LTO 10 Is Here, and It’s a Big Step Forward for Archiving
Tape isn’t dead! While everyone’s out there singing the praises of cloud storage and trying not to choke on their monthly invoices, tape just keeps doing its thing: Reliable, Affordable, and Built for the long haul. Now we’ve got LTO 10, which is a huge upgrade.
Roadmap: 36 TB Raw Capacity
The roadmap states that LTO 10 will double the raw capacity of LTO 9. If you’re dealing with 4K or 8K RAW footage or just have a mountain of footage that needs to be stored safely and long-term, that’s a big advancement. Fewer cartridges to manage. Less rack space and less shuffling around in the archive room. You will often see larger capacities being discussed, but that’s compressed, which is fine for CRMs or transactional data, but we can’t compress media. So we always work on the raw capacity. You will notice in the image below how it shows two sizes for LTO 10: compressed and raw. We are hearing that the LTO may be capped at 30TB at 400MB/s transfer speed. It’s early days, but we shall see how it pans out.
EditShare ARK and LTO 10 A Perfect Match
Here’s the good news: EditShare ARK will support LTO 10. There’s no need to change how your team works. Everything just runs like it always has, except now your shelves fill up a whole lot slower. That means you’re ready for whatever next-gen content you’re producing, whether that’s episodic 8K delivery, remastering old content in HDR or just trying not to get buried in files.
Now, if you have an existing LTO legacy deployment, let’s say LTO 4, you will need to migrate those tapes back to EFS, deploy a new LTO 10 tape device, and then re-archive them. But you get more than 10 tapes now condensed into one!
Compatibility
Let’s talk about the one weird anomaly. IBM’s datasheet for LTO 10 only says, “IBM LTO 10-tape drive can read and write to LTO Ultrium 10 cartridges.” They don’t mention backward compatibility at all. There is no promise that LTO 10 drives will read LTO 9 or anything older. That’s a break from how LTO has worked for years, where each new gen could usually read two generations back. If you’ve got a mountain of older tapes, you’ll either need to keep older drives around or run a migration strategy. But honestly, that’s just part of managing any archive.
LTO Still Makes Sense for Media Teams
Storage needs in media and entertainment are not shrinking. 8K VFX dailies, every project is bigger than the last. So when you get a format that gives you 36 TB per tape and runs for decades without a subscription attached, that’s worth paying attention to. Tape is a cost-effective long-term archival medium, complemented by our large. Adding EditShare ARK, which compliments FLOW asset management, means every asset that gets archived and FLOW knows its location. It keeps a proxy of that archived file always online, meaning you get a representation of that high-resolution file immediately. Its streamlined initiative and most important, fast.
Final Word
Is LTO 10 perfect? Not quite. The missing backward compatibility might be a pain. But if you’re starting fresh, building new archives, or just want to stop adding shelves every quarter, LTO 10 is the biggest leap we’ve had in years.
Let’s be honest, unstructured media management is a mess. Hard drives sometimes get stacked like a game of Jenga, file names that might as well be written in a different language, and the ever dreaded moment when you realize the footage you need now is… somewhere. That’s not a workflow. That’s an obstacle course. And it’s slowing you down.
Adobe Insights: Creatives are wasting time
In a recent Adobe Transform Content Creation white paper, the research indicated that creative professionals often spend a significant portion of their workweek on repetitive tasks, including organizing content. Specifically, four out of ten creatives dedicate more than half of their workweek to such activities. That is a staggering number. Creatives are talented but they are expensive. You don’t want them spending that amount of time organizing content.
Meet FLOW: The digital glue of your workflow
If your creative process feels like herding cats, FLOW Media Management is the solution you didn’t know you needed. Whether your assets are on-premise, in the cloud, or anywhere in between, FLOW brings order to the chaos.
How FLOW makes your life easier
Capture easily. Ingest media, live or file based, no matter where you’re working.
