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IDC Streamlines Data Processing with AJA Diskover Media Edition
 

Preparing new and legacy entertainment for global audience distribution has grown increasingly complex between the widespread implementation of remote workflows, ongoing cybersecurity threats, and increasing media file sizes. To this end, secure and reliable post production and digital media processing services, like those offered by IDC, are essential. Between its New York and Los Angeles offices, the company works on projects spanning episodic series and films and master QCs. To best serve its global roster of clients, the bicoastal shop has developed automated data processing workflows, with AJA Diskover Media Edition data management software a key part of its infrastructure. 

“Our clients are our top priority, and a lot can happen in the render that might get missed in post, so our job is to spot those issues and fix them before the file reaches the client,” shared IDC-LA COO Rosanna Marino. “This often translates to a massive volume of data processing, which is where technology like AJA Diskover Media Edition pays off. It’s helped us meet this demand and enhance our offering so that we can stay competitive without a huge upfront physical infrastructure investment.”

It’s not unusual for IDC-LA to deliver more than 20,000 files a month to clients globally. As projects arrive, the team must know where each client file lives and its contents. To automate this process, Marino and team developed intelligent workflows built with Diskover Media Edition and MediaPulse. These workflows ensure that every file lands in a designated folder and determine the initial path a file must take until a team member steps in to set up profiles, create files, or complete QC. 

To speed up media processing and project turnaround, especially for projects containing data-rich content, the team creates profiles and accesses them from their Telestream Vantage system, and leverages the Colorfront Transkoder. Diskover Media Edition is leveraged in a variety of ways, depending on the client. Files generally roll in electronically and are fielded to a landing zone, at which point the appropriate team members are notified. Depending on where the files land, an automated backup might be generated in the cloud for disaster recovery. IDC producers then use Diskover Media Edition to signal to the team that it’s time to move the files to their next locations and alert relevant team members of their arrival. 

 

IDC LA Color Suite

“We knew Diskover Media Edition would be a great fit with built-in automation tools and ties to MediaPulse, and it exceeded our expectations. The software has also made file scanning so quick and automatically indexes all our file systems every 30 minutes,” noted Marino.

On the backend of IDC-LA’s AJA Diskover Media Edition index is the powerful and widely adopted ElasticSeach engine. “The ElasticSearch engine in AJA Diskover Media Edition is so powerful and lets us search for nearly anything, from tags to file names or parts of file names. We can even search for a client, and the software interface will present everything from that client, and we can then narrow the results,” explained Marino. “It also scans our cloud for disaster recovery, so our client service reps can search the index, easily find an asset they need, and send in a work order to pull it back down from the cloud when required.”

IDC-LA’s automated workflows have streamlined operations, giving its customer service representatives more insight into the data they’re working with and presenting it in clear and concise reports that can be shared with relevant stakeholders. There’s no need to ask the client where the files live because all the information is available in one centralized, easy to access location, whereas before, finding the file, sending it to an operator, pulling it up, and digging up the required info took a lot of back and forth. 

Marino concluded, “We aim to strike the right balance between thinking out-the-box and not reinventing the wheel. Simplicity and efficiency are key, and we’re continuously looking at new technologies like AJA Diskover Media Edition software that allow us to do things differently in a more streamlined way. We also love working with companies like AJA and Diskover, who are continuously improving the technology and are transparent about the product roadmap. The conversation is two-way; they’re willing to explore new requests with us, which is rare today.” 

For more details about AJA Diskover Media Edition, visit www.aja.com/aja-diskover-media-edition.

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