Polar Graphics

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Facilis is represented in Europe and further afield by Polar Graphics’ associates at Dark Matter Technologies and at NAB this year Facilis Technology showcased their shared storage solutions for content creators featuring new cutting-edge technologies that shape the future of on-premise and remote workflows.

Facilis HUB has many new hardware and software enhancements that include:

­• New Facilis Flashpoint 48S server
This high-performance 48 bay 4U SSD Flash based server can deliver over 10GB/sec (10,000MB/sec) of aggregate throughput to creative workstations to power the most demanding media workflows.

• Support for 64Gb Fibre Channel
Facilis has added support for the new ATTO Celerity™ 64Gb Gen 7 PCIe 4.0 Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) enabling extreme performance for attached workstations to address the growing need for real-time 8K video editing.

• New higher capacity storage options
With the latest 22TB Enterprise drives, Facilis offers over a half a Petabyte in a 4U enclosure.

• SMB Utility share
This feature will offer users an easy configuration for accessing Facilis virtual file systems over SMB securely for administrative tasks such as backup and archive.

• Facilis Object Cloud
Support for Seagate Lyve Cloud and AWS/Azure archive tiers; Real time “Active Files” progress display; New LTO Delivery mode for data transport via tape.


Facilis FastTracker
Facilis showed version 3.8 which offers many new features including Auto-tagging with AI Object Recognition, Adobe Captions import of transcription data, file ingest workflow from client workstations, and metadata-based cataloging and proxy generation.


Facilis WANLink Remote Access Client
Facilis showed the latest version of their revolutionary remote workflow feature based on the Facilis Shared File System. Facilis WANLink Client provides a secure, remote link to Facilis storage through the same Facilis Console software used in the facility. WANLink Client can provide secure storage access without latency and complexity of VPN and is available at no additional cost.


Smart Access Rules
HUB version 8.2.4 builds upon earlier versions with new enhancements. Facilis Smart Access Rules are a graphical interface that allows administrators to add custom policies to volume resources, to provide or deny access for users or groups. Specific paths, folders and file names can be assigned access rules based on user and group. Different than traditional access control lists, this enables:

• Access rules on specific file types to protect critical assets

• Create-only feature secures data after written to general ingest locations

• No-delete options while maintaining project saves and overwrites.

• Full auditing of file system activity down to the user account and workstation IP address


“We’re happy to follow up all our recent advancements in the Facilis Shared File System with new asset management innovations in FastTracker.”said Jim McKenna, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer of Facilis Technology. “Again, we show that Facilis is continuing to respond to our customers’ requests for advanced workflow features, within the field-tested and feature-rich HUB architecture.”


For more information contact [email protected]

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The UK-based distributor will highlight new tools from StorageDNA that are designed to help clients meet the growing challenges of data backup, ransomware recovery, archiving and collaboration.


LONDON, 17 AUGUST 2022: Polar Graphics, a UK leading distributor for the broadcast, post and pro-AV industries, has announced that it will be showcasing the latest developments from brands including StorageDNA on its stand (6.C28b) at IBC 2022, which takes place at the Amsterdam RAI from 9-12 September.

With more than 25 years’ experience of representing leading media brands, Polar Graphics is excited to be exhibiting at the first in-person IBC Show since 2019. Among the solutions to be presented on its stand is DNAfabric 2.0, which is the latest release to StorageDNA’s cloud-optimised, unstructured data management toolset.

With this new update, StorageDNA maintains its long-term strategy of adding new tools that help clients meet the growing challenges of data backup, ransomware recovery, archiving and collaboration. The highly scalable DNAfabric also continues to add greater connectivity options for workflows based in the cloud (e.g. AWS, Azure, Google, Wasabi, Backblaze, LyveCloud, LucidLink) and on-premise (e.g. Avid Nexis, Quantum StorNext, Isilon, Qumolo, SNS, EditShare).

Key capabilities of DNAfabric 2.0 include cloud cost modelling, NAS scanning, multi-cloud transfers, object compression and acceleration, storage analysis, duplicate analysis and cleanup, and accelerated/automated Frame.io transfers. The release provides a host of tools to detect early signs of hardware failure with the ability to backup or migrate to a new storage platform or cloud.

In addition to StorageDNA, Polar Graphics will be there to discuss the latest developments from Bluefish444, which manufactures a wide range of uncompressed video I/O cards, ingest appliances, capture & streaming software, and mini-converters for professional applications; and MagStor, a manufacturer offering Thunderbolt 3, SAS and FC desktop LTO tape drives and libraries scaling up to 280 slots.

Other brands distributed by Polar Graphics can be found elsewhere on the IBC show-floor, including image signal processing equipment specialist Apantac (10.A30); broadcast and IP monitoring, analysis and compliance software company Mediaproxy (7.B38); and live broadcasting hardware and software innovator Nagasoft (7.D45).

