Barco NV

09/04/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/04/2024 08:34

Introducing Solid-State Drives (SSD) for the leading Cinema Media Server line up

Sep 4, 2024

Introducing Solid-State Drives (SSD) for the leading Cinema Media Server line up

5 min read

Barco brings solid-state drives (SSD) to its Alchemy media server (ICMP-X) family to deliver enhanced performance and at the same time expands the storage capacity.

Barco, as a global leader in cinema technology, is proud to support some of the biggest names in cinema around the world with its innovative and all-laser solution portfolio. The Barco Alchemy or Integrated Cinema Media Processor lives at the heart of over 25,000 projectors worldwide, helping to bring the movies we all love to the big screen. The integration of SSD storage into the Barco Alchemy promises read/write performance, improved reliability, and superior stability. The Barco cinema team is always seeking ways to support our customers. In this article we will dive deeper into the advantages of integrating SSD and doubling its capacity - for our customers and the movies.

What is SSD and how does it compare to HDD?

Here's the topline:

Solid State Drive (SSD) is a storage device that uses flash memory to store data, providing faster read and write speeds compared to traditional hard drives (HDDs) that operate like disks.

  • Typical HDD mechanical failures are eliminated - unlike HDDs - SSDs have no moving mechanical parts, making them more durable, more quiet, reliable, and less prone to physical damage.
  • Better Performance - thanks to the inherent benefits of SSD, data access is faster and system storage responsiveness is improved.
  • More sustainable - SSD storage consumes less energy and produces less heat compared to traditional HDD.

What does this mean for Cinema?

The transition to SSD storage marks a significant enhancement in media server performance, delivering better content ingestion, improved reliability and superior stability.

  • Improved ingestion: better storage performance and faster data access means improved ingestion of content to streamline operations, now without performance loss during DCP playout.
  • Improved reliability: the lack of moving parts in SSDs reduces the risk of mechanical failures of the storage, while also reducing noise, power consumption and heat generation
  • Superior stability: SSDs ensure consistent data access and smooth picture (DCP playout) and sound during ingestion and other file (transfer) operations.

Why is Barco making the move to SSD?

Barco's adoption of SSD technology in its media servers underscores its commitment to innovation and delivering top-tier solutions to cinema exhibitors. This upgrade significantly enhances user experience, provides a more efficient, dependable, and stable platform for media management and playback to our media server customers.

Why is Barco doubling its storage at the same time?

Barco sees a trend for more and more dynamic programming which requires a larger availability of movie content on the media server. Doubling the storage capacity and SSD technology allows for more storage and flexibility, also for ingesting DCP content on the fly, even during showtimes.

With doubling the storage capacity to 3x2TB and 3x4TB SSD disk space, the effective capacity of the ICMP-X in RAID5 configuration will be 4TB and 8TB respectively.

When will SSD be available?

As of September 1st 2024, all deliveries of Barco Alchemy media servers will include SSD.

Where can I learn more about the Barco Alchemy ICMP-X solution?

You can learn more about all of Barco's cinema solutions at https://www.barco.com/en/product/barco-alchemy-icmp-x where you can discover the key features and specifications for the Barco Alchemy ICMP-X.

Interested in learning how Barco's media server solutions, now with SSD, can work for you and your theater? Contact the team here.