Data archiving is not something most of us want to think about, but it's a reality that all filmmakers have to face today. The demand for lower compression and higher resolution material is increasing, meaning that we all eat through hard drives much faster. On the bright side, archiving is getting easier and more affordable all the time. The LTO tape format has become the standard for data archiving in our business, and the new LTFS (Linear Tape File System) makes it easy to use. One downside of an LTO deck setup is that it is usually tied to a full computer workstation. That's where mLogic's mTape comes in.

The Sony PXW-FS7 is causing a lot of buzz, and with good reason, since it can acquire multiple resolutions and codecs. The XDCA-FS7 is an extension unit that attaches to the back of the FS7, providing inputs and outputs, as well as the ability to export Raw for external recording.

Although 4K compressed recording is still in the works for the Phantom Flex4K, you can now use Convergent Design's Odyssey 7Q and 7Q+ to capture high-speed 4K playback from the Phantom camera.

Convergent Design has just announced the new Odyssey7Q+, the replacement for the popular Odyssey7Q recorder. While the main feature set remains identical, the 7Q+ adds an HDMI 1.4b input for additional frame rate and resolution capabilities.

Today Arri announced that they will offer a new software upgrade for the AMIRA, which will allow it to record ProRes Ultra HD files (at a resolution of 3840x2160). The upgrade is expected to be available for purchase at the online Arri License Shop by the end of 2014.

Apple just released Final Cut Pro 10.1.2, which has a host of new features including improved media management tools, Rec709 LUT support for Log footage (Arri, Sony, Canon, and Blackmagic cameras), 3DLUT support for the Arri AMIRA, and support for their new ProRes 4444 XQ codec.

With today's latest technologies, "4K" has become more than a buzzword and interest in acquiring in 4K is growing. Recently, I wrote an article for ProductionHub's new 4KHUB discussing my experience with the Producers Guild of America and how they wanted to understand the deeper implications of a 4K workflow. To make things clearer, I touched on data space requirements, recording simultaneously in 4K and HD, LUTs, external recorders, and more.

The Phantom Flex4K camera has been out in the world since the beginning of this year and workflow support for the files created by the camera has been steadily increasing. Some significant transfer speed records are being achieved and breakthroughs in workflow support from 3rd party companies are now being implemented.

Convergent Design's Odyssey7Q is a versatile recorder/monitor that's a perfect match for the Canon C500. The Odyssey7Q acts as a great onboard monitor and is capable of recording multiple formats from multiple cameras, but when paired with the C500, it allows for 4K Raw, 2K and HD external recording. What's especially useful with this combo is the ability to record 4K Raw externally, while at the same time recording HD internally with matched filenames.