Sony's new RAIDs offer speedy transfer rates for 4K content

6TB of joy
6TB of joy

If you're hoping to transfer demanding loads of data quicker, Sony has a new lineup of RAID products designed for you. Small businesses and video production professionals will be particularly excited for these disks, which bring 4K content transfers to small businesses and individuals that deal with tons of data.

The two portable disks come in 6TB and 4TB capacities that are capable of handling 4K content workloads. The PSZ-RA4T (4TB) and PSZ-RA6T (6TB) offer read/write transfer speeds up to 440MB/s.

You can chain up to six of these disks via Thunderbolt to create a massive storage network of up to 36TB. Each unit is built in a durable chassis that can handle shocks and vibration – ideal for organizations that require data transfer from off-site locations like factories and fields.

Why this is cool

Typical 4-6TB RAIDs can transfer low-format data at around 400MB/s. However, as the file sizes increase and move toward large-format content such as 4K video, these transfer speeds typically drop to about 110MB/s.

If the Sony units can read and write 4K data at anywhere close to the advertised 440MB/S, then you're looking at a major improvement, especially for units designed for small businesses and professional users.

Unfortunately, because this is just an announcement, we haven't tested the units. If the advertised transfer speed is close to its actual performance, this will be a victory for Sony.

A memory card too

Sony also introduced a 256GB memory card, the SxS PRO+, that can record up to 40 minutes of 4K footage.

This is memory card is designed to enable video professionals to transfer large amounts of content from recording locations to the studio for editing and long-term storage.

"As 4K content rapidly becomes a standard in the industry, the demand for larger capacity, mobile storage options has grown," said Bill Cubellis, Director of Professional and Storage Media Sales & Marketing at Sony Electronics, in a statement. "Sony's entry into RAIDs and higher capacity memory cards offer solutions that meet the needs of today's content creators, who require a fast, efficient, portable and dependable workflow, and the ability to store all of the action from a day's shoot in one place."

Availability

The RAID units will be available in November and the memory card will be available in October. Pricing for each unit has yet to be determined.