Index like a pro. No more “final_version_v3_actualfinal.mp4.” FLOW automatically tags and organizes everything and can even change the name to something you will remember.
Manage without the chaos. Say goodbye to misplaced files and hello to a single source of truth in EFS. Projects based on Mediaspaces, what a novel idea
Move media smoothly. Transfer files without needing a UPS truck to ship a portable hard drive.
Share without fear. Collaborate instantly, securely, and without versioning nightmares.
Anywhere, Anytime, Total Control
FLOW isn’t just a tool, it’s the digital glue that holds your workflow together. Whether you’re editing from a high-end post suite or editing off your kitchen table, just like covid times, FLOW keeps everything connected so you can focus on creating, not searching.
The Final Word
Not using FLOW is like editing with boxing gloves on – unnecessary, frustrating, and painfully annoying. Creative teams that embrace proper media management are faster, more efficient, and definitely less stressed.
Talk to the EditShare team today and transform the way you work.
Boston, MA – 1st May 2025 — EditShare®, a global leader in collaborative media workflow solutions, will unveil its latest advancements at CABSAT 2025, delivering a new standard for performance, scalability, and intelligence across creative production environments. Live demonstrations at Booth S1-D20 will spotlight the newUltimate EFS Field, a revolutionary, portable NVMe-based storage platform engineered to provide production-proven performance and simple multi-site collaboration from on-set to the studio.
Headlining the showcase is the Middle East debut of FLOW AI, powered by FLOW Ultimate GPU engines. Built as a multimodal intelligence engine, FLOW AI transforms media workflows with state-of-the-art capabilities including multi-language speech-to-text (STT) transcription, scene detection, facial recognition, logo detection, and advanced OCR (optical character recognition). By combining high-speed asset management with intelligent automation and accelerated smart tagging, FLOW AI arms creative teams to find, organize, and deliver content faster, smarter, and at a global scale, obliterating old production bottlenecks and setting a new standard for speed, precision, and domination in modern media
For asset management, the new FLOW Core Unlimited licensing model removes seat restrictions, allowing media organizations to onboard users instantly and scale operations on demand. From boutique studios to global production houses, FLOW Core delivers true operational flexibility and scalability without limits
In addition to these headliners, EditShare will highlight:
An advanced newsroom workflow integration with leading NRCS vendor Octopus, delivering fast-turnaround, collaborative journalism for modern news teams.
All EFS nodes now feature multi-channel Live NDI support, enabling real-time, high-performance live production.
The stunning All-in-One 410, redefining compact storage with up to 600TB of raw capacity per node ideal for facilities demanding big performance in tight spaces.
The debut of expanded storage capacities across the entire EditShare solution portfolio, providing even greater flexibility for high-volume, high-performance environments.
“At CABSAT 2025, we’re bringing the full force of EditShare innovation,” said Tara Montford, Co-Founder and EVP of Sales at EditShare. “From blazing-fast performance to limitless scalability and smart automation, we’re empowering creative teams to tell bigger, bolder stories faster and from anywhere.”
EditShare staff will be on hand at CABSAT to talk about all of the latest enhancements, find out more on stand S1-D20 at CABSAT, or click here to get in touch.
About EditShare
EditShare is an Emmy Award-winning technology leader empowering storytellers with collaborative media workflows designed for on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments. Its scalable storage and collaboration solutions support media businesses at every stage of video production, from storyboard to screen.
With an open architecture, EditShare fosters workflow collaboration, third-party integrations, and content sharing across the entire production chain. Its high-performance, high-availability design meets the rigorous demands of media storage, management, and delivery. The comprehensive suite includes multi-tiered content storage for production and post-production, innovative asset and workflow management tools, specialized features for content review, secure preview of pre-release materials, and the creation of customized branded pitch reels, ensuring a seamless and secure media production process.
