Replacing a “legacy sneaker-net set up”, the public broadcaster is centralizing content for all its TV, radio and web operations onto a single EditShare XStream EFS shared storage platform. This integrates EditShare Flow MAM and Ark Tape archiving for workflow from ingest to archive.

“To share media across groups, we had been copying content from one drive to another, which was incredibly time consuming,” comments Bob Cummings, chief engineer, WMHT Educational Telecommunications. “The new EditShare XStream EFS installation centrally stores our content – no more searching through drives for footage. It’s a huge time and physical space saver.”

According to EditShare, the high-performance, redundant architecture ensures that WMHT content is always available and that programs broadcast according to plan.

“Flow lets us automate several procedures, such as transcoding and indexing material,” adds Cummings. “No more waiting for media shot in the studio to be transcoded. We set Flow to automatically manage the studio ingest and transcode. Media is ready for editing the moment it hits the EFS storage server. What is really valuable about Flow for our non-post staff is that they can access the footage without having to find an available NLE or editor to assist. Producers can review their program footage, make simple cuts and send material off to the editor to be finalized. It’s a much more efficient way to collaborate on shows.”


To provide remote production capabilities and access to media, WMHT added AirFlow, EditShare’s web-based media management module, to the mix. Cummings explains, “We have an outside production company come up to Albany every couple of weeks to shoot for a few days in the studio with editing done back in NYC. With the new infrastructure, they will be able to record the content to the EditShare storage and access it externally using AirFlow, and they won’t have to wait for us to copy and send drives. The editor, who is located in NYC, can download the proxies as the shoot is underway and begin editing the project.”

Completing the workflow, WMHT installed EditShare Ark Tape for offline archiving. Integrated with XStream EFS, the tiered storage environment features automated backups and comprehensive media restoration capabilities, allowing WMHT to control media from ingest to archive.

Cummings states, “With content fully tracked and easily searchable, we are able to utilize our assets more efficiently across the board. Combined with the automation capabilities, we have removed the complicated technical processes and are better able to take advantage of emerging technologies such as EditShare’s Flow that continue to improve the quality of our production and our staff’s time.”