If you’re like me, you’re seriously looking into upgrading to a 4K workflow. One big part of this is storage and speed. And while there are a ton of storage solutions out there, G-Technology has just announced 2 new hard drive enclosures with 4K content creators in mind, the G-SPEED Studio and the G-RAID Studio. Pricing ranges from $649 for a 4TB model to $3,599 for the 24TB model. Now, before I get comments with people complaining about the price, let me tell you why I think these are worth it:
- Thunderbolt 2 – Up to 1375MB/s
- Enterprise-class 7,200 RPM drives – Not only are these drives fast, but they’re Enterprise class. Enterprise hard drives are built for people like us who have are drives working long after we’ve punched out. These drives can survive brutally work loads for very long periods of time.
- 2 and 4 bay options with up to 6TB/bay – There isn’t a need for 6+ hard drive bays in the Studio drives, because they can take drives up to 6GB per bay. This leaves you with the same storage as larger enclosures but in a smaller package.
- 4TB to 24TB options – This out to cover most filmmakers needs.
- Hardware RAID – Hardware RAIDs are the way to go. Software RAIDs entail higher data lose risk.
- Supports userselectable RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10
- Supports multi-stream compressed 4K and 2K workflows
- Sexy new encloser design
- Plug and play ready
- Pricing starting at $649
G-SPEED Studio
The G-SPEED Studio with hardware RAID is a four-bay Thunderbolt 2 storage solution that supports userselectable RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 for ultimate flexibility and speed. With its built-in RAID controller, the G-SPEED Studio is not tied to a single workstation and can be easily transported and used on a Mac® laptop or desktop in the studio, edit bay or on the road. The G-SPEED Studio boasts sustained transfer rates of up to 660MB/sec in RAID 0 and can be daisy-chained via dual Thunderbolt 2 ports. This G-SPEED Studio solution ships with four removable enterprise-class hard drives, designed to support multi-stream compressed 4K and 2K workflows. In a RAID 5 (data redundant) configuration, the G-SPEED Studio RAID can easily handle up to 30 hours of 4K footage in ProRes 4444 and can seamlessly edit three streams of compressed 4K. The G-SPEED Studio with enterprise-class hardware RAID will be available in May for an MSRP of $3,599.95 for 24TB,$2,699.95 for 16TB and $2,199.95 for 12TB.
G-RAID Studio
The G-RAID Studio is a high-performance storage system with hardware RAID, enabling digital content-creation workflow. User-selectable in RAID 0, RAID 1 or JBOD, the G-RAID Studio features Thunderbolt 2 technology and has transfer rates up to 360MB/sec for editing high-resolution photos or multiple streams of compressed 2K and 4K projects. The G-RAID Studio ships with two removable enterprise-class 7,200 RPM hard drives for total capacities up to 12TB, complete in a sleek black enclosure. The G-RAID Studio will beavailable in May for a MSRP of $1,499.95 for 12TB, $849.95 for 8TB and $649.95 for 4TB.
See More at NAB
Come see how you can maximize your storage experience at NAB 2014: G-Technology Booth #SL9005.
You can also head to the G-Technology website to learn more.