In the high-stakes world of media and entertainment, where million-dollar productions rely on collaboration with users dotted in different locations, the last thing you need is a cybersecurity breach to derail your project. Whether it’s leaked scripts, stolen footage, or unauthorized access to sensitive or valuable files, the threat landscape is evolving—and your storage solution could be the weak link.
Meet EFS: the media-engineered file system that guards your assets with the precision and security of the crown jewels in Buckingham Palace. Here’s why it’s the ultimate gold standard in media protection.
Layers of Defense: It’s Not Just Storage, It’s a Fortress
When it comes to protecting your media, EFS doesn’t settle for basic folder-level locks. Instead, it builds a fortress around your content with granular control over users and permissions. Think of it as putting layer upon layer of virtual walls between your assets and potential threats. Only authorized users can access what they need—nothing more, nothing less.
And it’s not just about keeping the bad guys out; unique, permission-based media spaces ensure that even internal collaborators only see what’s relevant to them. No accidental “oops” moments. No prying eyes. Total peace of mind.
SOC 2 Compliance: Trust Backed by Certification
For those who need proof that EditShare EFS walks the talk, the platform is SOC 2 certified. This means it meets the highest standards for data security and operational integrity. Whether you’re a film studio, a post-production house, or a media broadcaster, this level of compliance ensures you’re working with a storage solution that doesn’t compromise on safeguarding your data.
Real-Time Auditing: Your All-Seeing Eye
Ever wonder who touched what, when, and where? With real-time auditing, you no longer have to. EditShare EFS keeps meticulous logs of every interaction with your media and makes it accessible in real time. Whether it’s an editor downloading a file or someone attempting unauthorized access, you’ll know about it instantly. It’s like having a 24/7 surveillance system tailored for your storage.
This not only deters malicious behavior but also helps you stay proactive in preventing potential breaches. If someone even dreams of messing with your content, you’ll know about it before they finish their coffee.
Granular Control: A Tailored Security Blueprint
EditShare EFS takes user management to the next level with its granular control features. You can define access rights down to the tiniest detail, ensuring that every user gets the exact level of permission they need. No more worrying about the intern accidentally stumbling upon sensitive pre-release footage or the marketing team accessing files meant for post-production.
By creating customized permission levels, you reduce the risk of accidental leaks and simplify workflows without compromising security.
What If They Break Through?
Even in the event that someone is Indian Jones and got through everything, EFS fully supports CrowdStrike deployments on its nodes, providing world-class threat detection and response. It’s an added shield against even the most sophisticated cyber threats.
Why It Matters
From financial losses to reputation damage, the cost of a breach is too high. EditShare EFS puts walls between your content and cyber threats, letting you create in confidence.
Don’t leave your media’s security to chance. Let EditShare EFS protect your creativity and keep your projects safe from prying eyes.
As the product manager for EditShare FLOW, I’m passionate about building tools that make your work easier today and help you stay ready for tomorrow. That’s why we’ve moved from traditional desktop apps to a more flexible web-based platform, and why we created EditShare One. It brings everything together in one place, making FLOW easier to use, more accessible, and ready to grow with you so you can spend less time worrying about tech and more time creating great content.
One of the primary motivations for this shift was improving accessibility and remote collaboration. With client applications, users were required to install and maintain software on their local machines, which created barriers for remote teams and slowed down collaboration. Traditional desktop applications struggled with RAM, CPU limitations, and the sheer number of files in a project. As projects grew, managing large datasets on machines we didn’t control made it hard to ensure consistent performance. A browser-based platform removes these limitations, allowing users to access their workflows from any device, anywhere, without the need for installations. It now means everything is powered from the FLOW Node, an environment that we can control.
Beyond accessibility, reducing IT overhead was another major factor. Client applications require frequent updates, manual deployment across different operating systems, and ongoing maintenance, which places a heavy burden on IT teams and on our development team. We are constantly testing against a new version of OS, an example is Apple’s latest OS revision which caught most by surprise.