Peter Rowsell, managing director of Polar Graphics, comments: “It’s been three years since we have been able to meet our partners and customers at IBC in Amsterdam, so this show does have the sense of a long-awaited reunion! All of the brands that we represent have been extremely busy in the interim, pushing their innovation to new heights as broadcast & media workflows have continued to evolve at a remarkable rate. We look forward to many of the resulting new solutions being showcased to IBC visitors on our stand, 6.C28b, and those of our partners.”

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Nagasoft (Nanjing Nagasoft Corporation) the leading live broadcasting hardware and software company based in mainland China, announced today, the appointment of industry veteran Polar Graphics as their exclusive distributor for the NSCaster X1 and X1A range of products.


Polar Graphics are a leading UK based company and have a long history of providing representation and distribution for manufacturers in the European broadcast, post-production, TV, film and  professional audio-visual industries.


As the exclusive UK and Ireland distributors for the Nagasoft X1 and X1A, Polar Graphics will provide additional sales support, channel management, and business development throughout the region and will work with and expand Nagasoft’s current reseller channel.


About the NSCaster X1 and X1A
The NSCaster-X1 and X1A’s are highly integrated production tools with a built-in 11.6-inch full HD touchscreen monitor. They offer multi-channel switching, recording, broadcasting, audio mixer, special effects, and monitoring. Ethernet, WIFI, and 4G modules are available to meet the needs of webcasts for different scenarios. NDI support is available as an option.


Peter Connaway, Director of Business Development at Nagasoft, commented: “We are delighted to have a well respected distribution company such as Polar Graphics distributing the Nagasoft product range in the UK and Ireland. We look forward to a long and successful partnership together”.


“We are excited to be given the opportunity to distribute the Nagasoft products in the UK and Ireland. Commented Peter Rowsell, Managing Director at Polar Graphics "It’s an excellent product and a great addition to our current product range. We look forward to promoting this product through our existing reseller network”.


Contact the Polar Bears for more information:
E-mail: [email protected]   
Tel: +44 (0)20 8868 2479?

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Introducing the FC-HL8

MagStor are now offering one of the only LTO FC desktop tape drives.

MagStor desktop LTO-8 tape drives with FC interface come standard with an 8Gb/sec. fibre channel interface.

As with MagStor's popular LTO-7/8 Thunderbolt 3 desktop drives, these LTO-8 FC drives have a built-in power supply unit, relieving the need for bulky adaptors or bricks taking up desk space, along with correct drive orientation (horizontal) and a 3 Year Warranty as standard (optional upgrade to 5 years is available).

The MagStor LTO-8 FC tape drive support the 'Linear Tape File System' (LTFS). LTFS software allows users to drag and drop files to tape just as easily as they would to disk.
www.magstor.com


Contact Polar Graphics, the European representatives and distributors for more information:
www.polar-graphics.com | [email protected]

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Founded in 1933, the British Film Institute (BFI) is the leading body for film in the UK with the ambition to create a flourishing film environment in which innovation, opportunity and creativity can thrive, encompassing a range of cultural, creative and industrial roles for film production, distribution, exhibition and education in order to advance the position of film in the UK.

Among the oldest film archives, founded in 1935, the BFI National Archive has grown to become one of the largest and most important collections of film and television in the world. An international leader in film preservation, acting as guardians for Britain’s unparalleled film and television heritage, the conservation team at the BFI National Archive, based in the BFI John Paul Getty Jr Conservation Centre are responsible for the collection, storage and digitisation of significant numbers of legacy film and videotape formats.

With substantial collections held on Digital Betacam, BFI required a solution to capture multiple streams of SDI video from their DigiBeta VTRs, in as efficient a way as possible, that could be easily managed by a small team.

BFI compared the options to meet their requirement for 12 channels of simultaneous SDI recording from their VTRs. Having discovered Bluefish444’s Epoch | Supernova CG I/O card, paired with the complementary IngeSTore multi-channel capture software, they realised a solution that would give them the desired results at the right price point. Alex Zorba, Archive Technology Manager at the BFI National Archive, was involved with extensive testing of the Supernova CG cards and IngeSTore software to ensure it would suit their long-term goals.



“Bluefish444’s Supernova CG cards give us the quality and flexibility that we require for our digitisation process, and they integrate with our legacy videotape machines perfectly,”
Alex Zorba, Archive Technology Manager, BFI National Archive



Bluefish444’s IngeSTore software allows for four channels of simultaneous ingest, so to meet the 12 channel requirement, BFI installed two HP Z820 workstations each containing two Supernova CG cards. They worked with Bluefish444 to get each of the workstations running two concurrent instances of IngeSTore software enabling six channels of SD Ingest per workstation.

With visual and audio monitoring whilst capturing, and the ability to switch to 16:9 anamorphic mode when the content dictates this, BFI has found IngeSTore to be a great fit in the 12 months they have been using the software. The other plus they have found is how easy the software is to use for their needs, with little operator input required once it’s recording.



