Please guide me for FCP

[rudraansh]

Hello to all
I am new here.I have some query here.My friend is an editor working on FCP.He edit videos for broadcasting .I want to explain you the whole process.
He gets a DG beta from a client.He grabs it on an FCP in MOV format.The size of the file becomes a massive 250GB.He edits it in FCP. Sticks the subtitles.then send it for a QC to the client.Client sugest some correction. He make the correction again on the 250GB file.then render it than make a DGbeta and sends the file again to the client.
Is it necessary to work on that much big file? When i argue with him he says he has to maintain the broadcast quality so he has to do on this big file.
Due to this he needs large storage space on the system and RAM.
But i think that this could be achieved working on a small file as well.
Can anyone suggest me sonething.

 

[-DH]

If he's working with DigiBeta, capturing as 10 bit uncompressed in order to maintain quality for broadcast ... then yes, the file sizes will be large. That is normal.

Sure he could compress the footage .. but there will be a quality loss in the process.

But why would it concern you how much hard drive space your friend needs? If he is satisfied with his workflow (and it sounds like he knows what he's doing), why do you want to change it?

-DH

 

[rudraansh]

If he's working with DigiBeta, capturing as 10 bit uncompressed in order to maintain quality for broadcast ... then yes, the file sizes will be large. That is normal.

Sure he could compress the footage .. but there will be a quality loss in the process.

But why would it concern you how much hard drive space your friend needs? If he is satisfied with his workflow (and it sounds like he knows what he's doing), why do you want to change it?

-DH

First of all i would like to thank you Sir.
The problem is that today there are 2 FCP's but in a week or so he wil be inceasing them to 7 . He want to have a centralize storage for all the videos. And he want to acccess all the video file over the network.Now when there will be 7 FCP accessing video files over the network will gonna block the network. He want to have a glitch free working. Now what kind of network would you suggest for me or can there will be anything else.

 

[LethalWolfe]

First of all i would like to thank you Sir.
The problem is that today there are 2 FCP's but in a week or so he wil be inceasing them to 7 . He want to have a centralize storage for all the videos. And he want to acccess all the video file over the network.Now when there will be 7 FCP accessing video files over the network will gonna block the network. He want to have a glitch free working. Now what kind of network would you suggest for me or can there will be anything else.

Does he just want all the video stored in a central location for people to copy over to their machines to work on locally, or does he want everyone working on video directly from the shared storage? If he wants all 7 edit bays to edit directly off the shared storage it sounds like he needs a shared storage solution like something from EditShare or Apple's xSan. These aren't cheap, do-it-yourself type things to setup though. You friend will need to hire someone to build and maintain the system.


Lethal

 

[rudraansh]

what kind of network do you suggest to achieve this task

I am going to estabilish 7 FCP video studios. Which will be working for the Boadcast quality videos. They will grab it from the DGBeta in an uncompressed 8-bit mov format . edit the movie and send back to the client.I want to have a centralize storage for all the grab media.The FCP will be accessing it directly from the network. So i need a network speed of about 102 MB/sec. Now when all the seven FCP's would be running over the network it will going to choke the LAN based on CAT-6.
Now kindly suggest me what kind of central storage i should go for and what kind of network is proposed for me and like what are the cost involved.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Now kindly suggest me what kind of central storage i should go for and what kind of network is proposed for me and like what are the cost involved.

The links in my last post to EditShare and xSan looks like the avenue you need to head down. My suggestion is to find a consultant or VAR (value added reseller) in your area that has experience setting up shared storage networks to help design, build, and maintain the solution you need. This isn't a do-it-yourself type of job and expect to spend $10-20k (USD) on the low end depending on how much storage space you need.


Lethal

 

[-DH]

I am going to estabilish 7 FCP video studios. Which will be working for the Boadcast quality videos ... Now when all the seven FCP's would be running over the network it will going to choke the LAN based on CAT-6.
Now kindly suggest me what kind of central storage i should go for and what kind of network is proposed for me and like what are the cost involved.

You need a SAN - NOT a LAN. LethalWolfe already gave you two suggestions:

http://www.apple.com/xsan/

and

http://www.editshare.com/

-DH