A web-based platform eliminates these dependencies, ensuring that users always have access to the latest version without requiring complex installations or system compatibility checks. This not only streamlines internal operations but also reduces downtime and technical support costs for our customers.
Scalability was a big factor for us. Our old system was modular, but it still needed a lot of backend setup and relied heavily on the client’s machine. By moving to a web-based platform, we can now focus on building the core parts of FLOW in a way that’s much easier to scale. At NAB 2025, we’ll be showing off some of those key building blocks starting with our enhanced Organise module.
From a user experience standpoint, consolidating FLOW functionality into a single web-based UI creates a more streamlined workflow. Users will have a designated log in screen that’s tailored exclusively for them. Previously, users had to navigate between multiple FLOW applications for logging, browsing, editorial, media management and QC. Now, with a browser-based platform, we can offer a centralized, intuitive interface with a single pane of glass that integrates all essential tools in one place. This improves workflow efficiency, eliminates the steep learning curve, for different UI’s for different processes and streamlines the entire user experience.
Finally, future-proofing FLOW was a major strategic consideration. Being able to bolt on emerging technologies such as Video and Audio AI was a key win for the ecosystem, making it easier to integrate these types of future innovations.
Ultimately, this transition was driven by the need to create a more flexible, scalable, and user-friendly product that aligns with the evolving needs of the media industry. By shifting away from traditional client applications, we are enabling; better workflows, shorter learning curves, more powerful collaboration, lower operational overhead, and a future-ready technology stack that positions our users for long-term success. If you haven’t tried the new FLOW tools lately you should.
Let’s be honest, post-production used to be a nightmare.
Endless stacks of USB hard drives, painfully slow file transfers, off-line on-line workflows , relinking media and that constant sinking feeling when you can’t find the footage you need. Every editor, producer, and creative pro has been there, asking, “Where did I save that file?” or “Why is this transfer taking forever?” The whole process has been clunky, stressful, and way more work than it should be.
But here’s the good news: cloud-based storage is changing everything
Not just any cloud solution, but one that’s built specifically for media professionals. That’s where EditShare FLEX comes in. Unlike generic cloud storage, FLEX is designed to handle high-resolution media, multi-user collaboration, and even remote editing. If you’re still stuck using outdated storage methods, you’re making things harder on yourself. It’s time to upgrade your workflow and free up your creative energy
Is Your Workflow Slowing You Down? Here’s Why It Might Be Time for a Change
Moving to cloud storage isn’t just about making life easier, it’s about getting rid of the roadblocks that slow down your work. Here’s why sticking to traditional methods might be holding you back:
Searching for Files Shouldn’t Feel Like a Wild Goose Chase
When your media is scattered across multiple hard drives and local storage, finding the right file can feel like digging through a haystack. It’s frustrating, time consuming, and completely unnecessary.
With EditShare’s EFS, everything is in one place organized in mediaspaces, easy to find, and instantly accessible (subject to permissions!), whether you’re at the studio or working remotely. No more wasted time. Just stress-free editing
Waiting for transfers wastes time and money
Large file transfers have long been the bane of post-production workflows. Traditional FTP, email attachments, and even some basic cloud solutions simply aren’t designed for massive media files. EditShare FLOW automation optimizes your transfers, ensuring that large files are sent, received, and accessible.
Collaboration should be simple, not stressful
When multiple editors, VFX artists, and producers are working on the same project, versioning nightmares are all too common. Who has the latest cut? Did someone accidentally overwrite the master file? With EditShare’s cloud-enabled collaboration, everyone is working from a single, centralized source of truth, no confusion, no lost work, and no last-minute panic.
How EditShare Future-Proofs Your Workflow
With FLEX, powered by EditShare EFS and FLOW, you’re not just moving to the cloud—you’re upgrading every part of your post-production workflow. Here’s what that looks like in action:
Work from Anywhere Whether you’re in the studio, at home, or on set, your team has secure, real-time access to all media assets. No more waiting, no more limitations—just seamless collaboration.
