Multimodal data
What is a multimodal data plane?
A multimodal data plane is the layer that stores media, runs transforms, and serves retrieval as one system of record, rather than glue between a bucket, a warehouse, and an index.
Updated · Part of What is a multimodal database?
How it works
- Media, metadata, and embeddings share one schema.
- Transforms are columns, so there is no second pipeline product to keep in sync.
- Queries and HTTP read that same schema.
What it is not
It is not an observability dashboard, and it is not a lakehouse that only catalogs files.
multimodal data plane: this, and the thing it is confused with
| This | Not this | |
|---|---|---|
| System of record | The table that holds the media | A dashboard about the table |
| Glue | None between store, index, and job | Bucket plus warehouse plus vector DB |
| Who it is for | The application that inserts media | An analyst browsing file listings |
Where Pixeltable fits
Pixeltable is that data plane for media and models: one schema for storage, computed columns, and retrieval.
Questions
How does multimodal data plane work?
Media, metadata, and embeddings share one schema. Transforms are columns, so there is no second pipeline product to keep in sync. Queries and HTTP read that same schema.
What is multimodal data plane often confused with?
It is not an observability dashboard, and it is not a lakehouse that only catalogs files.
Next step
Install the Pixeltable skill, or sign up for Cloud and run the same file on a hosted database.