LAS VEGAS -- Nov. 13, 2000 -- Medea
Corporation, makers of the award-winning line of VideoRaid disk arrays,
announced the availability of VideoRaid fc and VideoRack fcx, SAN-Ready
Fibre Channel RAID solutions for digital content creation and Internet
streaming media applications. The four-drive VideoRaid fc (a compact
desktop model) and VideoRack fcx (a dual-channel, 19" rack-mount system
with up to eight removable drive modules) offer sustained data transfer
rates of 65 MB/second (per channel in the VideoRack fcx), capacities
to 600 GB, and prices as low as $19/GB.
VideoRaid fc and VideoRack fcx can be easily configured as either local
storage for single workstations or employed in SAN environments enabling
a workgroup of Macintosh and Windows NT systems to share files. VideoRaid
fc and VideoRack fcx disk arrays are compatible with fibre channel hubs,
fabric switches and SAN management software and are ideal for building
low-cost SANs for non-linear editing applications.
"Fibre channel is an important technology for digital content creators,
but the high prices charged for fibre channel storage solutions have
limited its penetration in the marketplace," said Roger S. Mabon,
director of marketing for Medea Corporation. "With VideoRaid fc and
VideoRack fcx, we provide point-to-point fibre channel storage solutions
at prices significantly below competing products. And when users are
ready to move to a shared storage solution, VideoRaid fc will enable
a cost-effective upgrade path to SAN topologies."
A single VideoRaid fc or VideoRack fcx disk array will sustain a minimum
data transfer rate of 65 MB/second (per channel in the VideoRack fcx)
- more than enough performance to support a single-stream of uncompressed
video or dual-stream, real-time NLE systems at broadcast resolutions
to 500 KB/frame. For applications that demand even higher sustained
data rates, multiple arrays can be striped together to support the necessary
bandwidth requirements.
As video storage requirements grow, VideoRaid fc and VideoRack fcx arrays
can be easily connected in a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) using
inexpensive copper cabling. In the FC-AL configuration, up to 126 VideoRqid
fc and VideoRack fcx disk arrays - over 75 terabytes of storage - can
be attached to a single NLE workstation.
VideoRaid fc and VideoRack fcx subsystems attach to any fibre channel
equipped Macintosh, or PC (Windows 98/NT/2000) system. VideoRaid fc
and VideoRack fcx's on-board hardware RAID controller eliminates the
need for disk striping software or configuring drive stripe sets. VideoRaid
fc and each channel of VideoRack fcx looks like one large drive to the
operating system, allowing users to simply attach the system to a fibre
channel host adapter and initialize the array as if it were a single
disk drive. VideoRaid fc and VideoRack fcx support all popular non-linear
video editing systems. This includes multi-stream and uncompressed systems.
VideoRaid fc and VideoRack fcx are also compatible with systems running
Microsoft Windows Media Services, Real Networks RealServer and Apple
QuickTime Streaming Server.
VideoRaid fc disk arrays are available in 120 GB, 180 GB, 240 GB and
300 GB capacities and have list prices of $2699, $3699, $4699 and $5799
respectively. The dual-channel VideoRack fcx disk arrays are available
Four-drive versions in the same capacities and have list prices of $4399,
$5499, $6599 and $7699 respectively. The eight-drive rack versions are
available in 240 GB, 360 GB, 480 GB and 600 GB capacities and have list
prices of $6899, $8999, $10999 and $12999 respectively. VideoRaid fc
and VideoRack fcx arrays are available now from authorized distributors
value-added resellers (VARs) and mail-order suppliers. Call Medea toll
free at (888) BY-MEDEA for a list of these resellers.
About
Medea Corporation
Medea
Corporation, headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., designs and
manufactures high-performance, low-cost storage subsystems optimized
for digital content creation and Internet streaming media applications.
Corporate headquarters are located at 5701 Lindero Canyon Road, Bldg.
3-100, Westlake Village, CA 91362. Telephone: 818/597-7645. Fax: 818/597-7643.
Internet: http://www.medeacorp.com/.