Storage That Grows With You Forget about running out of space. FLEX cloud storage scales with your needs, so you’ll never have to scramble for extra storage again.
Collaboration FLEX integrates directly with Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Avid Media Composer, letting you edit straight from the cloud without worrying about local storage.
Power When You Need It Spin up high-performance workstations whenever you need them and spin them down when you don’t, so you’re never paying for more than you use.
Smart, Secure, and Reliable Automatic backups, role-based permissions, and MediaSpace projects keep your files safe and accessible only to the right people.
With FLEX, you’re not just storing files, you’re streamlining your entire workflow and making post-production faster, easier, and more efficient.
The Industry is Moving Forward, Are You?
Sticking to outdated storage isn’t just frustrating, it’s slowing you down. Teams using cloud-based workflows work faster, collaborate better, and avoid unnecessary headaches.
With EditShare, you’re always ahead. No lost files, no long waits, no versioning chaos, just a smooth, efficient workflow.
The future of post-production is here. Ready to make the leap?
Collaboration with EditShare, Octopus Newsroom and Imagine Communications delivers a modernized, scalable newsroom environment
Boston, MA, 14 March2025 — EditShare, the technology leader that enables storytellers to create and manage collaborative workflows at every stage from storyboard to screen, today announced its role in revolutionizing Media Prima’s newsroom with an integrated workflow solution designed to enhance speed, efficiency, and scalability.
Media Prima, Malaysia’s largest integrated media company, operates multiple television networks, digital platforms, and print publications, serving millions of viewers and readers daily. This transformative project, delivered in collaboration with Octopus Newsroom and Imagine Communications, was spearheaded by systems integrator ACE Identity, resulting in a state-of-the-art newsroom workflow that supports the demands of modern news production.
At the core of the upgrade is EditShare’s EFS 450 High Availability storage system, providing scalable, high-performance shared storage that supports Media Prima’s demanding workflows. This is complemented by EditShare FLOW, a powerful asset management platform that organizes and facilitates content access across teams, acting as the backbone for collaboration and integration.
Imagine Communications ensures smooth and reliable playout, delivering high-quality content to audiences. Meanwhile, Octopus Newsroom enhances editorial planning and story management with an intuitive, journalist-centric approach. Together, these solutions empower Media Prima to deliver breaking news faster than ever, with streamlined workflows from content acquisition to final broadcast.
The new newsroom operates in full HD, supporting both file-based ingest from multiple camera vendors and baseband ingest for maximum content acquisition flexibility. Journalists can initiate story editing directly within the Octopus Newsroom interface using EditShare’s sequence-based editing tools, then finalize content in Adobe Premiere Pro through EditShare FLOW’s integrated Adobe panels. Files are then exported back to EditShare EFS, where Imagine Communications’ broadcast infrastructure takes control of newsroom rundowns for on-air delivery.
The newsroom transformation was spearheaded by ACE Identity, a trusted systems integrator specializing in broadcast solutions. Their expertise brought together the capabilities of EditShare, Imagine Communications, and Octopus Newsroom into a tailored solution that meets Media Prima’s requirements for speed, efficiency, and scalability.
“This project is a perfect example of EditShare’s open approach to media workflows,” said Tara Montford, Co-Founder and EVP Sales at EditShare. “We are proud to work alongside best-of-breed technology providers such as Octopus Newsroom and Imagine Communications to deliver a solution that meets the unique needs of Media Prima. By collaborating openly with industry leaders, we ensure our customers benefit from the most flexible, efficient, and scalable workflows possible.”.
EditShare is an Emmy Award-winning technology leader, supporting storytellers through collaborative media workflows across on-premise, cloud and hybrid architectures. It offers scalable storage and collaboration for media businesses and at every stage of the video production process from storyboarding to screening.
