such an integral role in helping INSP deliver its inspirational programming to global audiences."
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About The Inspiration Networks
The Inspiration Networks are available to more than a billion people worldwide through multiple distribution platforms, including four satellite and cable TV networks (INSP – The Inspiration Network; Halogen TV (halogentv.com); LFC – La Familia Cosmovision; and INI – Inspiration Network International). The Inspiration Networks also operate "Halogen On Demand," for national television video on demand (VOD) delivery; and "Inspiration Global," providing broadband video content to non-English speaking audiences.
About Sonnet Technologies
Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leader in providing storage systems and media readers for professional users of Macintosh(R), Windows(R), and UNIX(R) systems in the film, video, and broadcast industries. The company's product line features a range of high-performance, cost-effective, and reliable desktop and rackmount RAID storage solutions ranging from two- and four-drive and SSD RAID units, to eight- and 16-drive solutions with advanced RAID controllers, to 16-drive, 16-port, 8Gb Fibre Channel shared storage systems that are expandable to 384TB. Celebrating 25 years in business, Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market numerous innovative solutions that enhance the performance and connectivity of Macintosh, Windows, and other industry-standard computers. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com.
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