Recommend External Editing Hard Drive at DVinfo.net

Eric Savetsky · January 15th, 2010, 08:02 AM

I'm looking for recommendations for a fast and reliable external hard drive for editing using the mov files brought in via XDCAM Transfer. Not sure I want to go the eSata or SSD route, but thinking to get the highest quality Firewire 800 package. Seems like I should buy a high-end drive and install it in an enclosure myself to ensure getting the best quality drive. Any thoughts. What about the Western Digital Enterprise drives ? Thanks. Oh ya, I don't think I need a RAID at this point and want simplicity. I'm doing personal projects and they are not huge.

Markus Bo · January 15th, 2010, 09:44 AM

I am thinking about the same gear. My decision is turning to the G-Raid Mini. But well, I am still open for other brands.....

Markus

Barry J. Weckesser · January 15th, 2010, 10:25 AM

I have the G-raid Mini 2 - really like it - small, nice carrying case - has both e-sata and firewire 800/400 connectivity and it is bus powered thru the firewire so easy to transport from computer to computer - use it with my laptop but also to transfer video files back and forth between editing computers.

Mark Bolding · January 15th, 2010, 03:38 PM

I went with 2 Lacie Rugged 320gig 7200 rpm for redundant field backup and got the G Drive 1tb for home. Now I have to buy another small hard drive for sending back and forth to a client which will probably be an inexpensive 250 gig western digital or the like. I hope this works out with a cheaper drive but I don't want to be without one of my Lacie's for a week or so.

Bob Jackson · January 15th, 2010, 04:18 PM

OT
For non powered portable, I use the Lacie Rugged 320GB HD.Works well when you edit on an airplane and such. Uses power from FW 800 cord.

Leonard Levy · January 15th, 2010, 10:58 PM

Its just hearsay, but the only drives I ever hear consistent horror stories about are LaCie, and I've heard many.

Brian Cassar · January 16th, 2010, 12:12 AM

If you want a serious product see Caldigit: CalDigit - Fast, Reliable, and Secure Storage Solutions

I've had one for 1.5 years and is extremely fast and reliable.

Jeremy Wilker · January 18th, 2010, 09:11 AM

I've got a couple of the OWC Mercury Elite-AL drives and they are nice and fast. Their new RAID 5 box might be a very good option.

Bob Willis · January 18th, 2010, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Cassar

If you want a serious product see Caldigit: CalDigit - Fast, Reliable, and Secure Storage Solutions

I've had one for 1.5 years and is extremely fast and reliable.

I agree with Brian,

You don't state whether you need to be mobile or not, but Caldigit has a variety of products that are of very high quality. I have been using one of their products for over a year now. The VR mini is about as simple a hard drive as you could use for HD editing. You do need raid if you are going to edit XDCAM HD material.

Caldigit has great customer service and a great product.
VR mini

Eric Savetsky · January 18th, 2010, 10:38 AM

I ended up getting an Other World Computing Elite Al-Pro enclosure and a Samsung Spinpoint F1 Enterprise Raid Class 1TB 7200rpm 32mb 3.5" drive. Purchasing separate components allowed me to hand select the brand and model of drive I wanted rather than end up with what the seller decides to stick inside. The drive I chose should be one of the fastest and most reliable drives available, hopefully. Looks like the Western Digital Caviar Black and Western Digitial RE enterprise drives are also excellent choices. For my prosumer level work I'm going with the assumption that a fast single disc working drive will be sufficient as long as I make regular backups, and also, having a single drive reduces the chance of drive failure compared to a multi-drive Raid.

January 15th, 2010, 08:02 AM	#1
Eric Savetsky New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Nantucket, MA Posts: 14	Recommend External Editing Hard Drive I'm looking for recommendations for a fast and reliable external hard drive for editing using the mov files brought in via XDCAM Transfer. Not sure I want to go the eSata or SSD route, but thinking to get the highest quality Firewire 800 package. Seems like I should buy a high-end drive and install it in an enclosure myself to ensure getting the best quality drive. Any thoughts. What about the Western Digital Enterprise drives ? Thanks. Oh ya, I don't think I need a RAID at this point and want simplicity. I'm doing personal projects and they are not huge. Last edited by Eric Savetsky; January 15th, 2010 at 08:06 AM. Reason: adding info

January 15th, 2010, 09:44 AM	#2
Markus Bo Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Ingelheim (Rheinland-Pfalz) Posts: 140	I am thinking about the same gear. My decision is turning to the G-Raid Mini. But well, I am still open for other brands..... Markus __________________ Freelance full service reporter www.boehnisch.de

January 15th, 2010, 04:18 PM	#5
Bob Jackson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Republic of Vancouver Island Posts: 200	OT For non powered portable, I use the Lacie Rugged 320GB HD.Works well when you edit on an airplane and such. Uses power from FW 800 cord. __________________ Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. AC Clarke

January 18th, 2010, 09:11 AM	#8
Jeremy Wilker New Boot Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 18	OWC Elite AL I've got a couple of the OWC Mercury Elite-AL drives and they are nice and fast. Their new RAID 5 box might be a very good option.

January 15th, 2010, 10:25 AM	#3
Barry J. Weckesser Major Player Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 427	I have the G-raid Mini 2 - really like it - small, nice carrying case - has both e-sata and firewire 800/400 connectivity and it is bus powered thru the firewire so easy to transport from computer to computer - use it with my laptop but also to transfer video files back and forth between editing computers.

January 15th, 2010, 03:38 PM	#4
Mark Bolding Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida Posts: 109	I went with 2 Lacie Rugged 320gig 7200 rpm for redundant field backup and got the G Drive 1tb for home. Now I have to buy another small hard drive for sending back and forth to a client which will probably be an inexpensive 250 gig western digital or the like. I hope this works out with a cheaper drive but I don't want to be without one of my Lacie's for a week or so.

January 15th, 2010, 10:58 PM	#6
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Its just hearsay, but the only drives I ever hear consistent horror stories about are LaCie, and I've heard many.

January 16th, 2010, 12:12 AM	#7
Brian Cassar Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Malta Posts: 306	If you want a serious product see Caldigit: CalDigit - Fast, Reliable, and Secure Storage Solutions I've had one for 1.5 years and is extremely fast and reliable.

January 18th, 2010, 10:38 AM	#10
Eric Savetsky New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Nantucket, MA Posts: 14	I ended up getting an Other World Computing Elite Al-Pro enclosure and a Samsung Spinpoint F1 Enterprise Raid Class 1TB 7200rpm 32mb 3.5" drive. Purchasing separate components allowed me to hand select the brand and model of drive I wanted rather than end up with what the seller decides to stick inside. The drive I chose should be one of the fastest and most reliable drives available, hopefully. Looks like the Western Digital Caviar Black and Western Digitial RE enterprise drives are also excellent choices. For my prosumer level work I'm going with the assumption that a fast single disc working drive will be sufficient as long as I make regular backups, and also, having a single drive reduces the chance of drive failure compared to a multi-drive Raid.