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LSI Demonstrates New RAID Storage Deployments for Film and Broadcast at National Association of Broadcasters Show

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 April 2009, 07:01 CDT

Demonstrations to showcase post-production editing using LSI 3ware adapters and live, uncompressed video playback on RAID protected laptops in the field

LAS VEGAS, April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NATIONAL BROADCASTERS SHOW -- LSI Corporation (NYSE: LSI) today announced it will demonstrate new uses for RAID adapters in broadcast environments this week at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center. A demonstration in booth SL13007 will showcase how laptops using LSI(TM) 3ware(R) adapters make it possible for directors to view live, uncompressed video playback on the set or on location.

In addition, LSI is teaming with filmmaker Thor Wixom to demonstrate a massive 14 TB storage system with RAID 5 and 6 protection for post-production video editing on a Mac(R) Pro for the soon-to-be-released film "Standing Ovation." The technology demonstration will feature LSI 3ware high-performance RAID adapters and new 2 TB enterprise hard drives from Western Digital.

"We're teaming with some of the best creative filmmakers and solution providers to deliver the benefits of RAID performance and protection to the broadcasting and filmmaking industries," said Brent Blanchard, worldwide channel sales and marketing director, LSI. "Movie and television production present one of the fastest-growing market opportunities for RAID storage."

3ware adapters bring high-performance RAID to laptops

LSI is teaming with Magma and AIC to demonstrate how laptops with RAID performance and protection make raw, live video playback a viable, portable option for directors and film crews on the set or on location.

"Continuity is one the biggest challenges on any film set," said Wixom, who was the "A" camera operator and workflow wizard for "Standing Ovation." "Having the laptop and a RAID system on the set makes it possible to immediately playback any portion of the film to ensure proper blocking and positioning of the actors and the overall scene. Having this capability on set avoids having to return to the studio which is a big plus for saving directors' budgets and lowering the frustration level."

The technology demonstration features a RAID system based on ExpressCard(TM) technology and using a compact AIC enclosure with 2.5-inch disk drives. The enclosure utilizes a Magma(R) ExpressBox1 Pro external expansion device containing an LSI 3ware SAS RAID adapter that connects the drives to the laptop. The demonstration showcases backup of footage from a RED ONE(TM) camera directly to the storage system with RAID 5 protection.

"One of the most frequent complaints we hear about external laptop storage is how USB kills the performance," said Randy Jones, president and CEO of San Diego-based Magma. "Our Magma ExpressBox1 Pro brings the power and performance of PCI Express(R) technology to laptops, which means an ordinary laptop can be turned into a powerful gaming computer, scientific computer or an audio/video editing workstation. We're excited about bringing hardware RAID performance to our solution set."

Post-production video editing on 14 TB RAID system

Visitors will see clips from "Standing Ovation," a family-oriented musical which was filmed with the RED ONE camera. Film makers used LSI 3ware adapters for RAID protection and performance in the creation and post-production of the film. The film will be running live on a Quad-Core AMD processor-based workstation with 16 GB of RAM, supported by a 14 TB, RAID 6 system with new 2 TB drives from Western Digital and an 8-drive enclosure from JMR Electronics.

"For 'Standing Ovation' editing and for storage of high-resolution masters, which required about 5 TB of capacity, we used an LSI 3ware RAID adapter," said Wixom. "We took a somewhat unorthodox approach on this film by using both Mac and PC products in production and post-production workflow to take advantage of the faster processing available on the AMD processors. The fact that 3ware adapters are fully compatible with both the Mac and PC was critical to success."

Demonstrations in the LSI 3ware booth will utilize workflows similar to the ones used for 'Standing Ovation' and feature an 8-core AMD workstation and the CineForm(R) Digital Intermediate (DI). The RED ONE camera used to shoot the film also will be on display.

"The demonstration at NAB will show how the right drives, RAID adapter, computer system and digital camera work together to give post-production teams fast video editing options," added Wixom. "The workstation demonstration also will be showing the CineForm offline/online process and editing directly from the RAID storage system in both 2k and 4k."

"We're excited to see LSI pair their 3ware adapters with our WD RE4-GP 2 TB drives," said Tom McDorman, WD's general manager and vice president of Enterprise Storage Solutions business unit. "This demonstration gives broadcasters and directors a look at what is possible - that they can have low power and reliability without sacrificing performance. Our WD RE-GP drives feature industry-leading capacity, great performance and low-power and cooling capabilities that make it ideal for demanding computing and storage environments."

LSI 3ware adapters are available through a worldwide network of distributors, integrators and VARs. The 3ware product line was recently acquired by LSI Corporation. More information on 3ware products will continue to be available at www.3ware.com.

About LSI

LSI Corporation (NYSE: LSI) is a leading provider of innovative silicon, systems and software technologies that enable products which seamlessly bring people, information and digital content together. The company offers a broad portfolio of capabilities and services including custom and standard product ICs, adapters, systems and software that are trusted by the world's best known brands to power leading solutions in the Storage and Networking markets. More information is available at www.lsi.com.

SOURCE LSI Corporation

Source: PR Newswire

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