Text by Dr. Marc M. Batschkus
Infographic by Lana Tannir
LTO Tape is more attractive than ever and applicable in more circumstances.
In rapid succession, LTO-9 has appeared in addition to the already impressive LTO-8 tape standard.
What are the features and benefits of LTO-9? How do the LTO generations compare? What LTO tape should you choose for which application? These are some of the questions that arise. To simplify the comparison of LTOs and gain more insight, we prepared an infographic with all the important features and characteristics of the different generations.
Storing large amounts of data for mid- or long-term durations equals cost and organization. Storage cost has been decreasing, while simultaneously, file sizes – especially in media creation – have been increasing with 4k, 6k and 8k video. As a result, for most users, storage costs remain considerable. Expanding high-performance storage to retain files that are only occasionally accessed is too costly. This calls for an Archive that stores all files and productions on cheaper tape and offers cataloging and search capacities.
LTO tape has become so cheap that it even surpasses the cost of consumer disk storage. While the latter should not be used in professional setups, it nonetheless finds its way into them and is still often compared to tape. Starting at $10 per TB, LTO-6 tape provides the user with unmatched price reliability, density, and organization.
Re-use, re-purposing and monetization are becoming increasingly important and are only realistically feasible with an Archive. By reducing the need for high-performance disk storage expansion, archiving actually pays off. Productivity increases when completed productions can easily be referenced and re-used. The Archive serves as the file memory for the company. No more manual search through external hard drives, lists or spreadsheets. Archiware P5 Archive delivers that and is universally compatible with tape drives and libraries of all vendors.
What is the best LTO generation for you? What are the differences between the LTO generations? How do you decide which tape is right?
Overview of LTO Tape capacity across generations.
