REDMOND, WA --(May 12, 2000)-- The Mediaset Group's Music Project is revolutionizing the way editors add audio to video productions through an innovative system that uses an ADIC(R) AML automated storage library as a central archive and a web interface as the data access engine.

Traditionally, finding audio content to support video productions is a time-consuming task. The normal audio library has hundreds or thousands of CDs and tapes stored on shelves. Editors find likely titles by browsing a database, someone finds the media and loads it, and the editor scans selections to find one that can be edited to work. The process has many opportunities for deadline-threatening delays. It can take several minutes to find the media and mount it--if it's tape, minutes more to find selections. Delays can run to hours if the media is being re-shelved, being used by someone else, or is misplaced.

When the Mediaset Group company Videotime designed the Music Project, its goal was to streamline this process for over a hundred editors, producers, and sound engineers in far-flung locations producing television content for three of Italy's leading broadcast channels. The revolutionary system they designed combines digital music files, an automated system for storing and accessing media, and a PC-based computer link. First, the analog tapes in the media collection were digitized and written to CDs. Then, all the CDs were stored in a robotically controlled automated library supplied by ADIC. The library, an AML model, has room for more than 14,000 CDs--roughly 14,000 hours of audio content. "With the library, the need for technicians or librarians to handle media is virtually eliminated," explained Marco Pellegrinato, head of Videotime's R&D engineering group. "CDs are loaded and shelved via software and bulk loading caddies. Individual disks are selected and inserted into any one of a dozen Plextor CD drives in less than ten seconds. Disks are re-shelved by the robot, eliminating mis-shelving delays."

When editors select a disk for screening over the company's high-speed, fiber-optic network or over ISDN lines, the disk is selected by the robot, loaded into a drive, and its contents are converted into MP3 format for fast transfer. As soon as part of the disk track is converted, the editor can begin screening content. The high speed of the system means that an editor anywhere on the network--miles away from the Milan studio--can begin screening content from any disk in the collection in less than 40 seconds. For frequently used selections, MP3 files are being stored in a 5,000-hour disk cache. For cached files, MP3 content is available in less than one second anywhere on the network. All the software tools that control the library caching and conversion operations were created by the Videotime engineers working with SHS Multimedia, the company that also provided system integration for the project.

After an editor or producer has selected the music needed from the MP3 version, they download full WAV digital files, edit them, create finished audio/video output, and then upload the finished content to the central library where it is stored as a new entry. "The new system, made possible by the AML automated storage library, has created a dramatically streamlined process that boosts editor and producer productivity by allowing them to save time on every project. Access time was reduced from about 30 minutes at a local studio to 40 seconds from any remote location," continued Mr. Pellegrinato. "Plans are currently being made to expand the system to handle digital video content as well, something made practical by the AML library's capacity to handle many types of media at once, including CDs, analog tapes, and digital tapes."

About Mediaset

The Mediaset Group, the holding company of the Fininvest Group's television activities, operates three national networks: Canale 5, Italian 1, and Retequattro. With more than 4,700 employees and 1998 consolidated revenues of 1,886.93 million euros (3,653.6 bn lire) and net profits of 284.45 million euros (550.8 bn lire), Mediaset is one of Europe's leading television companies.

About ADIC

With more than 60,000 automated tape libraries installed and a suite of innovative software solutions, ADIC is a leading global provider in the growing market to manage and protect information. The Company's storage management software products provide users with shared access to network data. A pioneer in Storage Area Networks, ADIC's OpenSAN solutions combine open-system SAN hardware and software with installation services and single-call support.

 

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