The smart storage model for your video editing PC
Think of a RAID in your video editing PC as a storage solution that offers very high read and write speeds, provides large capacities and at the same time adds extra data security. Especially for demanding video projects, this is a decisive advantage.
Typically, an SSD is used for the operating system because it provides high system speed. The second storage area is used for storing projects, raw footage and video data. Here, several drives are often used in a RAID array to combine performance and security.
Large capacity and high speed for video data
SEGURO® RAID hard drives enable total capacities of up to 288 terabytes. These drives are available exclusively with a 5-year warranty. At the same time, you benefit from real-time access, high performance and a storage architecture that is particularly suitable for large projects.
Under Windows, RAID storage appears as a logical drive, for example as drive F:. This storage can be divided as required into several logical areas for photos, videos, projects or archives.
Advantages of a mass storage solution based on RAID
- Large capacities: up to 288 TB of storage space
- High speeds: over 2,000 MB/s
- Fault tolerance: data remains protected if one hard drive fails
- Flexible partitioning: several logical storage areas for different projects
- Suitable for 4K, 6K and 8K: optimized for high-resolution formats and RAW workflows
Which storage type makes sense for video editing?
The need for storage in the terabyte range has long been standard in professional video editing. Individual hard drives are only suitable to a limited extent because of the risk of failure. SSDs are very fast, but often costly at high capacities. For many real-time workflows, cloud storage is not a direct alternative.
Important criteria when choosing storage
- Speed: Fast SSD or RAID solutions are useful for the operating system, cache and data-intensive projects.
- Interface: Relevant interfaces include USB, eSATA, Thunderbolt, M.2, USB-C, iSCSI and AoE.
- Capacity: Depending on the workflow, projects must be edited at short notice or archived for the long term.
- Fault tolerance: RAID can help ensure that no data is lost if a hard drive fails.
Practical examples of RAID configurations
| Diagram | Description |
|---|---|
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With the removable hard drive frames integrated into the front panel, external footage, project data and archive media can be handled particularly quickly. The drives are accessible without tools. |
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RAID 5 combined with RAID 1: a combination of fast, fault-tolerant working storage for projects and a mirrored area for finished productions or archive data. |
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RAID 5 combined with RAID 1 and an archive hard drive: suitable for productions where additional physical archiving is planned. |
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RAID 5 combined with RAID 0: suitable for particularly bandwidth-intensive imports or temporary high-speed areas. |
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2 × RAID 5: two separate fault-tolerant RAID groups, usable for different projects or combined as RAID 10. |
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Large RAID 5 array: maximum fault-tolerant storage capacity for extensive project and media data. |
RAID 0 = striping without fault tolerance, very fast
RAID 1 = mirroring with fault tolerance
RAID 5 = fault-tolerant array from at least three hard drives
RAID 10 = combination of RAID 1 and RAID 0
RAID 50 = combination of RAID 5 and RAID 0
Why high data throughput is important for video editing
To play back and edit several high-resolution video tracks, the storage hardware must be selected carefully. Especially with uncompressed or only lightly compressed formats, storage speed determines whether work remains smooth and responsive.
VIDEOSTATION® systems are equipped with suitable video storage by default and can also be expanded externally. This makes storage speeds possible that standard PCs often cannot achieve.
Example number of parallel video streams
| Video Stream Type | RAID 0 | RAID 5 |
|---|---|---|
| DV (1 Stream = 3.6 MB/s) | 16 | 16 |
| DV50 (1 Stream = 7.2 MB/s) | 12 | 12 |
| DVCPRO HD 720p 59.94 | 9 | 9 |
| DVCPRO HD 1080i 29.97 | 16 | 14 |
| HDV 720p | 16 | 10 |
| HDV 1080i 29.97 | 8 | 8 |
| Uncompressed 8-bit NTSC | 12 | 8 |
| Uncompressed 10-bit NTSC | 12 | 8 |
| Uncompressed 8-bit 720 HD | 6 | 5 |
| Uncompressed 10-bit 720 HD | 4 | 3 |
| Uncompressed 8-bit 1080i HD | 3 | 2 |
| Uncompressed 10-bit 1080 HD | 3 | 2 |
| 2K (2048 × 1556) LOG RGB | 2 | 1 |
Further advantages of VIDEOSTATION RAID storage
- Fault tolerance: One hard drive can fail without the stored video data being lost.
- Alarm function: Acoustic and optical signals when a drive fails.
- Hot swap: Replacement of defective hard drives during operation.
- Monitoring: Management and control via browser-based tools.
Find the right video storage for your workflow
Would you like to know which combination of RAID, HSS, VRAID or external storage expansion best fits your software, your codecs and the size of your projects? We will be happy to advise you.
Frequently asked questions about RAID storage for video editing PCs
Why is RAID storage useful for video editing?
RAID storage combines high speed, large capacity and fault tolerance. This makes it particularly interesting for professional video editing with large volumes of data and high-resolution formats.
What advantages does RAID offer over individual hard drives?
A RAID array can provide higher data transfer rates, larger storage capacities and better failure protection than a single hard drive.
Is RAID storage also suitable for 4K, 6K and 8K video?
Yes. RAID and high-speed storage solutions are especially suitable for 4K, 6K and 8K workflows, because they provide high data rates and large storage capacities.