SNS unveils major new features in ShareBrowser media asset manager and Slingshot automations engine.
EVO’s built-in suite of software tools just got sweeter. The Slingshot automations engine and ShareBrowser media asset management system—both included with EVO media servers—have been updated with incredible new features for creative teams, especially those working from home or remotely around the world.
What’s new in the EVO suite? Automatic Apple ProRes transcoding and new cloud storage integrations make their debut to facilitate better on-premise, remote, and multi-location collaboration for your video production team. Plus, we’ve made our powerful and easy-to-use MAM software even more convenient and user-friendly in the latest release. Check out these new features and more, now available for EVO users worldwide.
New Slingshot Automation Features
Our biggest news comes from Slingshot, EVO’s included automations engine and API. Slingshot is an easy way to automate tasks like indexing, transcoding, and backing up your media using the power of your EVO server, so that you don’t have to tie up your team’s workstations.
Slingshot automations can now automatically transcode your media to ProRes files, a fantastic option for proxy and remote editorial. We’ve also integrated with more cloud storage services—including Wasabi, Backblaze, and Google Cloud Platform—for enhanced flexibility in your hybrid cloud storage environment.
ProRes Transcoding for Edit-Ready Proxies
That’s right—Slingshot’s video transcoding functionality just got a major upgrade in the latest version, particularly for teams that love to edit or finish projects in Apple’s ProRes family of video codecs.
EVO users can schedule automatic transcoding tasks through the intuitive Slingshot interface, or automatically generate edit-ready proxies alongside their preview proxies. Now that EVO is officially Apple-certified for ProRes, these automatic edit-ready proxies are available for remote workflows with Nomad.
What does that mean? Well, if you have been using Nomad, EVO’s included remote editing utility, you’ve been downloading either source media or Slingshot’s auto-generated preview files for remote editing. Now, Nomad can download your edit-ready ProRes proxies instead, giving remote users a higher quality proxy file for use when editing at home or on the go, for no additional charge.
New Cloud Storage Integrations
Most creative teams are using a cloud service along with their on-premise shared storage these days—whether that be for redundant cloud storage backups, file sharing with clients, or a cloud-based remote editing workflow. To make creative collaboration easier for teams using these hybrid cloud workflows, we’ve expanded our cloud integrations to accommodate new options for your team.
In addition to the cloud storage platforms previously compatible with Slingshot—Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, and Dropbox—EVO’s automations engine now works seamlessly with your Wasabi, Backblaze, or Google Cloud Platform services, too. These new integrations mean
more flexibility so you can select the cloud storage provider that works best for your team, your workflow, and your budget.
ShareBrowser MAM Updates
In case our last ShareBrowser announcement wasn’t enough for you, creative teams are getting another very helpful update to the powerful and easy-to-use ShareBrowser media asset manager included with EVO.
Mounting Made Easier
One of our most requested features from ShareBrowser users was the ability to pin the volume pane so it doesn’t disappear after mounting or unmounting a volume. You asked, we delivered. Users can now pin the volume pane so it remains open, making it easier for users to select multiple volumes for mounting and unmounting.
Users can also mount shares by their ShareBrowser bins in the latest release. Rather than selecting and mounting multiple volumes in a bin individually, simply right-click on the bin and mount (or unmount) all the shares featured in that bin with a single click.
Edit-Ready Proxy Files in ShareBrowser
Our previous ShareBrowser release featured the ability to download preview proxies in ShareBrowser Web App. We’ve built upon that functionality so users can download edit-ready proxies in the same way. If an edit-ready proxy file is available for your selected media, you can choose to download the preview proxy or the edit-ready proxy directly in ShareBrowser Web App. No software installation required.
Don’t want everyone on your team to have access to download these edit-ready proxy files? Admins can disable this functionality at any time.
Automatic Proxy Linking in Final Cut Pro
Calling all FCP users! With the latest versions of ShareBrowser and Final Cut Pro, your EVO-generated edit-ready proxies will be automatically linked when importing media through the ShareBrowser extension in Final Cut Pro. No need to download your edit-ready proxies through Nomad and upload them into FCP separately. Just import your media through the ShareBrowser extension and any edit-ready proxy files will automatically link up in your video editing software.
File Sharing with Slingshot Aliases
Sharing media in ShareBrowser is simple (come on, it’s in the name). But our upgraded alias functionality takes file sharing to a whole new level. Users can now send files to pre-configured Slingshot destinations using the right-click menu in ShareBrowser.
How does it work? First, set up your list of aliases in Slingshot so the system knows where you want your files to be sent. Slingshot aliases can be other network servers, cloud locations, FTP sites, or any destination you can set in Slingshot. Then, when browsing content in ShareBrowser, simply right-click on the file you want to send, select Slingshot Aliases, and click on the destination where you want your file to go.
Slingshot aliases offer a shortcut to your team’s favorite automations. It’s like file sharing on speed dial!
Checksum Verification
File integrity is paramount in video production. Use ShareBrowser’s Verify feature to confirm that any copy is an exact replica of its original source file. Your creative team can prevent needless stress during the post-production process by verifying the MD5 checksum within ShareBrowser.
Get Upgraded!
Thanks to its robust software suite, your EVO server is much more than shared media storage. It’s a video transcoding server, media asset management software, automations platform, and remote workflow solution all in one. And now with the latest updates, the EVO suite offers even more workflow possibilities for remote editing teams, cloud storage enthusiasts, and everyone using ShareBrowser.
Check out these new features and more when you upgrade your EVO software suite (EVO OS v.6.1.5 required). These software updates (Slingshot v.1.4 and ShareBrowser v.6.0.3) are free with an active EVO support plan or systems purchased within the last twelve months.
Looking for a new shared storage workflow solution? These features are now shipping with new EVO orders worldwide. Contact SNS to upgrade your workflow today.