It’s easy to get frustrated when trying to navigate manufacturers’ websites to find out how to configure the various components that make your video workflow run smoothly. Take Final Cut Server for example: It’s easy to find information on the “ideal” system setup using fiber and an XSan. But not everyone is prepared to drop the $10K to go down this path. It’s much harder to find information on the bare minimum or leasy expesive option to add a new component to your workflow.

A recent conversation with a colleague brought up the issue of hard drive speeds and raid configurations that would provide adequate and cost effective storage for a Final Cut Server deployment. I came across Bare Feats, a site that provides real-world information on the performance of anything from drives to network cards. I wish the site was updated more frequently and that there were fewer ads, but it’s one of the resources I’ll add to my list of bookmarks.