AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS--(Marketwired) - IBC2013 -- Quantum Corp. (NYSE: QTM), a proven global expert in big data management and data protection, today announced its StorNext® software and appliances have helped nc+, Poland's premier pay-TV broadcaster, increase its production output by 30 percent with a transition to an all-digital content workflow. Created from a strategic partnership between Groupe CANAL+ and TVN Group, nc+ offers its 2.5 million customers up to 180 channels, including 50 in HD and a range of live sporting events. A new all-digital infrastructure based on StorNext has helped the broadcaster streamline and simplify management of current assets of over 1.5 petabytes and will easily accommodate another petabyte of content nc+ expects to add over the next year.
The previous infrastructure at nc+ was based on videotape, making it a slow and manual process for producing new material. Re-using existing content was also complex and time-consuming. In creating its new digital system, nc+ had four main objectives:
- Streamline the workflow for new and existing content;
- Reduce editing and post-production time;
- Automate the transcoding process; and
- Make it easier and faster to adopt and support emerging platforms, including mobile devices.
Working with SAD, a leading video systems integrator, nc+ deployed an open systems media production and archive solution that integrated best-of-breed broadcast products from many different suppliers. As the backbone of the new infrastructure, nc+ selected Quantum's StorNext File System and StorNext AEL6000 Archives leveraging StorNext Storage Manager? (SNSM), which provide access to content across the different applications and are critical to achieving the end-to-end workflow efficiency nc+ requires.
The StorNext File System controls 200 TB of the nc+ nearline disk archive: it ingests all the file-based content, holds low-resolution proxies, and makes content available to a dozen production, quality control, transcoder, and playout servers over a high-speed Fibre Channel link.
In addition, with tens of thousands of hours of film, recorded sports video and other content to store, the nc+ team relies on StorNext Storage Manager to provide a tiered storage system with one common storage pool that combines the capacity of the nearline disk with digital LTO tapes in two StorNext AEL6000 Archives. In the repository, recent assets are all on disk, but SNSM moves older content to tape for longer term storage, automatically making two copies of each asset for redundancy.
Another reason for selecting StorNext was its timecode-based Partial File Retrieval (PFR) feature tospeed up the process of moving content from the archive to production and playout servers. When the nc+ asset manager requests content, it uses time codes to identify needed footage. StorNext, using PFR, retrieves only the specific containers from the asset files that are needed for the task. Partial file handling increases the speed of editing, post-production, and staging playout content, and it dramatically reduces disk requirements.
Supporting Quotes
Jarosław Kordalewski, Executive Director for TV Technology & IT Systems, nc+
"Quantum StorNext is the center of the nc+ station. Even though the editors and post production teams don't see it directly -- which is just the way it should be -- it underlies the entire new end-to-end content workflow we put in place."
Mateusz Karolak, Presales Manager, SAD
"StorNext has turned a complex job -- finding the right files, extracting the right content, and delivering it in the right format -- into a fast, automated process. It works with the rest of the tools so well that it often delivers content from the archive to production servers in less than a minute -- a job that could take an hour in the old system. We've calculated an overall production performance increase of 30 percent."
Alex Grossman, Vice President, Media and Entertainment, Quantum
"The scope of the nc+ project and the efficiencies achieved are testament to the power of StorNext and the ease in which it can be implemented for immediate results. We are well-versed in the evolving media and entertainment industry's high-performance speed, scale and tiering requirements for managing massive amounts of content and are thrilled to have met them for nc+ with this end-to-end workflow solution."
Additional Resources
About nc+
Today's nc+, the result of a strategic partnership between Groupe CANAL+ and TVN Group, is the premier PAY-TV platform in Poland, offering its 2.5 million customers up to 180 channels, including 50 in HD. A full-service provider of broadcast and on-demand programming, nc+ provides the nation's largest selection of international films, including 500 motion picture premiers annually. It is also a leading supplier of live sports events, including European football, international basketball, auto racing, rugby, tennis, and boxing.
About SAD
SAD is recognized for its leadership in bringing advanced technology to a broad range of end-user requirements. The company was privately founded in 1991 as the exclusive representative and distributor of Apple Inc. products in Poland, with expertise in both the consumer and the professional market. Beginning in 2004, the company built on this background to create a team dedicated to designing, implementing and servicing large-scale integration projects for the professional video and television broadcast markets.
About Quantum
Quantum is a proven global expert in big data management and data protection, providing specialized storage solutions for physical, virtual and cloud environments. From small businesses to major enterprises, more than 100,000 customers have trusted Quantum to help maximize the value of their data by protecting and preserving it over its entire lifecycle. With Quantum, customers can Be Certain? they're able to adapt in a changing world -- keeping more data longer, bridging from today to tomorrow, and reducing costs. See how at www.quantum.com.
Quantum, the Quantum logo, Be Certain, StorNext and StorNext Storage Manager are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Quantum Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
"Safe Harbor" Statement: This press release contains "forward-looking" statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Specifically, but without limitation, statements relating to 1) customer benefits and value to customers from using StorNext software and appliances and 2) customer demand for and Quantum's future revenue from such software and appliances, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Quantum on the date hereof. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Quantum's actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. More detailed information about risk factors are set forth in Quantum's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled "Risk Factors," in Quantum's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 9, 2013 and in Quantum's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 7, 2013. Quantum expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.