Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Moving Above LTO - How Cloud Storage Helps One Texas Church Deliver a Modern Digital Ministry

30/09/2023

Moving Above LTO - How Cloud Storage Helps One Texas Church Deliver a Modern Digital Ministry

Brie Clayton September 29, 2023

0 Comments

First Baptist Dallas is a large, multi-generational church community dating back to 1890. Their mission is to transform the world with God's word, one life at a time. Across their local, national, and international ministries, First Baptist Dallas uses four key strategies to empower their congregation: worship, equip, serve, and influence. From worship services and Sunday school programs to discipleship, fellowship, and mission opportunities, the church conducts programs both in-person and through streaming and broadcast media to keep their community connected and engaged, no matter where they reside.

Migrating Years of Church Footage to the Cloud First Baptist Dallas has been ahead of the media curve since they issued their first radio broadcast in 1921. Over the past 100+ years, the church has expanded from a consistent radio presence into satellite, broadcast, and streaming audio and video ministries that reach a global audience. First Baptist Dallas' broadcast ministry, Pathway to Victory, recently became the most watched program on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the world's largest religious television network.



The church has always felt that media is an important part of the things we do, says Steve Reed, First Baptist Dallas' Minister of Worship Production. When he joined the team in 2018, Reed found that he had inherited a huge on-premises content archive crammed into a single server room on the church's physical campus. Much of it was stored on physical media, from 1940s era reel-to-reel tapes to Betacam cassettes.



One of the things that used to keep us up at night was that if anything happened in that room, we would have lost everything, Reed says. When he explained that dire situation to the First Baptist Dallas executive and administrative teams, everyone was on board with finding a better solution. It was time to move to the cloud.

Two Sunday Worship Services Means More Than 1.4TB of Footage Each Week First Baptist Dallas runs a complex camera setup. Until about 2013, worship events held in the church's historic sanctuary were recorded using five SD cameras shooting 480p. On Easter of 2013, the church moved into a brand new worship center and upgraded to seven HD cameras shooting at 720p. That more than quadrupled the size of each Sunday's capture files, says Dean Hemmeline, First Baptist Dallas' Video Asset Manager. The video team went from capturing about 300GB of footage to as much as 1.4TB in a single Sunday.



James Johnson, First Baptist Dallas' Chief Video Engineer, manages that vast content archive. In addition to overseeing backups and retrievals, Johnson has to ensure that the church's team of video editors have read and write access to the files they need with minimal downtime. To balance accessibility concerns with cost efficiency and the nightmare of disaster striking their physical storage, the church considered two options: either expand their on-premises storage space with redundancy rooms and a whole slate of new hardware, or migrate to cloud storage.



CineSys, the church's technology vendor, recommended Backblaze right off the bat. The fact that Backblaze had worked for other houses of worship helped First Baptist Dallas finalize their decision: We wanted something that other organizations had already had success with, says Johnson. CineSys recommended Backblaze with confidence, saying Once you do this, you're going to be happy.'



After some internal evaluation, the church determined that there was no advantage to sinking even more investment into an expanded on-premises storage system. Not only was cloud storage a more affordable option, but it would also save the church from the long term expense of having to install, maintain, and replace a whole new set of servers with a limited lifespan. We saw great value in having Backblaze as our cloud storage, Reed says. We knew all our footage was safe, even if something happened here on campus. It was a natural call for us at that point. Then you get the bonus of security, adds Johnson.

A Ten-Channel Workflow Takes Sermons From the Sanctuary to the Cloud Since implementing Backblaze, First Baptist Dallas has backed up recordings from all new sermons directly into their Backblaze B2 bucket. The production team captures a dirty feed from the live stream of each service, which includes lower thirds, captions, call-outs, and a mix of all cameras. In addition they also capture clean isolated feeds from each of eight cameras (ISOs). Ingesting all those channels allows the church's video editors to condense each sermon while respecting its intentions, using smooth transitions instead of jarring jump cuts.



The First Baptist Dallas production team uses Softron, a multi-channel video ingest solution, to feed two channels to each of the five Mac computers connected via fiber to the church's main server. The team chooses which of the two Sunday services they want to broadcast, and then they upload the raw capture from a local QNAP NAS server into Backblaze using Axle.ai as their media asset management system. They use Rclone to interface Backblaze B2 and Axle.ai, so they just have to click add to archive in the Axle.ai interface to complete the upload to Backblaze.



