As higher resolutions and more frames per second become standard in photography and video creation, the demand for larger, more adaptable storage solutions is growing. In response, manufacturers are developing faster, more user-friendly storage options to meet the rigorous project timelines and extensive data requirements of creative professionals.
Western Digital has unveiled a new SD card for that market, and the SanDisk Extreme PRO SDUC UHS-I memory card packs a staggering 4TB of storage into the popular form factor. Yes, 4TB.
Announced at the NAB Show 2024 in Las Vegas, the 4TB Extreme PRO SDUC UHS-I memory card – along with the 2TB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I and Extreme Pro microSDXC UHS-I memory cards also revealed at the event – are part of the company’s quest to meet the escalating requirement for the production and storage of more detailed, richer content.
Twice the capacity of microSD cards
The 4TB capacity doubles that of the largest microSD cards, earning it the title for the world’s largest removable memory card. It’s a giant leap from the 32MB of storage SD cards boasted in 1999.
The new card utilizes the Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) standard, capable of supporting up to 128TB of storage. Other media card formats available for creative professionals include XQD with a maximum storage capacity of 2TB, and CFexpress, known for its superior speed. Announced last year, the latest generation, CFexpress 4.0, supports up to four PCIe 4.0 lanes and 2GB/s per lane. Neither of those card formats can come close to offering 4TB of storage, however.
Attendees at this year’s NAB show had a preview of the 4TB SanDisk card, which is slated for release in 2025. Pricing details for the new product haven’t been released yet, but don’t expect it to be cheap.