Anybody using Facilis Terrablock?

[Ben Holmes]

Dan

We have recently purchased and installed the smaller Terrablock for use in our newer edit truck, where it serves two HD systems.

I would be lying if I said we have extensively tested or pushed the system yet, however it has been bench tested and installed and used in a limited manner in situ. So far we have not had any problems, and the system was straightforward to install and configure.

I found the idea and concept for the Terrablock to good the pass on – time will tell if it lives up to the promise, although I understand that others have had problems with earlier versions of the software that runs on it. Facilis seem commited to a program of software improvements, so that may explain why we have found the system better than others.

Sorry to appear vague – we are crazily busy, and I won’t have time to assess it further until September when the truck is in regular use, or sooner if certain jobs come to pass, when I will have to prove it beyond reasonable doubt…

One further note – the system has a great degree of scalability, which may well appeal to you based on your requirements.

Ben

Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd

EVS & FCP specialists for live broadcast.

OB Server 1 HD – Mobile FCP editing done right.
https://www.editecuk.com/OBServer2.html

[Dan Riley]

Thanks Ben.
I’m just gathering info today and your input was helpful.

Dan

[Mark Maness]

Well, Dan…

I can tell you from experience. We’ve been using our 6 TB 12D for a year now without any problems. It has only crashed once and it was due to a software issue that was updated about an hour after the crash. That was six months ago and no issues since. Very very tough product. I would highly recommend a Facilis TerraBlock to anyone.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com
https://blogs.creativecow.net/waynecarey

[Ben Holmes]

Thanks Wayne

Good to hear from someone with more time under his belt. We also have a 12D. It’s reassuring to know that my impressions so far are representative of yours – particularly with regard to the company’s commitment to software etc.

Ben

Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd

EVS & FCP specialists for live broadcast.

OB Server 1 HD – Mobile FCP editing done right.
https://www.editecuk.com/OBServer2.html

[Dan Riley]

Wayne and Ben,
Are you seeing speeds and number of streams available for editing
close to what Facilis was marketing the unit to do?

Dan

[Ben Holmes]

Our tests with two workstations are pretty much on the money. Both our systems have dual channels available, so there’s plenty of bandwidth for uncompressed HD. I liked the fact that the system is purchased with the number of fibre channels you actually require, and that you can allocate them based on need. It’s a flexible and easy to manage system – I can’t carry an IT specialist around with the truck. With the Terrablock you just switch it on..

Be happy to publish some speed tests, but I am away for the next two weeks.

Ben

Editec Broadcast Editing Ltd

EVS & FCP specialists for live broadcast.

OB Server 1 HD – Mobile FCP editing done right.
https://www.editecuk.com/OBServer2.html

[Walter Biscardi]

[Danrnw] “We’re looking at this versus going for
local storage like we do now, but with with 8 bay CalDigit or Sonnet RAID systems.

Anyone have experience with Facilis systems?”

We’ve tested the Sonnet and MaxxDigital 8bay solutions are both are excellent. I’m testing the Dulce 8bay solution and it’s working well so far too.

Facilis is absolutely top of the line when it comes to Fibre though. I really considered it, but just can’t justify the cost on it. But no doubt, if you want to go fibre, that is the class of the field.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Chuck Spaulding]

We just completed a DVCProHD show that included just about every format known to man using three FCP 5.1.4 edit bays. It was a nightmare.

Not so much because of the performance difference between FW, SCSI and Fiber channel [though there are some real issues there too] but more because of the incessant back-ups and transferring of data.

Walter, are any of the drives your looking at, the MaxxDigital for example, a shared storage solution?

Has anyone used any shared storage solution that wasn’t fiber channel based and if so how well did it work and how much did it cost?

Wayne, how many NLE’s do you have attached to the 12D? Also, if you wouldn’t mind letting me know approximately how much you paid for the 6TB 12D.

Anyone in the Los Angeles area using this storage solution mind if I came by to “witness” how well it works first hand?

[Walter Biscardi]

[Chuck Spaulding] “Walter, are any of the drives your looking at, the MaxxDigital for example, a shared storage solution?”

The three I mentioned are all SAS / SATA arrays. Stand alone boxes.

I’m hoping to test the ProMax FibreMax box before we make our final decision which is a shared storage solution.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Mark Maness]

Let’s just say that we haven’t choked it yet! We have two edit stations that edit HD all of the time this year and its worked amazingly well.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com
https://blogs.creativecow.net/waynecarey