Fabric vs CatDV: AI-powered vs traditional media asset management

Last updated October 2026

CatDV has been a staple in broadcast media asset management for decades, built during a time when managing video meant cataloguing tapes and linking metadata to on-premise storage arrays. It does that job well. But the way teams create, organize, and find their work has changed dramatically since then. Fabric is a modern context layer that connects everything you already use, adds AI search across all of it, and gives you tools for notes, tasks, annotations, and publishing in one place. If you are evaluating CatDV alternatives, you are probably looking for something that fits the way your team works today rather than the infrastructure decisions of a previous generation.

This comparison breaks down where each tool sits, what it does well, and how to decide which one makes sense for your workflow.

CatDV

CatDV is a media asset management system now part of the Quantum ecosystem, which also includes StorNext and Xcellis storage platforms. It was designed for broadcast environments where large video libraries need structured metadata, controlled ingest workflows, and integration with on-premise storage infrastructure. For organizations that already run Quantum hardware, CatDV fits into that stack as the cataloguing and retrieval layer.

The platform centers on metadata. You define schemas, tag assets during ingest, and search against those fields later. This works when you have dedicated media managers who maintain the catalog and when your entire library lives on a single storage system. CatDV supports proxy generation, controlled access, and the kind of structured workflows that broadcast facilities have relied on for years.

Deployment is configuration-heavy. CatDV is not a tool you sign up for and start using in an afternoon. It requires server infrastructure, integration work with your storage, and typically some professional services to get running the way your facility needs it. Pricing is handled through custom quotes, with no published per-seat rates, which makes it difficult to budget for without going through a sales process.

Where CatDV starts to show its age is in everything beyond cataloguing and retrieval. There is no cloud-native option for teams that have moved away from on-premise infrastructure. There is no AI-powered search that understands what is inside your files without manual tagging. There are no built-in tools for notes, tasks, or publishing. If your team needs to collaborate around assets rather than just find them, CatDV expects you to handle that in other applications.

For broadcast facilities with Quantum infrastructure and dedicated media management staff, CatDV remains functional. But for teams that work across multiple tools, need fast visual search, or want to reduce the number of separate platforms in their stack, the limitations add up quickly.

Fabric

Fabric takes a fundamentally different approach. Rather than replacing your storage or requiring you to migrate assets into a new system, Fabric connects to the tools you already use and builds a searchable, organized layer across all of them. With over 30 integrations (connections), it pulls together files from cloud storage, design tools, communication platforms, and project management apps into a single view.

The core of Fabric is AI search, which lets you find anything across every connected source using natural language. Instead of relying on metadata that someone had to manually enter, Fabric understands the content of your files. Search for a concept, a visual element, or a topic, and it surfaces results from wherever they live. This is a significant shift from the traditional MAM approach where findability depends entirely on how disciplined your tagging process is.

Fabric also includes an AI assistant that supports multiple providers, including Gemini, Claude, Grok, and OpenAI. You can ask questions about your files, generate summaries, or get help with tasks directly within the platform. For video and audio files, built-in transcription makes spoken content searchable without any manual effort.

Beyond search, Fabric gives teams tools that CatDV does not attempt to provide. Annotations let you mark up any file with visual feedback. Notes and docs keep context attached to the work it relates to. Tasks help you track what needs to happen next without switching to a separate project management tool. And publishing with built-in analytics means you can share work externally and understand how it performs, all from the same place.

Pricing is transparent. There is a free tier for getting started, and paid plans run $8 per month on an annual plan or $10 per month billed monthly. Paid plans include tree planting through Fabric's environmental commitment. Compared to CatDV's custom quoting process, you can evaluate Fabric's value before ever talking to a sales team.

How to choose

The decision between CatDV and Fabric depends on what kind of problem you are solving and where your team sits today.

If you run a broadcast facility with Quantum storage infrastructure, a dedicated media management team, and workflows that depend on structured metadata schemas, CatDV was built for that environment. It integrates with the hardware you already have and follows the conventions your team knows.

If your work lives across multiple cloud tools, your team needs to find things fast without relying on manual tagging, and you want notes, tasks, annotations, and publishing alongside your files, Fabric is the better fit. It does not require infrastructure decisions or custom deployments. You sign up, connect your sources, and start working.

For many teams evaluating CatDV today, the question is not whether CatDV can do the job it was designed for. It is whether that job still matches how they work. Teams that have moved to cloud storage, distributed collaboration, and fast-moving creative workflows tend to find that a modern context layer solves problems that traditional MAM tools were never designed to address.

If you are not sure, Fabric's free tier means you can try it without commitment. Connect a few sources, run some searches, and see whether the experience matches what your team needs.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fabric free?

Yes. Fabric offers a free tier that lets you get started without a credit card. Paid plans with additional features, more storage, and tree planting start at $8 per month on an annual plan or $10 per month billed monthly.

Does CatDV work in the cloud?

CatDV is primarily an on-premise solution designed to work with Quantum storage infrastructure like StorNext and Xcellis. There is no cloud-native deployment option comparable to modern SaaS tools.

Can Fabric replace CatDV for video management?

For teams that need to search, organize, annotate, and share video files across cloud-based workflows, Fabric provides a more flexible set of tools. If your workflow depends specifically on Quantum hardware integration and broadcast-style ingest, CatDV may still be necessary for that piece of the pipeline.

How does Fabric's AI search compare to CatDV's metadata search?

CatDV search depends on metadata fields that have been manually populated during ingest. Fabric's AI search understands the content of your files and lets you search using natural language across all connected sources, without requiring manual tagging.

Does Fabric support video transcription?

Yes. Fabric includes built-in audio and video transcription that makes spoken content searchable automatically.

What integrations does Fabric offer?

Fabric connects to over 30 apps and services (connections), including cloud storage providers, design tools, and communication platforms. This lets you search and organize files across every tool your team uses.

Can I annotate files in Fabric?

Yes. Fabric includes visual annotations that let you mark up any file type with feedback, comments, and notes directly on the content.

Does CatDV include project management features?

No. CatDV focuses on media cataloguing, metadata management, and asset retrieval. For project management, task tracking, notes, or publishing, you would need separate tools. Fabric includes tasks, notes and docs, and publishing as part of the platform.

How much does CatDV cost?

CatDV does not publish per-seat pricing. You need to contact their sales team for a custom quote, which typically factors in your storage infrastructure, number of users, and deployment requirements.

Does Fabric have an AI assistant?

Yes. Fabric's AI assistant supports multiple AI providers, including Gemini, Claude, Grok, and OpenAI. You can use it to ask questions about your files, generate summaries, and work with your content using natural language.

See also

• Iconik vs CatDV

• Fabric vs Iconik

• Best video asset management tool

• Best digital asset management for agencies

• Best cloud storage for video production

• Best creative collaboration tool