Media file access and storage solution for multi-workstation/multi-platform non-linear video editing systems

1. A computer implemented method for managing digital media files in a system including a computer server that is in communication with a storage device, the method comprising:

providing, using at least one processor, a user directory in which a user is enabled to store digital media files;

receiving an instruction to move and moving, using at least one processor, a first digital media file from the user directory to a shared directory having a location that is not directly accessible to the user, thereby preventing direct access by the user to the first digital media file; and

generating in the user directory, using at least one processor, a link to the first digital media file, the link providing the user indirect access to the first digital media file located in the shared directory;

wherein if the link to the first digital media file is deleted from the user directory, the first digital media file is not deleted from the shared directory until the system subsequently receives an additional instruction to delete files corresponding with previously deleted links and deletes the digital media file from the shared directory.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, using at least one processor, a plurality of additional user directories, each of the plurality of additional user directories being provided for one of a plurality of additional users, wherein the shared directory has a location that is not directly accessible to any of the plurality of additional users.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising generating using at least one processor, in each of the plurality of additional user directories, a link to the first digital media file in such a way that a plurality of links to the first digital media file are generated, the plurality of links including the link in the user directory.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of links are generated at the same time or at different times.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

subsequent to the link being deleted from the first user directory, receiving an additional instruction from a user with administrator authorization to delete any files corresponding with any previously deleted links;

based on the additional instruction, determining, using at least one processor, that the link has been deleted; and

based on the step of determining that the link has been deleted, deleting, using at least one processor, the first digital media file from the shared directory.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a hierarchical directory structure on the storage device for hierarchically organizing the first digital media file and other data files.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising configuring, using at least one processor, the storage device as one or more workspaces, each of the one or more workspaces having an associated directory location in the hierarchical directory structure and logically separating digital media files for different projects on the storage device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of configuring the storage device as one or more workspaces further comprises setting a limit on at least one of the one or more workspaces, the limit specifying an amount of media storage space permitted to be occupied in the at least one workspace.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of configuring the storage device as one or more workspaces further comprises, for each workspace of the one or more workspaces, creating a shared directory in the hierarchical directory structure that is logically located within that workspace.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of moving the first digital media file from the user directory to the shared directory is performed based on a command to share the first digital media file, the command being issued by the user.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of moving the first digital media file from the user directory to the shared directory is performed based on a command to share the first digital media file, the command being issued by a user with administrator authorization.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user directory is visible on a network in such a way that the user is enabled to see the user directory.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is enabled to capture, add to, edit, view, transcode, encode, and decode digital media, and wherein digital media that is captured or added to is stored in the user directory.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

refreshing media in the user directory by comparing, using at least one processor, the names of digital media files in the shared directory to the names of links to digital media files in the user directory; and

creating, using at least one processor, a link in the user directory for each digital media file in the shared directory that does not have a corresponding link in the user directory.

15. A system, implemented by and including a computer server device that is in communication with a storage device and at least one processor, for managing access to digital media files stored on the storage device via the intermediary of the computer server device, the server device operatively coupled via a network connection with at least one user, the system comprising:

a user directory in which a user is enabled to store digital media files;

a shared directory having a location that is not directly accessible to the user in such a way that files stored in the shared directory are not directly accessible to the user;

a first digital media file located in the shared directory, the first digital media file having been moved to the shared directory from the user directory; and

located in the user directory, a link to the first digital media file providing the user with indirect access to the first digital media file;

wherein if the link to the first digital media file is deleted from the user directory, the first digital media file is not deleted from the shared directory until the system subsequently receives an additional instruction to delete files corresponding with previously deleted links and deletes the digital media file from the shared directory.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein media is refreshed in the user directory through a comparison of the names of links to digital media files in the user directory to the names of digital media files in the shared directory, and further wherein based on the comparison a link is created, in the user directory, to each digital media file in the shared directory that does not have a corresponding link in the user directory.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a hierarchical directory structure on the storage device for hierarchically organizing digital media files, other data files, or both.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the storage device is configured as one or more workspaces, each of the one or more workspaces having an associated directory location in the directory structure, the one or more workspaces logically separating, on the storage device, digital media files for different projects.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a limit on at least one of the one or more workspaces, the limit specifying an amount of media storage space permitted to be occupied in the at least one of the one or more workspaces.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the system comprises, for each workspace of the one or more workspaces, a shared directory in the hierarchical directory structure that is logically located within that workspace.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the user directory is visible on a network in such a way that the user is enabled to see the user directory.

22. A program storage device that is readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for managing actual digital audio and video media files in a system having a computer server that is in communication with a storage device, said method steps comprising:

providing, using at least one processor, a user directory in which a user is enabled to store digital media files;

based on a received instruction to move, moving, using at least one processor, a first digital media file from the user directory to a shared directory having a location that is not directly accessible to the user, thereby preventing direct access by the user to the first digital media file; and

in the user directory, generating, using at least one processor, a link to the first digital media file, the link providing the user indirect access to the first digital media file located in the shared directory;

wherein if the link to the first digital media file is deleted from the user directory, the first digital media file is not deleted from the shared directory until the system subsequently receives an additional instruction to delete files corresponding with previously deleted links and deletes the digital media file from the shared directory.