Western Digital Corp. revealed new innovations from its SanDisk and SanDisk Professional brands, including a modular SSD ecosystem and the world’s fastest UHS-I SD and microSD memory cards, designed to empower professionals and creators around the world. Whether in the studio creating the next big picture or out in the field capturing footage for a project, the company’s new solutions are centered on delivering high-performance, scalable, and reliable solutions that enable today’s creators to actualize their aspirations. “The SanDisk Professional brand delivers storage solutions for those who have something to say,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president, Consumer Solutions, Western Digital. “We are excited to build upon the momentum since the brand’s launch this time last year and add to our already robust portfolio of offerings. From the inception of the idea to its final manifestation, creative professionals can count on our innovations to capture and preserve the content that means everything to them.”
Western Digital today announced an innovative, premium storage solution: the SanDisk Professional PRO-BLADE Modular SSD Ecosystem. Designed to meet the need for multiple, super-fast portable storage devices to quickly ingest, edit, and copy large volumes of high-resolution content, the powerful PRO-BLADE ecosystem lets users easily swap out lightweight, high-capacity PRO-BLADE SSD mags so they can carry terabytes of storage without excess bulk. The exceptionally versatile PRO-BLADE modular SSD ecosystem is built to transform the entire workflow with scalable capacity and time-saving convenience on location and back in the studio.
“As a filmmaker, I spend a lot of time on location shooting. While my primary focus is producing engaging stories, I also spend a lot of time looking for ways to streamline my production workflow, especially when it comes to data storage and transfer speeds. With the SanDisk Professional portfolio, I have a technology partner that designs products for all my production workflows, and deeply understands the needs of today’s filmmaker,” said Michael Coleman, SanDisk Professional PRO-TEAM ambassador and award-winning director and cinematographer.
The SanDisk Professional PRO-BLADE Modular SSD Ecosystem features:
PRO-BLADE SSD Mag – A versatile NVMe SSD mag that powers the ultimate modular SSD ecosystem. The PRO-BLADE SSD mag allows users to scale the storage they need in an instant whether in the studio or on location. By loading the PRO-BLADE SSD mag into the portable PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT enclosure users can create a powerful portable SSD. When loading up to four SSD mags into the super-fast PRO-BLADE STATION desktop enclosure, users can build their most versatile media workflow yet. The PRO-BLADE SSD mag is ready for any location, delivering up to 3 m drop and 4,000lbs crush resistance for on-the-go reliability. The PRO-BLADE SSD mag is offered in 1 TB ($179.99 U.S. MSRP), 2 TB ($289.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4 TB ($599.99 U.S. MSRP) and is expected to begin shipping in in June 2022.1
PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable SSD enclosure – A premium portable and modular SSD for ultra-fast workflow scalability. Pair multiple, lightweight PRO-BLADE SSD mags with the PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable USB-C (20 Gbps) enclosure for up to 2000 MB/s read and write speeds. The PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT device enables people to easily swap out PRO-BLADE SSD mags so they can carry terabytes of storage without excess bulk. Attach a PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT enclosure to a USB-C compatible camera rig for high-res recording directly on to the loaded PRO-BLADE SSD mag. Simply swap between SSD mags to keep rolling without interruption. The PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable SSD enclosure will be available in 0 TB ($69.99 U.S. MSRP), 1 TB ($239.99 U.S. MSRP), 2 TB ($359.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4 TB ($659.99 U.S. MSRP) and is expected to begin shipping in June 2022.1
PRO-BLADE STATION desktop SSD enclosure – Optimized for professionals looking for the fastest way to ingest, copy, and edit their content, the PRO-BLADE STATION desktop system lets pros load up to four PRO-BLADE SSD mags at once creating a powerhouse Thunderbolt SSD device. The desktop SSD enclosure utilizes a Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) interface so they can load and swap up to four high-capacity PRO-BLADE SSD mags at once for simultaneous offloading, real-time 4K/8K/12K editing, and super-fast copies. The PRO-BLADE STATION allows pros to take on their most demanding workloads yet with an exceptionally modular and scalable SSD workstation that empowers creativity. The PRO-BLADE STATION desktop SSD enclosure will be available late 2022 in the United States with pricing to be announced closer to product availability.
Continuing a legacy of innovation
At today’s event, Western Digital also announced that it has once again achieved record-breaking UHS-I read speeds – now up to 200 MB/s – on its SanDisk Extreme PRO -class memory card line, making them the fastest UHS-I SD and microSD memory cards in the world. The SanDisk Extreme PRO cards reach this unprecedented speed by leveraging Western Digital’s proprietary SanDisk QuickFlow technology. Paired with the new SanDisk Professional PRO-READER SD & microSD device, the cards deliver unmatched speeds that enable creatives to offload their content quickly with timesaving, labor-saving efficiency. The new SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I SD and microSD cards are expected to ship in early June 2022. The SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I SD card pricing ranges from 64 GB ($18.79 U.S. MSRP) up to 1 TB ($279.99 U.S. MSRP), and the SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I microSD card 64 GB ($19.99) and 1 TB ($329.99) from the Western Digital Store in the U.S. and may vary by retailer. The SanDisk Professional PRO-READER SD & microSD device is expected to ship in June 2022 for $49.99 U.S. MSRP.