The process of digitizing that packed server room was already underway before they started moving to the cloud, so First Baptist Dallas' migration of their older footage has also been seamless. Hemmeline handpicks clean footage and ISO files to back up based on their relevance to the Pathway to Victory program, which regularly re-airs older sermons. He has been working backward chronologically to upload th
LINK: https://creativecow.net/moving-above-lto-how-cloud-storage-helps-one-t...
See more stories from creativecow

North America Stories

28/04/2026

Nielsen and Triton Digital Collaborate to Bring Greater Visibility to Podcast Audiences in Nielsen's Media Impact Tool

Triton Digital's Podcast Metrics Demos+ Data Integration Enables Comprehensi...

28/04/2026

Paramount Skydance Will be 49.5% Foreign Owned After WBD Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

KEET PBS Deploys PMVG TechBundle Services To Modernize Operations

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

TAG Video Systems Lens Wins Industry Awards for Cutting T...

TAG Video Systems, the leading IP-native Realtime Media Platform, today announced that Lens, its visual service health interface for broadcast operations, recei...

28/04/2026

AIMS Wins NAB Show 2026 Product of the Year Award for IPM...

Open AV-over-IP Standard Recognized in IT Networking/Infrastructure and Security Category The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today announced that the ...

28/04/2026

VFX History: Slit Scan

VFX History: Slit Scan Graham Quince April 28, 2026 0 Comments How did 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation...

28/04/2026

These DaVinci Resolve Effects Will Make You a More Creative Colorist

These DaVinci Resolve Effects Will Make You a More Creative Colorist Kasia Jarco April 28, 2026 0 Comments Creativity in color grading is not about ha...

28/04/2026

A Simple Introduction to Cavalry: Indexed Circle

A Simple Introduction to Cavalry: Indexed Circle Simon Ubsdell April 28, 2026 0 Comments In this new introductory tutorial for Cavalry we're going...

28/04/2026

Rise Upskill - Applications Now Open for Free Global Trai...

Rise, the award-winning advocacy group for gender diversity in the broadcast and media technology sector, is pleased to announce a new global training programme...

28/04/2026

Clear Com Announces New Roles for Brian Grahn and Ben Tur...

Clear-Com has appointed Brian Grahn as Market Outreach Manager of the Americas and Ben Turnwell as Business Development Manager for EMEA live, expanding their ...

28/04/2026

LiveU Steps into the Future at MPTS 2026 with the Introdu...

LiveU is inviting MPTS visitors to step into the companys new Q Era on Stand D32, at The Grand Hall, Olympia, London (May 13-14). The company will showcase its ...

28/04/2026

IBC launches 2026 Innovation Awards to spotlight real-wor...

IBC today announces the launch of the IBC2026 Innovation Awards, with nominations now open for projects, programmes and initiatives that exemplify breakthrough ...

28/04/2026

WNBA to Stream All Preseason Games for Free

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation Sets 30 Days of Giving'

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

Sinclair's Chief Compliance Officer Jeff Lewis to Retire

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

Nielsen Introduces Predictive Sales Lift' Tool

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

Sencore's VB440 Monitoring, Analysis Tool Debuts at NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

Pinterest Makes a Major Push into CTV Advertising

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

28/04/2026

Introducing Nx 3-Strip v2 - A Physics-Based Technicolor Reconstruction for DaVinci Resolve

Introducing Nx 3-Strip v2 - A Physics-Based Technicolor Reconstruction for DaVin...

28/04/2026

Into the Omniverse: Manufacturing's Simulation-First Era Has Arrived

Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on how developers, 3D practitioners, and enterprises can transform their workflows ...

28/04/2026

NVIDIA Launches Nemotron 3 Nano Omni Model, Unifying Vision, Audio and Language for up to 9x More Efficient AI Agents

AI agent systems today juggle separate models for vision, speech and language - ...

27/04/2026

CES Power Acquires Three Ireland-Based Businesses

CES Power, a provider of infrastructure for live events, has announced the acquisition of three Ireland-based businesses: GH Energy Rental Ltd, Event Power, and...

27/04/2026

Fubo to Launch Multiview on Select LG TVs Ahead of 2026 Football Season

FuboTV Inc. has announced it is developing its Multiview feature for the Fubo streaming service on select LG TVs, including 2024, 2025, and newer 4K and 8K mode...

27/04/2026

Shade Raises $14 Million in Funding Round Led by Khosla Ventures

Shade, a file management platform for creative teams, has announced a $14 million funding round led by Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, and Bling Capital, br...

27/04/2026

AES to Present Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition on April 30

The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will present the Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition - Immersive Audio in All Flavors - on April 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ...

27/04/2026

DAZN Launches DAZN48 Creator Program for FIFA World Cup 2026

DAZN has announced DAZN48, a creator program for the FIFA World Cup 2026 that will recruit 48 creators - one representing each of the 48 qualified nations - to ...

27/04/2026

FloSports Acquires Streaming Rights to Four CrossFit Events

FloSports has announced exclusive streaming rights to four CrossFit competitions: Legends Del Mar: CrossFit Semi-Finals, Magic City Games, NorCal Classic, and t...

