Data Storage for Media Production

Generally, in the media production or content creation industry we deal with larger files than in most other industries, because video files are getting bigger and bigger the higher the resolution cameras get.

It’s also important to shoot as high as possible and edit down if need be.  The problem with this is that as a business in this industry file storage can become a very unwieldy problem.

Most professionals we come across simply use USB storage if they don’t know what other solutions are available.  While this isn’t the worst solution, it is limited, keeping track of what is stored where and backing up USB Storage in case of USB drive failure almost never happens.

So surely there has to be a better solution, that is easier to keep track of your data, that’s more secure, easier to back up and scalable?

There is, we recommend using a NAS, Network Attached Storage.  There are many advantages to using a NAS for this type of storage solution, but the main ones to focus on are:

Scalable storage, plan the right NAS and always buy with more capacity than you need now, you can upgrade by adding more drives later.

Hard drive redundancy, most NAS offer something called a RAID array, this is different ways the hard drives can work together to maximise storage space and drive redundancy,, for most people having at least 1 redundant drive means that even if 1 of your hard drives fails in the NAS  you can keep working while it alerts you and your IT support team.

Finding your files – You can set up different folders with subfolders in just like you do on your MAC or PC, giving different users appropriate access rights, but its easy to find your files later on if you follow a standardised folder structure.

Ease of Backups.  The solutions we recommend include automated backup software built in, we always recommend a “belt & braces” approach to backups.  Using an appropriately sized USB hard drive kept plugged in to the NAS permanently you can run versioned backups as often as hourly, daily or weekly and almost anything in between.  In addition, we would strongly advise an off site backup as well, just in case something happens beyond your control physically to the NAS, such as Theft, Fire, flood or other types of damage.  There are subscription services for off site backup storage you can pay for, but often when dealing with many TB’s of data it can be cheaper in the long run to buy a second NAS to keep off site somewhere and back up to that from your main NAS.

Cost effective, if your solution is worked out properly in advance you will have to pay upfront for it, but over time you will end up saving on repeatedly buying USB drives that just don’t work well for you as a solution.

Remote access, as long as set up securely, most NAS offer remote accessibility for your editor in another city or your client to download from.

We have helped many Media production, Content creation, Visual effects, Video editors, Videographers, photographers solve their Data Storage problems.  So why not give us a call if you are struggling with managing your data, we are happy to have a no obligation chat to discuss your data problems and offer some solutions.