Samsung X Formula One
Posted on Mar 5, 2024 by Adam Duckworth
The Data Formula
Formula One racing calls for the highest performance in everything, and a Samsung portable drive meets this call with aplomb
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When it comes to the high-tech world of Formula One racing, speed and reliability are paramount. The cars must finish gruelling GPs, while the equipment supporting them and the teams behind them remain at the cutting edge.
It’s a world of no compromises, in everything from the racing to the media teams constantly jet-setting around the globe to bring the latest news and videos to the millions of fans as fast as possible.
So when Formula One filmmaker Ollie Beamish was offered the chance to try out the incredibly fast and durable Samsung Portable SSD T9 as part of his work, he jumped at the chance.
As a regular user of its previous portable drives, he knows how easily they protect data and give access to footage as quickly as possible.
“Being in and around shoots that involve Formula One drivers, it’s a constant time crunch,” he starts. “We’re always squeezed on how much time the drivers can be on set, so shoots are hectic. Now, using this Samsung Portable SSD T9 on location and back at the office is perfect. It’s superfast, allowing us to copy and import footage quickly. Everyone knows Formula One is such a fast-paced sport, and the people want the footage just as fast.”
It’s fair to say speed runs through the veins of this 22-year-old Brit, who raced motorcycles professionally at weekends until this year. After leaving college, he’s already had five years working in sports videos – and recently launched his own sports video company, which he’ll juggle with his Formula One work.
He’ll also be relying on the portable drives all the way, knowing just how performance-orientated they are.
“Along with the team, I have worked on many projects with huge names in the circuit,” explains Beamish. “Client turnaround in the Formula One game is crazy fast, as people want the footage there and then. So having a portable drive with up to 2000MB/s read and write speeds, which will get the job done every time, is a huge factor in jobs going smoothly.
“On lots of occasions, the client loves to watch the footage on-set before the driver leaves. Having such a fast, reliable portable drive gives you confidence in front of these high-end clients, as you can deliver straight to them without any waiting time. We all know time is money.”
Those sorts of constraints are where the Samsung Portable SSD T9 thrives, transferring a 2GB file in almost one second. “It’s only right to have kit that keeps up with the pace,” adds Beamish. “We used the portable drive for storing footage and speeding up the edit. Being able to effortlessly move big 4K or 6K Raw files and work directly from it into the editing software has been effortless.
“In one situation, it performed well beyond our expectations. We were on-site filming with a 6K camera, and used the Samsung Portable SSD T9 as storage straight from the camera while recording. There were no hiccups, and the portable drive managed to store all footage straight from the camera like a champ – keeping our workflow fast and simple.”
Beamish was impressed with the large capacity – from 1TB to 4TB – meaning his team can go into shoots knowing storage won’t be an issue.
“No one stops for anything or anyone – so it is just another confidence booster. The portable drive is a perfect design; being pocket-sized and compact means it can be transported easily. The layer of rubber padding around it is great for peace of mind, too!” Rest assured that 3m drop resistance is guaranteed, with a five-year limited warranty to back it up.
Beamish swiftly launched into action as the Samsung Portable SSD T9 is ready to work immediately – coming with a USB-C connection and a choice of two cables, one to connect to a USB-C and a second for legacy USB-A devices.
The connection is a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, which delivers up to 2000MB/s transfer speeds. A TurboWrite buffer size of up to 180GB guarantees optimal performance for longer when transferring large files or working on video.
The classy-looking portable drive comes with Samsung Magician software, which offers performance benchmarking, security functions, firmware updates and a health status check in real time – among other optimisation tools.
As hardware and firmware are developed exclusively for the Samsung Portable SSD T9, power usage is optimised. This efficiency means reduced power usage from a desktop or laptop, which can be crucial on location.
With speed and reliability you can only get from Samsung, it’s clear the Portable SSD T9 is leading the pack.
Originally published in the March/April 2024 issue of Pro Moviemaker.