27/04/2026

NAB 2026: Telestream Pulse Named NAB Show 2026 Product of the Year for Monitoring and Measuring

Telestream has announced that Pulse, its software-defined test and measurement p...

27/04/2026

NAB 2026: Shade Wins 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Award

Shade has announced it is a Cloud Computing and Storage winner in the 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards. Winners were selected by a panel of industry exp...

27/04/2026

SVG All-Stars: Kelsey Kjeldsen, Senior Director and Video Ads Platform Lead, DTC Products, Tech, and Operations, NBA

Leading the NBA's video-ads platform, this Penn State grad is at the forefro...

27/04/2026

DAZN Extends T100 Triathlon World Tour Rights to Africa

DAZN has expanded its international broadcast rights for the T100 Triathlon World Tour to include Africa. All races from the T100 calendar will be available for...

27/04/2026

NAB 2026: NAB Show Announces 2026 Project and Product of the Year Award Winners

NAB Show has announced the recipients of its 2026 Project of the Year and Product of the Year Awards at a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Each wi...

27/04/2026

DIRECTV Launches on Meta Quest Headsets as Sports Season Heats Up

DIRECTV has launched on Meta Quest headsets, becoming the first MVPD to offer live TV through the platform. The timing coincides with the stretch run of the MLB...

27/04/2026

TBL Team Boxing League and MSG Networks Announce Broadcast Partnership

TBL Team Boxing League has announced a broadcast agreement with MSG Networks to air all remaining Season 4 fights live across MSG's television and digital p...

27/04/2026

Audio Exhibitors Showcase New Platforms, Innovative Solutions for Complex Issues

IP integration, interoperability, growth of intercommunications were key concerns for vendors and visitors alike Attendees at the recently concluded 2026 NAB S...

27/04/2026

Behind The Mic: Kenny Beecham to Launch NBA Radio Show on SiriusXM; Mike Tomlin to Join NBC Pregame Show

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

27/04/2026

On the Show Floor, the Microphone Is Still the Place Where Audio Begins

A pro-audio emphasis, spectrum changes, and on-field audio mark the new products and enhancements to existing offerings Microphones remain the primary point of...

27/04/2026

NAB Show 2026 In Review: Our Complete Collection of Video Interviews with Industry Thought Leaders

The Sports Video Group team was all over the NAB Show floor out in Las Vegas las...

27/04/2026

Study: Local TV Political Ad Spend to Top $4 billion in 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

27/04/2026

Nippon TV's In-House Proprietary AI Solution AiDi Wins Product of the Year Award at NAB 2026

Nippon TV's In-House Proprietary AI Solution AiDi Wins Product of the Year A...

27/04/2026

Outpost Introduces Unlimited Collaboration Model for Review and Approval Workflows

Outpost Introduces Unlimited Collaboration Model for Review and Approval Workflo...

27/04/2026

Ikegami Announces VFE-P07D Monocular OLED Viewfinder with Tiltable 3.5-inch LCD Monitor

Ikegami Announces VFE-P07D Monocular OLED Viewfinder with Tiltable 3.5-inch LCD ...

27/04/2026

Custom Consoles Completes Large Module-R MCR Desk and Med...

Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large Module-R desk and MediaWall monitor display mount for an expanded master control room at Gravity Medias West...

27/04/2026

Other World Computing Launches OWC Express 4M2 Ultra - Thunderbolt 5 Four-Slot NVMe M.2 SSD Enclosure

Other World Computing Launches OWC Express 4M2 Ultra - Thunderbolt 5 Four-Slot N...

27/04/2026

Netflix announces El sobrino, the new film by Damin Szifron starring Leonardo Sbaraglia

Back to All News Netflix announces El sobrino, the new film by Dami n Szifron s...

26/04/2026

Director Yoon Jong-bin Returns with The Generals' (WT), An Incisive Chronicle of a Second-in-Command

Back to All News Director Yoon Jong-bin Returns with The Generals' (WT), A...

26/04/2026

'Nine Queens,' Starring Alvaro Morte and Patrick Criado, Starts Production

Back to All News Nine Queens, Starring Alvaro Morte and Patrick Criado, Starts ...

25/04/2026

Mediagenix Sweeps 2026 NAB Awards With Wins for Product of the Year and Best of Show for Scheduling Optimization

Mediagenix Sweeps 2026 NAB Awards With Wins for Product of the Year and Best of ...

25/04/2026

SCHOEPS Microphones Announces Desert Island Boom Set for NAB 2026

SCHOEPS Microphones Announces Desert Island Boom Set for NAB 2026 Brie Clayton April 24, 2026 0 Comments Compact modular set ideal for location sound ...