Axle AI To Feature New Searchr Portable AI-Powered MAM At IBC 2024

Axle AI
(Image credit: Axle AI)

BOSTON, Mass.—AI-powered MAM software specialist Axle AI will showcase its newly launched Searchr, a system that integrates its media search and management software with fast, high-capacity network storage in a portable 5-pound unit, at IBC 2024, Sept. 13-16, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

Searchr raises the bar in terms of media searchability and performance for small teams, even at remote locations, the company said.

A growing trend is for smaller teams to do quicker editing work close to the source of video ingest. Searchr allows these teams to capture, store, search, edit and repurpose large amounts of high-resolution video files. Searchr’s integrated AI-powered cloud transcription and local search capabilities help video teams quickly locate and repurpose their best media, the company said.

Priced at $4,995 for a 5 Terabyte configuration, $5,995 for 10 TB and $6,995 for 20 TB, Searchr combines several advanced software and hardware technologies in a small package that fits in a backpack. Its dimensions–8.5-inches x 8-inches by 2.5-inches—lends itself to field deployment and do-it-yourself networking. Additional terabytes of disk and NVMe-based storage can be attached to Searchr via hardware expansion units, the company said.

Until now, systems with state-of-the-art media management and AI transcription were only available with expensive cloud subscriptions or in the case of on-premise systems, large server farms. Axle AI’s Searchr takes these capabilities to field capture and editing teams generating large amounts of content in areas like sports video, corporate video, YouTube channels, churches, governments and universities.

Axle AI’s included MAM media cataloging software, already deployed at over 1,000 sites worldwide, powers Searchr. Based on Axle AI’s modular platform architecture, the software can scan one or more volumes or folder structures (known as catalogs) on Searchr, the company said.

The MAM software offers:

  • A simple browser interface for searching, browsing and playing media
  • Drag-and-drop integrations with Premiere Pro, Resolve, Final Cut and Avid
  • Elastic search for Google-style search capabilities across media files
  • Automatic proxy generation for all files saved to Searchr
  • Highly flexible user permissions that can be specified across one or more catalogs 
  • 1,000 hours of bundled Axle Speech cloud transcription
  • Integrated user interface for editing transcripts and annotating sub-clips
  • Custom metadata fields definable on a per-catalog basis
  • Two named user access, upgradeable to additional users
  • Local network access and remote access options, including reverse proxy and VPN.

 Searchr also supports a range of add-on functionality from Axle AI and its third-party partners. These include: 

  • Axle AI Connectr workflow automation
  • Axle Tags on-premise AI processing, including semantic search, scene understanding and face, object and logo recognition
  • Axledit collaborative browser-based editing and archiving interfaces to many leading cloud and LTO storage providers.

Direct video capture can also be supported via Softron, ToolsOnAir and other workstation ingest providers, and the system supports ingest from SSD drives captured on Atomos Ninja and Shogun devices.

Searchr includes innovative QNAP TBS-574X-i5 hardware, supporting:

  • Collaboration workflows using standard protocols
  • 13th-generation Intel i5 CPU with 12 cores and 16 Gigabytes of RAM
  • 10GigE and 2.5GigE Ethernet ports for fast network connectivity
  • Dual ultrafast Thunderbolt 4 interfaces, allowing direct concurrent client connections from 2 editing workstations
  • Built-in RAID controller to ensure fault-tolerant storage  
  • QNAP NAS operating 
  • Full Mac, Windows and Linux client connectivity with support for any editing software
  • USB-C 4.0. 

See Axle AI at IBC 2024 Stand 7.D12.

More information is available on the company’s website.

Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.