Quantel Engineers Genetic Approach To SAN-based Workflow

Quantel has announced a more organic approach to distributed networking environments for Post and DI with the introduction of ‘Genetic Engineering’.
Quantel see their new open technology approach as a solution to overturn the limitations of SAN-based environments and finally allows facilities to fully maximise the efficiency of collaborative workspaces.
Genetic Engineering means that every new or existing eQ, iQ or Pablo has access to the same media and can work completely independently. Such is the power of Genetic Engineering that it can even support multiple 4K streams.
“SAN-based teamworking is a continual drag on efficiency, with multiple copies of media clogging up disk space and leading to significant media management issues, especially when working at resolutions of 2K and above,” said Steve Owen, Director of Marketing. "Genetic Engineering allows multiple users to access the same clips at the same time without copying or moving media. Reliable playout is guaranteed and Genetic Engineering handles all the different resolutions in real time and without creating any new media. Linux or Windows-based third party systems can hook into the shared space just as easily as Quantel machines - there are no proprietary APIs - making Genetic Engineering the perfect teamworking solution for real world, multi-vendor facilities.”
Genetic Engineering is made up of three components: Sam, Max and the GenePool.
The GenePool lies at the heart of Genetic Engineering. Available in either HD RGB or 4K configurations, the GenePool can host guaranteed multiple streams and its large RAID-protected workspace – up to 80TB – can accommodate multiple, movie-length projects simultaneously.
Quantel’s Resolution Co-existence technology enables media to be stored in its native resolution, colour space and bit-depth, converting on the fly to whatever output format is required. Quantel’s FrameMagic frame level media management technology keeps track of each and every frame no matter where it’s being worked on in the Genetic Engineering environment.
The Sam data server, also shipping in HD RGB and 4K versions, provides open network access to managed media via the cross-platform CIFS (Common Internet Filing System) protocol. This enables, for example, film scanners to scan directly into the GenePool, while restoration and dust-busting applications can work on media with only modified frames being added to storage and automatically being spliced into the original. VFX systems can read and write to the GenePool simultaneously, and at the end of the process the finished media is available to authoring and film recording without interrupting production in the creative suites.
“Being able to work directly with the media in this way dramatically increases efficiencies for both post and DI,” says Owen. “And, with margins continually squeezed, it is those efficiencies that enable facilities to be profitable.”
The final component is the Max assist station which further increases efficiency by taking control of backroom tasks such as conforms, playouts and QC. Also available in HD RGB and 4K models and boasting 100% project compatibility with eQ, iQ and Pablo, Max allows facilities to maximise billable time in their frontline creative suites while also increasing overall throughput.
“With Genetic Engineering, Quantel is introducing a new, open teamworking infrastructure that not only transcends the previous limitations of collaborative environments but does so without increasing management overheads,” said Owen. “Genetic Engineering works on several fronts, maximising scheduling flexibility, increasing creativity, widening capability and, perhaps most importantly, boosting profitability for facilities.”
(SP)