Best DAM software?

I'm looking for a software to archive video files, hopefully photos as well. I've been looking to Extensis Portfolio many times but is very expensive for single users. Keyflow looks promising but I'm worried about future support, since it's not a big company. It would be very nice to have previews of the entire sequence, and of course metadata writing and reading.
Many thanks!

Pablo

Hi Betancourt

I suggest you start here:

www.fcp.co/fcp-forum/4-final-cut-pro-x-f...s-dam-software#74198

best

Paul

The link is not working for me

Opps try this:

www.fcp.co/forum/4-final-cut-pro-x-fcpx/...camera-masters#74073

Betancourt wrote: I'm looking for a software to archive video files, hopefully photos as well. I've been looking to Extensis Portfolio many times but is very expensive for single users...

Here is a possible cheap solution, although I have not tested it. Just use FCPX, transcode to proxy, rate/keyword (or keep the ratings/keywords used during editing), and maintain in online storage only the proxies. The basic procedure is in MacBreak Studio #265:



Thus as you finish each new project, you would be archiving the original content as usual (LTO tape, disk, etc), but retaining on line the proxies and lean library. Since searches are only library-wide, you'd have to put the contents of each proxy library in a separate event in a "DAM Library"

This would provide continuously available thumbnails, ratings and keywords. I don't know what the limit is but with proxy files and the low cost of current disk storage you could put a lot in there. If you wanted to retrieve and use content in a new project you could probably use proxies as a placeholder but you'd eventually have to figure out what archival storage device that was on. I suppose you could add that as a keyword.

It would probably be small enough to duplicate on other high-capacity drives if multiple editors wanted concurrent access. Assuming this even works it would be a clunky solution but it's free and leverages the already excellent FCPX metadata tools, and the fact you'd have already rated and tagged the content.

Does any other DAM solution read FCPX range-based ratings/tags or do they assume you'll have to re-rate and re-tag the content in their proprietary system? That is also a consideration.

I too have been looking for a long time for a DAM solution that works for me. I really have been unsuccessful.

I played with the Keyflow trial and it does look like exactly what I am looking for but at $299 this is way beyond what I would be willing to pay, especially for a company that has no track record of long term support yet(as far as i know).

My search continues as well..