The software is inherently open, encouraging workflow collaboration, third-party integrations and content sharing across the entire production chain. Where required, the software is backed by high performance, high availability designed specifically for the demands of media storage, management and delivery. The comprehensive offering covers multi-level content storage for production and post, along with innovative asset and workflow management software, plus specialized and highly valued tools for content review and distribution, the creation of customized and branded pitch reels, and secure preview of high-value pre-release content.
Press Contact Katharine Guy katharine.guy@editshare.com
From ultra-fast storage to AI-powered media management, EditShare’s latest advancements set new standards for workflow efficiency
Boston, March 11, 2025 – EditShare, the leading name in collaborative media workflows, is set to make waves at NAB 2025 (booth SL4216, Las Vegas Convention Center, 6 – 9 April) with exciting new innovations that will redefine media storage, workflow efficiency, and AI-driven content management.
Following on from the Ultimate series well-received debut at IBC 2024, EditShare’s latest advancements will now make their U.S. premiere in Las Vegas. Attendees can expect a firsthand look at the next generation of media storage solutions, offering remarkable speed and scalability to support a variety of production environments. Whether it’s boutique post-production studios or major broadcast networks, EditShare’s latest solutions are designed to empower creative teams with unparalleled performance and workflow efficiency, backed by powerful security features.
Beyond storage, EditShare is rolling out significant upgrades to its intelligent media management tools. These enhancements will streamline how media professionals handle, process, and locate their assets making workflows faster, smarter, and more intuitive.
Clients will see noticeable gains in speed and performance across the entire product line, alongside major OS upgrades that improve reliability and ease of use. And with new, competitive pricing, EditShare is making high-end media solutions more accessible than ever before.
One of the must-see demonstrations at NAB 2025 will showcase the direct integration of EditShare’s high-performance NVMe storage with cutting-edge film scanning technology from Lasergraphics. This live presentation will highlight the system’s ability to handle high-resolution media, reinforcing EditShare’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
“Our goal has always been to give media professionals the tools they need to create, collaborate, and deliver with ease,” said Brad Turner, Chief Executive Officer of EditShare. “The advancements we’re bringing to NAB 2025 demonstrate our dedication to helping our customers stay ahead of the curve. With faster speeds, smarter workflows, and better value, we’re changing the game.”
Visitors to NAB 2025 are encouraged to stop by EditShare’s booth for live demonstrations and an exclusive look at the future of media workflows.
For more information on EditShare solutions, please click here to get in touch. Or book a meeting with us at the show here.
About EditShare
EditShare is an Emmy Award-winning technology leader empowering storytellers with collaborative media workflows designed for on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments. Its scalable storage and collaboration solutions support media businesses at every stage of video production, from storyboard to screen.
With an open architecture, EditShare fosters workflow collaboration, third-party integrations, and content sharing across the entire production chain. Its high-performance, high-availability design meets the rigorous demands of media storage, management, and delivery. The comprehensive suite includes multi-tiered content storage for production and post-production, innovative asset and workflow management tools, and specialized features for content review, secure preview of pre-release materials, and the creation of customized branded pitch reels, ensuring a seamless and secure media production process.
Press Contact Katharine Guy katharine.guy@editshare.com
Knowing When It’s Time to Refresh
Storage systems don’t fail overnight. They wear down, slow down, and eventually, they stop keeping up with your workflow. The tricky part is recognizing when that tipping point is near.
Maybe you’re noticing that issues are becoming more frequent. Maybe your team doesn’t trust the system enough to work at full speed. Or maybe you’re just hoping that nothing critical fails before you can budget for an upgrade.
The challenge isn’t just dealing with aging hardware—it’s knowing when “good enough” isn’t actually good enough anymore. So, how do you know it’s time for a refresh?
Regardless of which shared storage solution you use (EditShare’s or someone else’s), this is our take on the key signs to watch for, the questions you should be asking, and how to think about when it’s time to refresh your system.
What Happens to a Storage System After 5-7 Years?
