Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1530454
www.postmagazine.com 28 POST NOV/DEC 2024 n 2024, the media and enter- tainment (M&E) industry faced a unique challenge described as a "produc- tion desert," where content disruptions due to the recent actors' and writers' strikes, along with global economic fluc- tuations, caused productions to stall. On a positive note, there's hope that 2025 will bring a resurgence as these back- logged projects finally progress past post production. Leveraging the potential pro- duction boom to generate quick revenue will require making smart workflow and data storage technology investments that improve project throughput while keeping overhead spending under control. Finding ways to maximize depleted budgets and deliver content faster will also be key themes next year. Data storage and management technologies that hinder efficient project completion due to poor performance, cost-prohibitive scaling and complexity should be avoided at all costs. Workflow decision makers should look for solutions that allow cost-predictable flex- ibility, growth and performance to boost competitive advantage. For example, data storage is notori- ous for charging per capacity or even per performance, and for operating within closed ecosystems. Imagine how much more cost efficient and produc- tive you could be if your data storage solution provided you with a reassuring way to control capacity planning costs and could guarantee enterprise-class performance regardless of what you pay for? Interoperability is also important, as media workflows involve multiple appli- cations in which data must flow seam- lessly across. Navigating the content avalanche with software-defined, composable storage While productions may have tempo- rarily stalled, technology trends have not. Post houses will be confronted with more 4K, 8K or even VR content, which can quickly overload workflows not equipped to handle heavier loads. In addition, creative teams are growing more fragmented and are struggling with how to quickly access data from remote locations without incurring com- pounding public-cloud costs or forklift- ing on-premises hardware solutions. A high-performance, on-premises storage option that integrates with a wide range of technologies, allows for high-speed access to critical data, and can comple- ment strategic use of cloud resources, will competently address both cost and efficiency concerns. As content continues to grow in size and becomes more resource intensive, learning how to expand capacity and maintain performance, while reducing total cost of ownership, are all para- mount to success. A software-defined storage platform with composable feature bundles will help you better handle the 2025 avalanche of content as it addresses cost efficiency, productivity and data accessibility where and when needed most. Composability's flexibility lets you choose the exact bundle of features you need, avoiding the feature bloat asso- ciated with one-size-fits-all solutions. It also allows for a game-changing, unlim- ited capacity licensing model that lets you scale without facing unpredictable costs or sacrificing performance. Challenges and opportunities ahead The challenges facing the M&E industry are significant, but not insurmountable. Media organizations must manage project capacity without compromising performance amidst tighter budgets, heightened content demands and a new remote work paradigm. With the flexibility and interoperability of soft- ware-defined storage with composable architecture, you will achieve greater efficiency, lower costs and a higher return on investment. OpenDrives delivers high-performance, scalable, easy-to-use data storage solu- tions that are powered by the company's software-defined platform, Atlas. FROM DROUGHT TO DELUGE: OVERCOMING THE M&E PRODUCTION DESERT BY SEAN LEE CEO OPENDRIVES WWW.OPENDRIVES.COM I s we approach 2025, the broadcast & video industry is more competitive now than ever. With evolving consumer expectations and rapidly-advancing technology, to stay relevant, broadcasters must continuous- ly deliver content that is of the highest quality. While video often takes the spotlight, audio plays an equally-vital role in creating a compelling viewer experience. High-quality audio enhanc- es engagement and creates a more immersive experience, while poor audio decreases emotional connection with the content, causing the viewer to dis- engage. Whether it's a gripping drama or a live sports broadcast, high-quality audio enhances the experience, ensur- ing that the content is consumed in the way it was intended. It's therefore crucial that broadcast- ers prioritize audio quality in their video workflows, and achieving the best possi- ble sound during production is only the first step. The real challenge comes from ensuring that audio quality is retained as content moves through various stages of post production and distribution. When content is compressed and decom- pressed repeatedly, as is standard during these processes, it can degrade audio quality. Another issue arises because many content providers use FFmpeg within their video workflows. While it's a great open-source tool for encoding, transcoding and decoding media files, it's audio processing capabilities are somewhat limited compared to more advanced solutions, like Dolby's propri- etary codecs. The FFmpeg audio challenge It's easy to see why FFmpeg is so pop- ular. It's a free, open-source software project and is highly versatile because it contains a great many codecs and relat- ed libraries to support a large number of formats. However, FFmpeg's native audio codecs can struggle to preserve the rich- ness and detail of the original sound. This becomes particularly problematic when dealing with widely used Dolby for- mats, like AC-3 and E-AC-3 for surround sound in broadcast, for which FFmpeg does not have authorized access to use. Although the patent for AC-3 expired in 2017, the patent for E-AC-3 is still active, so unauthorized use could be taken as a royalty violation and even result in a potential lawsuit. This has historically left broadcasters BY FRANK SCHÖNBERGER SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER MAINCONCEPT WWW.MAINCONCEPT.COM SOUNDTRACK PRESERVING HIGH-QUALITY AUDIO THROUGHOUT VIDEO WORKFLOWS A STORAGE O U T LO O K