IRVINE, CALIF.: Sonnet Technologies is shipping its Qio E3 professional SxS media reader, which the company is marketing as a cost-effective, high-speed alternative to stand-alone card readers for videographers and studios alike. The E3, the first three-slot SxS memory card reader available on the market, includes an integrated two-port 6 Gbps eSATA interface for connecting external storage systems, and doubles as a bus expansion system for ExpressCard/34 adapter cards.

Sonnet's Qio E3 allows users to transfer data concurrently from three SxS memory cards for Sony XDCAM EX professional HD camcorders, thereby dramatically increasing efficiency. Users can copy files between any cards, attached storage, and the computer with aggregate bandwidth of up to 400 Mbps, with an aggregate ingest speed for three SxS cards of 300 Mbps. Designed both for in-studio and on-location use, the E3 features a rugged, compact 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.

Two eSATA connectors on the back of Qio E3 enable the user to connect two Sonnet Fusion F2QR or F3 portable two-drive hardware RAID SATA storage systems, or other SATA storage. These fast SATA connections accelerate card ingest when SATA is not otherwise available on a laptop.

The Qio E3's slots also support most PCI Express-based Sonnet professional ExpressCard/34 adapter cards and most adapters from other manufacturers. Supported Sonnet cards range from CompactFlash and SDXC UHS-I card readers to FireWire 800 adapters. The Qio E3 also supports ExpressCard adapters supplied with specialty devices such as the AJA Io Express.

"The Qio E3 is ideal for our customers who don't need the variety of slots included in the original Qio, but instead require multiple SxS slots in their workflow," said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. "Studios that use Sony XDCAM EX or ARRI ALEXA digital cameras will find that the E3 provides incredibly fast ingest speeds for increased efficiency."

Compatible with Mac OS X v10.6.8+ (including Lion), Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, and Server 2008, the Qio E3 is now available at a suggested retail price of $599 with either an internal PCIe 2.0 interface card or an ExpressCard/34 interface card.