It’s not just about age—it’s about workload. A production storage system isn’t just sitting there. It’s constantly reading, writing, rewriting, fragmenting, and filling up with massive files. And after 5-7 years, a few things start happening:
1. The Hardware Wears Down (And Becomes a Bigger Risk)
Storage systems aren’t built to last forever. Drives spin millions of times, SSDs wear out, and cooling fans run 24/7. Eventually:
Drives start failing. Even enterprise-grade HDDs have a finite lifespan, and after years of non-stop use, failure rates start to climb. The real risk isn’t just one drive failing—it’s multiple failures happening too close together, putting your media at risk.
RAID protection isn’t bulletproof. Most systems ship with RAID 6, which can tolerate two failed drives. But when a drive fails, it takes time to rebuild, and during that time, the system is vulnerable. If another drive fails mid-rebuild, data loss is a real possibility.
Rebuilds stress the system. The very process of recovering from a failed drive puts extra strain on the remaining disks, making cascading failures even more likely.
Think about it like a car that’s been idling for years without ever turning off. At some point, parts start wearing out. And the older it gets, the harder it is to find replacements. That brings us to the next issue…
2. Performance can potentially drop (Even If You Haven’t Noticed Yet)
At first, the slowdown is subtle. Then one day, you realize renders are taking twice as long. Here’s why:
File fragmentation increases. Video files aren’t small. Over time, data gets scattered across drives, making read/write speeds slower.
Capacity gets tighter. Running at 80-90% storage usage? That alone can slow performance by 50% or more.
New formats push old systems past their limits. Your storage was built for yesterday’s workflows. Today, it’s handling higher resolutions, heavier codecs, and larger files than it was ever designed for.
Software moves faster than hardware. Your system may technically still run, but much like a 7-year-old phone trying to run the latest OS, performance drops as software evolves beyond what your hardware was built to handle.
Bottom line: If your team is fighting dropped frames, sluggish exports, and unexpected slowdowns, your system isn’t keeping up.
3. You’re Probably Out of Support (And That’s a Risk You Don’t Want to Take)
Most storage systems have a support lifecycle. Once you’re past that window:
No more firmware updates. Security vulnerabilities pile up.
No guaranteed replacement parts. Older systems rely on components that may no longer be available.
No vendor support if things go sideways. At some point, you’re on your own.
And even if your system technically can run the latest software, newer features and updates are designed to perform best on newer hardware. The result? A system that once felt “screaming fast” starts feeling sluggish and outdated.
So How Do You Know It’s Time to Refresh?
It’s usually not one big thing—it’s a series of little frustrations that add up. Here’s what to watch for:
1. The Work Feels Slower
Video production isn’t just about skill – it’s about momentum. The best teams move fast – ideas flow, cuts come together, the energy is high. But old, slowing systems can easily kill momentum.
Like any form of electronic storage, media spaces can become overloaded, especially when they become a “dumping ground.” Millions of objects relegated to a project can make bootup, searching, and waiting for screens to load slower and more frustrating.
If your colorist spends more time fighting dropped frames than actually grading, your system is slowing you down.
If your render queue has turned into an overnight hostage situation, your system is slowing you down.
Unfortunately, this situation rarely improves on its own. Cameras aren’t getting less powerful. Files aren’t getting smaller. If your system is already limping, it’s not going to miraculously keep up with next year’s workflows.
2. When Downtime Becomes “Normal” (And the Bigger Problems You Don’t See)
Every production team has dealt with a crash at the worst possible moment. It happens. But when slowdowns, dropped frames, and storage bottlenecks stop being a rare annoyance and start feeling like part of the job, that’s when you have a real problem.
When your team saves after every small change because they don’t trust the system to hold up.
When “try restarting it” is the first response to any hiccup.
When a simple export means crossing fingers and hoping for the best.
3. When Your System Stops Fitting the Way You Work
It’s easy to think of a system refresh as a “nice to have”—until one day you realize your setup is actively making things harder instead of easier.
