Case Study: SPEED achieves a high-velocity, all-HD file-based broadcast workflow with DataDirect Networks

Racing to Transition to HD, Speed Needed a High Velocity File-Based Workfl ow for Flawless Ingest, Edit & Play-Out

SPEED, part of the FOX Cable Networks family and a leading U.S. motorsports channel, needed to move quickly from an SD, tape-based operation to an all‑HD, file‑based workflow for a new 55,000 sq. ft. facility. Engineering had to design a system that would ingest content directly into a SAN, create low‑res copies for editing, support Dalet transfers for roughly 75 concurrent users, and be on air within weeks—while avoiding transcoding bottlenecks, dropped frames and costly manual steps.

Fox chose DDN storage with Dalet to deliver a high‑performance, scalable solution (about 100TB) that supports nearly 200 clients and a dozen+ Final Cut Pro bays. The system enables parallel ingest/clip/edit/transcode/play‑out, eliminated routine tape use, gave editors instant shared access to content, reduced operating costs and risk of dropped frames, and made multi‑platform distribution (VOD, mobile) and future growth straightforward.

SPEED