ExaSAN System Configuration Example: Full Score Co., Ltd.

ExaSAN System Configuration Case Study: Full Score Co., Ltd.
ExaSAN System

Bringing 8K Closer as Pioneers

Full Score Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Full Score) provides high-quality video productions while reducing costs by conducting consistent video production from planning to production, direction, and final editing in video production work. They are also pioneers in high-definition video production, having been involved in 8K video content production since the company's establishment. While 8K test broadcasting is scheduled to begin in 2016, unlike 4K content that can be remastered from past film footage, 8K content must be prepared in 8K from the source material, and there are already concerns about content shortage.

Tetsuya Ichikawa of Full Score says, "It's not always necessary to have an expensive system to produce high-definition video. We believe it's necessary to take the lead in developing a low-cost system environment for producing 8K content and expand the base to production companies."

High Cost Performance Meeting Measured Values of 6,400MB/s

This is where they focused on the disk storage ExaSAN developed and manufactured by Taiwan's Accusys. Unlike conventional connections such as FC and iSCSI, it directly connects the PCI-Express (PCIe) bus of servers and workstations to storage, an innovative idea that caught Ichikawa's interest with its high I/O performance exceeding 2,000MB/s from a single unit while using SATA HDDs as internal disks.

They immediately borrowed four units of ExaSAN's top model A16S3-PS and prepared a test environment with actual machines. By parallel processing (striping) with four ExaSANs connected to one workstation, they achieved a system-wide throughput of 6,400MB/s and successfully played back 8K 60P uncompressed video. "We can't do it right away because the output environment isn't ready, but this will eventually allow us to preview and screen 8K videos," says Ichikawa.

TID Solution

Thunderbolt Share Storage Promising New Possibilities

Not limited to 8K, there are many cases where content needs to be shared from multiple editing machines during video production. Currently, storage is connected to only one workstation, and content sharing is done through that workstation. This is why they are also interested in ExaSAN's latest model A16T2-Share, which allows storage sharing via Thunderbolt connection. "Next, I'd like to try this Thunderbolt share storage on a Mac and explore new uses and possibilities," says Ichikawa.

While already handling multiple 8K content productions, they never stop researching to aim for better environments. This comes from their passionate dedication to video production and 8K. At the end of the interview, Ichikawa concluded: "Of course, HD and 4K are important, but we want to focus on 8K with passion and a sense of mission. For ExaSAN as well, we hope that in the future it will be able to handle native editing of uncompressed sequential still images."

Full Score Co., Ltd.

Address: Shimada Building 4F, 2-25-2 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Established: June 1, 2012
URL: http://full-score.co.jp/

Business Activities:

  • Planning, production, and editing of programs for television, radio, internet, and mobile devices
  • Planning and production related to video projects
  • Planning, management, direction, and implementation of event projects
  • Worker dispatch business

Major Works:

  1. Technology Open 2015 8K Satellite Broadcasting Experiment (8K Super Hi-Vision live broadcasting)
  2. NHK Taiga Drama "Hanamoyu" PV (8K Super Hi-Vision PV content production)
  3. 63rd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (8K Super Hi-Vision live viewing & content production)
  4. Distant Worlds music from FINAL FANTASY THE JOURNEY OF 100 (Blu-ray/VOD direction and editing)
  5. "Small Restaurant Wakako" Tosa-style Hospitality Come and See, Try It, It's Great (Program planning, production, direction, and editing)

CEO Ichiro Shimada

Ichiro Shimada

The video market is shifting from 2K → 4K → 8K, and we will be required to deliver even higher quality and speed than before. ExaSAN demonstrated high reliability and performance in verifying editing with 8K materials.

Tetsuya Ichikawa

Tetsuya Ichikawa