StorageDNA Boosts Performance for Authentic Entertainment

StorageDNA, a leader in intelligent storage and archiving workflow solutions for media professionals, announced that Authentic Entertainment has achieved a significant performance increase along with substantial cost and time savings with its flagship archive and retrieval workflow solution, DNA Evolution.

Authentic Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based production company with a growing list of reality and documentary programming. Currently, its most popular show is Here Comes Honey Boo Boo which is broadcast on TLC. It also produces Flipping Out (Bravo), Interior Therapy (Bravo), Toddlers & Tiaras (TLC), and Auction Kings (Discovery Channel). Because Authentic Entertainment is committed to being on the leading edge of technology for post production workflow, and shoots a high volume of reality footage, it recognized the need to upgrade its existing archiving system with a faster and more intelligent Linear Tape Open (LTO) with Linear Tape File System (LTFS) workflow solution.

“Because most of our shows are docu-drama or follow-documentary, we can use up to ten cameras per shoot which means we have a tremendous amount of footage coming in each week that needs to be archived,” said Will Pisnieski, vice president of post production, Authentic Entertainment. “Our goal was to cost-effectively speed up archives and restores of our digital assets with a high performance solution based on LTO and LTFS technology. We chose DNA Evolution because it met all of our requirements, was simple to learn, and supported all of our many camera formats. The solution also deployed easily into our editorial environment, allowed us to direct-connect to our SAN, and saves us significant time and costs by automating our archive and conform process.”

DNA Evolution is an intelligent LTO with LTFS archive and retrieval workflow solution that optimizes the management of file-based content to help media professionals work more efficiently and save costs. Additionally, DNA Evolution maintains the integrity of digital assets while ensuring content openness and future access. The LTO archival life, combined with DNA Evolution’s automated and periodic tape health checks, ensures the long-term protection and integrity of media.

“StorageDNA is committed to providing advanced and innovative solutions for our customers, like Authentic Entertainment,” said tC Chakravarty, CEO and president, StorageDNA. “We have been working with the Authentic Entertainment post production team for nearly a year and are very pleased to support Authentic Entertainment’s digital workflow.”

Authentic Entertainment has fully implemented DNA Evolution and has been realizing its benefits since May 2012. The solution has dramatically increased archive and restores and Authentic Entertainment consistently achieves 1 Gb speeds. In addition, Authentic Entertainment has been able to reduce costs on HDCAM deck rentals, stock media, and FireWire drives used to store reality footage. It has also allowed the team to reduce the time spent in post production by automating processes, such as nightly back-ups for their file-based content to LTO for long-term protection, and conforming directly from LTO for all camera formats with an efficient process.

“Since we have begun using this system, our archives and restores have been up to five times faster than with our previous network-based system. With DNA Evolution, we have reduced both manpower and hard costs. It is one of the most efficient and cost-effective solutions I have ever worked with,” continued Pisnieski.

Authentic Entertainment will deliver a special live presentation, “Saving Time and Costs with LTO LTFS Workflow,” at the 2013 NAB Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the StorageDNA Booth #SL11116. All NAB attendees are invited to join.