“The reliability that we have with the Bluefish444 cards within IngeSTore means that we know we’ll get a consistent result from our recordings, which is paramount when getting these tapes into digital format for long-term preservation,”

“The solution from Bluefish444 has met all of our requirements, and the support we have received for any troubleshooting or custom functionality has been first class.”
Alex Zorba, Archive Technology Manager, BFI National Archive



After a successful first 12 months of using the Bluefish444 solution for their digitisation needs, the BFI technology team is now developing a U-Matic mass digitisation facility, in which they will once again be utilising Bluefish444 hardware with IngeSTore software.

Distributed by Polar Graphics Ltd
For more information on the Bluefish444 product range contact Polar Graphics:
www.polar-graphics.com | +44 (0)20 8868 2479

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Polar Graphics Ltd are pleased to announce that Peter Kavanagh has joined their team as Technical Director.

Peter has been in the industry for 28 years working in such companies as Sony, Snell, DPS, Digital Rapids and Harris/Imagine.

Peter Rowsell, MD of Polar Graphics said;
"I am very pleased Peter has joined us. He brings a wealth of industry knowledge to our team. He is someone who I have wanted to work with for many years"


Commenting on his appointment Peter Kavanagh said;
"I am excited to take on the role as Technical Director at Polar Graphics, and look forward to working closely with the Polar team to help support their excellent product range and expand their portfolio"


Thanks to his hardware and software development background, Peter will also be offering first-line SDK support to our Bluefish444 customers and OEMs via our associate company Bluefish444 Europe.

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MagStor and Polar Graphics have teamed up to develop and grow MagStor’s business in the UK and European markets.


With a long history of providing representation and distribution for manufacturers in the European broadcast, TV, and film industries, Polar Graphics will be setting up the re-seller channel, providing additional sales support, channel management, and business development throughout the region.


When asked about the partnership, Tim Gerhard, Product Manager of MagStor commented;
"The MagStor team is excited to enter the UK & European market with the proven professional expertise and track record of Polar Graphics. Let’s bring an end to data loss to all! "


Peter Rowsell, Managing Director of Polar Graphics, added;
"We are really looking forward to work with Tim and his team from MagStor. They have an excellent product range that fills a gap in the LTO market place and we are sure it will be well received by our European dealers and end users "



About MagStor:
MagStor is a daughter company to Magnext, which has 12 years industry experience selling complete systems, repairing, and refurbishing tape storage products. Spotting a gap in the market MagStor was created to promote the MagStor product line and data storage products tailored specifically to the media and entertainment clientele.


What is MagStor?
The first Thunderbolt™ 3 certified tape drive.

Available in LTO-7 or LTO-8 with the option of dual LTO drives in one unit or 1x LTO slot with a 3.5" HDD Tray-less Hot-Swap Dock.

With Thunderbolt™ 3 / USB-C port connectivity the units can be easily connected to your desktop MAC or PC.Taking advantage of LTFS (Linear Tape File System), users can easily drag and drop files to and from an LTO8 tape drive for 12TB of native capacity.


Contact for MagStor:
[email protected] | +1 614-433-0011 | www.magstor.com



About Polar Graphics:
Having been distributors / representatives for the broadcast, post and video industries for over 25yrs Polar Graphics are experts in their field.


Known as the Polar Bears they work closely with their suppliers, partners and resellers to ensure they provide the very best products and services to an ever changing and growing industry, placing them at the forefront of their field.


Other brands represented or distributed by Polar Graphics include StorageDNA, Studio Network Solutions, FocalPoint Server, Mediaproxy, Apantac, Bluefish444 and Stardom.


Contact the Polar team now for more information on MagStor:
[email protected] | +44 (0)20 8868 2479 | www.polar-graphics.com



For more information on the range of MagStor products distributed by Polar Graphics, visit:
https://www.polar-graphics.com/magstor/

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Keep your eyes peeled for exciting news from StorageDNA...

Revolutionary software that will simplify and change the way LTO tape is used

See it in action for the first time in Europe at BVE 2018.

This could revolutionise your workflow.

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Visiting BVE 2017? Ensure you don't miss out on visiting the Polar Bears, Stand No. H09
"The Bear Essentials for Media and Entertainment"


Polar's portfolio is vast and comprises of solutions to aid / develop any workflow from: Ingest to Store to Archive. Placing Polar at the forefront of their field.

The team will be available at BVE 2017 to discuss all the products in our range which includes:


StorageDNA: Revolutionary Storage Architecture

Bluefish444: Best of the Best video cards, with nothing beyond their capture

Apantac: The no compromise multiviewers and converters

Stardom: The RAID you can rely on, whatever your workflow

Mediaproxy: Software-based broadcast and IP monitoring, analysis and compliance all in one place


Visit: https://goo.gl/w0WM8q for more info