Your storage architecture was built for on-prem workflows, but half of your team is remote now.
Your editors keep running out of space because the system wasn’t designed for today’s file sizes.
Your infrastructure was optimized for HD, but you’re working in 4K and beyond—and it’s showing.
The Risk No One Talks About: Team Morale is Built on What You Tolerate
Nobody’s walking out the door just because you stretched your storage system another year. But every decision you make about your tech stack sends a message—whether you mean it to or not.
If the system is slow, unreliable, and frustrating—and everyone knows it—what does it say when leadership shrugs and moves on?
At the end of the day, you encourage what you tolerate.
Keep tolerating lag, breakdowns, and workarounds, and you’ll get more of them.
The only question is: How much longer are you willing to put up with it?
University Invests in High Performance NVMe and Nearline Storage
Boston, MA, 13 December 2024 — Leeds Trinity University, recently ranked No. 1 in the UK for Journalism by The Guardian’s University Guide 2025, has enhanced its media production capabilities with cutting-edge EditShare technology, delivered in collaboration with channel partner Altered Images. The new system, built on the elite performance of EFS NVMe architecture, coupled with new nearline EFS nodes, provides exceptional breakthrough performance and scalability to meet the university’s growing media demands. This investment underscores the university’s commitment to equipping its students with leading-edge professional-grade tools for modern content creation.
In response to demands for increased bandwidth and performance for more simultaneous creative users, Leeds Trinity University sought a solution that combined cost-effectiveness with breakneck performance. The decision to select EditShare technology was influenced by the company’s proven track record of providing reliable media engineered production storage nodes previously implemented at the University.
EditShare Technology at Leeds Trinity University
The upgrade was driven by the need to handle more high-resolution media streams and support more simultaneous users. The advanced high-performance NVMe architecture, optimized by EditShare’s media-aware EFS file system, delivers the bandwidth and low-latency access required to easily handle these demands. Complementing this, EditShare’s EFS near-line system delivers robust data protection with reliable daily incremental backups. Additionally, the platform’s compatibility with a wide array of creative applications ensures efficient collaboration and media management across diverse environments.
The system, which went live in September, has already delivered transformative results for Leeds Trinity University’s media operations. The enhanced bandwidth allows more users to access the system without compromising performance and the daily backups ensure data security and continuity.
“The recent classification by The Guardian as the No. 1 University in the UK for Journalism is in large part due to the wonderful facilities we provide, of which EditShare is central,” said Mark Willett, Media Facilities Manager at Leeds Trinity University. “We are thrilled to be the first university in our region to embrace this cutting-edge technology. Our new EditShare system not only improves our capabilities but also underscores our commitment to providing students and staff with the best possible resources to achieve their goals.”
“This investment exemplifies the innovative and cost-efficient approach that we strive to support with our solutions,” said Sean Bradley, RSM for Northern Europe, EditShare. “They are designed to empower institutions and organizations to meet their media management challenges with confidence, enabling them to focus on supporting creativity and collaboration.”
EditShare is an Emmy Award-winning technology leader, supporting storytellers through collaborative media workflows across on-premise, cloud and hybrid architectures. It offers scalable storage and collaboration for media businesses and at every stage of the video production process from storyboarding to screening.
The software is inherently open, encouraging workflow collaboration, third-party integrations and content sharing across the entire production chain. Where required, the software is backed by high performance, high availability designed specifically for the demands of media storage, management and delivery. The comprehensive offering covers multi-level content storage for production and post, along with innovative asset and workflow management software, plus specialized and highly valued tools for content review and distribution, the creation of customized and branded pitch reels, and secure preview of high-value pre-release content.
About Altered Images Altered Images is a leading provider of technology solutions for the media and entertainment industry, specializing in system design, installation, and support. As a trusted EditShare channel partner, Altered Images brings expertise and personalized service to every project, ensuring clients achieve their operational goals with confidence. https://alteredimages.com/
