Sonnet Rolls Out Qio CF4 Professional CF Reader ($599)

Sonnet Technologies Inc. announced the launch of the Qio CF4 professional CompactFlash (CF) media reader.



The latest member of the Sonnet Qio series of professional media readers offers a high-speed alternative to conventional card readers for videographers, studios, and photographers alike. It offers four-slot CF memory card reader available with support for concurrent file ingest from all four slots and an integrated two-port 6Gb eSATA interface for connecting external storage systems.

Users can transfer data concurrently from four CF memory cards used by professional HD camcorders from RED and Canon, as well as DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon, thereby increasing efficiency by reducing ingest times. The Qio CF4's fast PCIe 2.0 interface delivers an aggregate ingest speed of up to 400 MB/sec with four CF cards, enabling users to copy files rapidly among cards, attached storage, and computers. Designed for both in-studio and on-location use, the CF4 features a compact, rugged aluminum case with the same 15-centimeter by 16-centimeter (5.9-inch by 6.2-inch) footprint as the original Qio, but with a thinner profile.

It is compatible with Thunderbolt technology and performs at maximum speed when connected with Sonnet's Echo ExpressCard Pro Thunderbolt Adapter, xMac mini Server, Echo Express, or Echo Express Pro Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis. Two eSATA connectors on the back of the Qio CF4 enable the user to connect two Sonnet Fusion F2QR or F3 portable two-drive hardware RAID SATA storage systems or other SATA storage. These SATA connections accelerate card ingest when an eSATA interface is not otherwise available on a computer.

"The Qio CF4 is ideal for our customers who don't need the variety of slots included in the original Qio, but instead require multiple CF slots in their workflow," said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. "Studios that use RED ONE, RED EPIC, and Canon and Nikon pro digital cameras will find that the CF4 delivers incredibly fast ingest speeds for increased efficiency."

Compatible with Mac OS X 10.6.8+ (including Lion), Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, and Server 2008, the Qio CF4 is available at a suggested retail price of $599 with either an internal PCIe 2.0 interface card or an ExpressCard/34 interface card.