RED RAM now 96GB [Archive]

ChristopherKenworthy

07-23-2007, 06:07 AM

The RED RAM I've been looking forward to has always been listed as 64GB. It's still listed as 64GB in every place I've looked, including the Red store and the FAQ. I saw Ted speak last Weds morning (at the SMPTE Apple stand) and when he put up slides of RED-RAM, I recall seeing the figure of 96GB. I wrote this down in my notebook and circled it. I also wrote down the words, "One hour recording on Red Ram," because that's either what I saw on screen or what Ted said. If this is true, and the price stays the same, RED RAM is suddenly a much more attractive option. Any official news on this?

(If I dreamed this, forgive me, but I'd rather post a wildly optimistic thread than read another Junior member whining about the camera being a rip-off.)

Jeff Kilgroe

07-23-2007, 07:01 AM

The 96GB capacity has been mentioned in various presentations and whatnot, so that's kinda old news. But I don't think we have actually seen an official statement from RED yet. I'm thinking that they're playing with a 3x32GB 1.8" SSD configuration within the RED DRIVE enclosure, but that's just speculation. Either way, given the outlook on the 1.8" and 2.5" SSD markets, I would say that 96GB and even 128GB are entirely do-able by the end of this year. And there's a good bet that the 128GB versions could come in at a much lower price once the necessary components hit the mass market -- think sometime early 2008.

ChristopherKenworthy

07-23-2007, 07:08 AM

The 96GB capacity has been mentioned in various presentations and whatnot, so that's kinda old news.

Good to know it's real, then. I have to say that Ted bandied this about like it was old news. I'm just surprised that given the way every tiny, minute detail of the camera is logged and recorded and discussed here, that nobody's excited about an extra 32GB in RED RAM, or even seems to have mentioned/noticed the change. For me, this change makes RED-RAM much more suitable for the work I do, and I'll probably buy a couple.

JD Holloway

07-23-2007, 07:27 AM

128 ssd would be amazing. Especially if the controller was dip switchable from raid 0 to raid 1.

Chris Gearhart

07-23-2007, 07:31 AM

I'm just surprised that given the way every tiny, minute detail of the camera is logged and recorded and discussed here, that nobody's excited about an extra 32GB in RED RAM, or even seems to have mentioned/noticed the change. For me, this change makes RED-RAM much more suitable for the work I do, and I'll probably buy a couple.

Yeah, this makes it look more appealing. Especially as I'm now considering having one of my REDs have the optical port (thus no CF card option for it). First I've heard of it too.

Brook Willard

07-23-2007, 11:28 AM

...and the FAQ.

Please read the gigantic disclaimer in the FAQ... don't take the FAQ as a reliable or authoritative source of information.

As was said before, the 96GB thing has been mentioned in the past at events. Since I haven't seen it in print anywhere, I elected to stick with the 64GB size when writing the FAQ.

Rocco Schult

07-23-2007, 01:37 PM

technically spoken, I would assume its 2 x 48GB. Next common stripe-pattern is a 4way. And the key to productivity would probably be to keep the housing and electronics from the standard drive with a 2-way stripe incl. connectors etc.

Jeff Kilgroe

07-23-2007, 03:37 PM

ChristopherKenworthy

07-23-2007, 04:16 PM

Please read the gigantic disclaimer in the FAQ... don't take the FAQ as a reliable or authoritative source of information.

As was said before, the 96GB thing has been mentioned in the past at events. Since I haven't seen it in print anywhere, I elected to stick with the 64GB size when writing the FAQ.

Wise. Very wise. We all know how upset people can be when something is promised and then taken away or delayed.

But this certainly looks promising for RED-RAM. For myself, I'll not bother with a RED DRIVE if RED RAM is 96GB. On days when we shoot more than an hour, we'll have a handful of CF cards to top up.

Ted suggested that it would be possible to offload RED RAM to the laptop over lunch break, at a speed of 1:1 (one hour's footage takes one hour to offload), but I think I'd be too nervous to erase the morning's work just like that. Nevertheless, a 96GB RED RAM and a handful of CF cards is far more appealing than a RED DRIVE, just because it's solid state, and getting bigger all the time.

Rocco Schult

07-24-2007, 12:37 PM

I'm unaware of anyone currently offering 48GB SSD units... I know of 8, 16, 24, 32, 64, 72 and 160... "coming soon" products not withstanding. 4x24GB would most likely not fit in the RED DRIVE case, but maybe they can pack 4 of those 1.8" deals in there... Unless RED is stuffing a bunch of CF cards inside of one? Hmmmm...

And a RAID-0 or 3-way stripe is fairly common and works well.

I am not aware of 48GB either, but regarding the way I assume the system is built (2 x 2,5" drives striped), the only way I can think of. Could have been an announcement of SSDs with 4 12GB NAND chips or so. Didn't sound that unlogical when I wrote it, and I don't check memory developments everyday.
Regarding 3-way stripe, of course they work and I am aware of some - I think in IBM and Dell systems - but none of those I know are embedded hardware-types but advanced or completely configurable controllers. I assume easy setup in hardware-raid-0 requires 1x2 or 2x2 and I bet the controller in the RED-drive is a simple stripe/mirror DSP allowing to work with 2 drives. Look at all the LaCie stuff. All in pairs. But of course I might be wrong.

...a 96GB RED RAM and a handful of CF cards is far more appealing than a RED DRIVE, just because it's solid state, and getting bigger all the time.

As stated, I assume the RED-drive being a simple stripe-set with an embedded-raid controller-board. The rest is more or less simple and reliable hardware, solidly built. Assuming further there are simply 2 2,5" drives in it, they can be exchanged if you can handle a screwdriver.
Maybe even RED is offering an update service from Drive to RAM or RAM to RAM, so you don't have to ruin your warranty.
To make a long story short: Buy a drive Hdd based or in your case SSD-based and crossgrade/upgrade when larger chips are available.

Brook Willard

07-24-2007, 01:01 PM

Wise. Very wise. We all know how upset people can be when something is promised and then taken away or delayed.
It's just not my place to say uncertain things in a way that might be interpreted as fact. I'd hate for somebody to read something I wrote and take it as fact when - in reality - I'm reading the same posts from the RED guys that they are. Accordingly... the disclaimer and caution.