Affordable, scalable and flexible are the words used to differentiate Media Navigator from the rest of the crowded media asset management pack. It’s a new software product just announced by Sony and available this month.
Adam Fry, deputy vice president, Sony Professional, said, “Unlike other asset management systems currently in the market, Media Navigator does not require a deep technical knowledge for operation of the platform or the creation of workflows. Media Navigator allows customers to adapt the platform for their specific needs, be it a one-man operation or enterprise level company.”
Admitting that the market is highly competitive, Fry added that Sony has studied the market and would not have launched into it if it did not believe it had a technology that would add value.
Media Navigator is in fact drawn from the company’s existing Media Backbone Navigator, which is the content management option for Sony’s Media Backbone Conductor workflow platform. Like that option it will work with a range of popular non-linear editors and be integrated with any storage platform, not just Sony’s Memnon or ODA offerings.
One differentiator is a strong compatibility with cloud platform Ci for content sharing, review and approval content and with Sony’s Catalyst suite of media preparation tools. It is 4K ready with internal encoding and decoding features, reducing the need for external transcoders.
Niall Duffy, who joined Sony Europe this year to head up its IT and workflow solutions, said, “Based on our research we know that small to mid-level production companies are often managing their media back-up on portable hard drives and using Excel as their database. This often results in displaced or lost files. Content is your most valuable asset, and now Sony is offering a truly affordable and reliable solution, that adapts to the way you work, to keep your assets safe and secure.”
