Enabling Next-Generation Fan Experiences with Quantum Storage

The NBA’s Sacramento Kings team continuously creates in-game and between-game video content to captivate fans in and outside Golden 1 Center. The AV and production group needed a storage solution that could support a 4K workflow and make it easy to find and reuse stored content.

Since its opening in 2016, Golden 1 Center has seamlessly blended technology, sustainability and entertainment – becoming known as the most technologically advanced and most sustainable arena in the world. To create this technically innovative arena, the Kings included powerful wireless connectivity, 360-degree sound, and a giant, center-hung 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) LED video board—the largest in the NBA. The Kings’ AV and production team delivers in-game content for that video board while also producing a variety of additional content, including online game highlights and promotional materials to continuously engage fans.

Preparing for 4K
Prior to the Kings’ move into the new arena, the AV and production team decided to transition to a new storage solution—one that could provide the capacity for enormous amounts of HD and 4K video. “We capture video for 41 home games a year,” says Brian Plumb, Vice President of AV and Production for the Kings. “We knew that moving to 4K would generate two to three terabytes of data per game. We needed a scalable solution that would let us store and archive this fast-growing volume of content.”

The solution also had to help archive 50 years of older content and accelerate the process of retrieving stored content. “We frequently reuse older content online and in promotional materials,” says Plumb. “Locating a clip without having to scrub six hours of video is critical.”

Selecting an Integrated Quantum and CatDV Solution
After evaluating a variety of storage and media asset management (MAM) systems, the AV and production team selected Quantum storage with CatDV asset management. “Quantum has a very video-centric workflow,” says Plumb. “Using a Quantum solution, we saw that we could find what we need through an integrated MAM system, pull it up in that unbroken stream, and start working on it right away.”

The Quantum and CatDV solutions have become part of fully integrated 4K production and post-production workflows at Golden 1 Center. The AV and production team uses 4K cameras on the floor to capture live action and eight networked workstations running Adobe Premier to edit video. Editors use CatDV to find content within the Quantum StorNext environment.

Accelerating Content Retrieval
The integration of Quantum storage and the CatDV MAM system helps speed retrieval of stored content. “We have years of Kings footage archived,” says Plumb. “With the MAM system, we know where everything is. Whenever we need to retrieve content, the recall process is simple and fast. For content stored in standard definition, we can pull a whole game back from a tape in the Quantum library in a matter of minutes.”

Improving Reliability and Enhancing Efficiency
“The Quantum solution has been a rock. From nearline storage to the tape archive, I’ve never had a problem,” says Plumb. “I can use the recent content right off the spinning disks, and if I have to go back a few years, it’s no time at all to retrieve content from the LTO tapes. These solutions give us an extremely efficient, reliable way to produce engaging content.”

Facilitating Collaboration
The Quantum StorNext file system provides a single, global namespace that streamlines access to content and enables easy collaboration. “In the past, our editors had stacks of disk drives sitting on shelves. There was no easy way to find or share content,” says Plumb. “With StorNext, we can have several editors working on the same project at the same time—it’s a very efficient way to collaborate.”

Preparing for Future Growth
As the AV and production team continues to amass new 4K content, the Quantum solution provides cost-effective scalability. “We plan to upgrade to half a terabyte of usable spinning disk and LTO 7 drives,” says Plumb. “That should hold us until a cloud archive becomes a viable option for us economically. We know that Quantum is helping streamline integration with cloud storage, so we have confidence that we’ve future-proofed our environment by choosing Quantum.”