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When is storage not simply storage? Today’s storage is now becoming a highly important connectivity hub to help speed up your workflows.
The LaCie 1big Dock SSD. Image: LaCie.
When it comes to storage media the idea behind it is pretty simple. At a basic level there’s a choice between HDDs and SSDs and single drives or RAID systems. These are then connected up to our computers and they’re ready to store or back up any of the files we deal with.
But when it comes to getting the very best performance out of a storage system in a world that now requires us to work with video files upwards of 8K in resolution, the humble storage system needs to become so much more than just a place for files.
It needs to be capable of the utmost reliability over the long term, and increasingly it needs to become a central hub for device connectivity.
Today’s cameras use a multitude of different card types, from SD to CFast 2.0, CompactFlash and CFexpress. When you need to be prepared to take any one of these types of media your desktop can become cluttered with all the different readers that are required. These take up space, they can be inconvenient, and they take up the ports on your edit machine.
With all this in mind, surely there is a way that cable clutter can be drastically reduced while giving you all the storage and connectivity you need in one place?
Enter the LaCie 1big Dock and 1big Dock SSD Pro
The LaCie 1big Dock SSD Pro is an NVMe based storage system that does just this. It has been designed for the most challenging professional use, providing blistering speeds of up to 2800MB/s using a Seagate FireCuda NVMe SSD. That’s the ability to transfer 160GB of footage in 60 seconds to you and me.
The LaCie 1big Dock SSD Pro. Image: LaCie.
For users who prioritise storage space over speed, the 1big Dock uses Seagate IronWolf Pro HDDs to provide high performance and large capacities up to 16TB at an affordable price.
But it’s the connectivity on offer that sets these two drive systems apart from the competition. Designed by multiple Red Dot Design winner and industrial designer Neil Poulton, the 1big Dock and 1big Dock SSD Pro gives users all-in-one hubs to transfer footage from the latest generation of camera media, connect to ultra-high resolution monitors up to 8K in resolution, and even charge your laptop.
The self-cooling aluminium enclosure and thermoregulated fan ensures that, sustained reliability is maintained for the long haul, giving you peace of mind over your data.
For professional users the 1big Dock SSD Pro comes complete with two Thunderbolt 3 ports for daisy chaining up to six devices and device charging as well as a USB 3.0 port for docking or charging mobile devices. A DisplayPort 1.4 connector caters for monitors up to 8K resolution at 60hz, while card slots for professional media will accept CFexpress, CFast 2.0 and SD cards.
Card slot connectivity on the LaCie 1big Dock SSD Pro. Image: LaCie.
The 1big Dock gives them all the same connectivity, DisplayPort 1.4, and SD card capabilities of the SSD Pro version, but with CompactFlash card slots instead of CFexpress and CFast 2.0, that will suit both semi-pro and professional users alike.
With the connectivity on offer, gone are the days when you need to search high and low for that elusive card reader, or juggling the ports on your computer. Not only do the 1big Dock systems give you extra connectivity, they also free up the existing ports on your machine, keeping your desktop tidier and free from messy cables.
With LaCie’s patent pending Power Pass-Through feature the 1big Dock system can use its Thunderbolt 3 daisy chain port for up to 70W of power delivery. If you don’t use the Power Pass Through, regular connections to your computer provide up to 45W of charging without a daisy chain. With a daisy chain, charging goes up to 30W.
Thunderbolt 3 ports on the 1big Dock SSD Pro. Image: LaCie.
It is clear that as we move forward and video files become ever larger our storage systems need to keep pace both in terms of speed and when it comes to media management. With choice between the 1big Dock and the 1big Dock SSD Pro users now have a media hub storage solution to suit a wide range of budgets as well as being ready for the new generation of 8K-capable devices.
For more information about the 1big Dock and 1big Dock SSD Pro visit the LaCie website.
Tags: Post & VFX Technology Production
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