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External hard drives

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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Well, i just reached my 500 gb of internal memory and have a few projects coming up pretty soon here. Used the searchbar a bit, didnt really find much useful info. I need at least 500gb, but preferably 1TB or 2TB. This will be used for my Imac. Dont really wanna break the bank, but defiantly need something reliable. What are some good ones people like? I have heard some things about rugged or somthing. Help me out quick! I need something right away. +K for help
Feb 16 2012 10:49PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7147 - Karma: 17,473
I have had good experiences with the Weston Digital Passports. I have the 1GB version, and its been great for about 2 years now. No problems at all and its pretty fast i was actually able to work off it quite a bit without having to copy the files to the computer.
Feb 16 2012 10:54PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
had one of these spinning almost 24/7 for the past 3 years, never given me a problem. has firewire which is nice for your imac, and you can chain multiples together
Feb 16 2012 10:55PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
hurp durp

http://www.amazon.com/LaCie-FireWire800-External-301542U-Aluminum/dp/B0050SI9L4
Feb 16 2012 10:55PM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
i have a seagate 2TB external drive that has held up pretty well for me. never had any corrupt files or anything major but sometimes its like it decides to take a nap on me or somethin then when i go to save somethin again it gets all tempermental and stalls to where ill have to remove it unsafely and plug it in again. sometimes not a huge deal but others it pisses me off. might look into somethin else for my next one when i run out of space on here. its not bad but not amazing
Feb 16 2012 10:59PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Thanks for the help guys. Balto: do you have to transfer the files to your computer everytime or can u edit strait from that? Also, would it be better to get 2 500gb so i dont have all my eggs in one basket just incase one fails? Or are they reliable enough?
Feb 16 2012 11:00PM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
usually you can edit straight off the drive. thats what i do and im assuming that one balto posted might even be a bit better than mine. depends on the speed of them tho. faster rpm better it will be for editing and such. that one is rated at 7200rpm and 5Gb/s write speed so thats pretty good.
Feb 16 2012 11:07PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
^ word. What do you think the minimum specs are to edit strait off the drive? Thats a huge thing for me. I have a seagate 500gb right now, but it like wont let me put files on it from my mac, only my PC. Im leaving for CO in a couple days, and if i cant get a new one by then, i need to find a way to make this work for my mac. If anyone knows how to. Help me out here
Feb 16 2012 11:10PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
you can edit right from it, which is also why you should use firewire
Feb 16 2012 11:10PM
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SSteezle
Posts: 9297 - Karma: 7,732
I use a lacie rugged 1tb and edit and store project right on it. no problems yet
Feb 16 2012 11:11PM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
that one, like lots of the good ones, are compatible with both operating systems. then its like anything, once you hook it up and format it, it will run smoothly on that system. some might work well on both but some might not run cross platform until you re-format it and lose all of the stuff you had saved on their anyway
Feb 16 2012 11:14PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
^ shit. Alrighty. Thanks for the help. +K for everyone. How do people like the rugged ones? Seem very similar to the one balto posted
Feb 16 2012 11:17PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
they are really similar, but i think the rugged isn't a 7200 rpm drive, so it will be slower (don't take my word for that, specs aren't listed on amazon).

do you need to be able to take it places? then the rugged
if not, then the one i posted would be more logical + you can get more without using extra ports
Feb 17 2012 12:24AM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
and the firewire i can imagine is pretty awesome when editing and playback and all things video
Feb 17 2012 12:30AM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Yeah this will be on my desk on my mac pretty much all day all the time. Im gonna us my other one that is conformed for PC's for my laptop when im out of town, then pit those on the mac. So i guess the rugged does not seem logical.
Feb 17 2012 6:22AM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Looked around a little bit more. Seems like people like the lacie d2, the western my passport, and the g-tech. Will probably end up going with the d2 because it seems like the most bang for your buck. Still open to suggestions if anyone has some
Feb 17 2012 8:03AM
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goodiepocket
Posts: 950 - Karma: 641
I have 3 2tb LaCie d2's and they have been great. I have had them for a couple years, I edit off of them so they have had a lot of use. They never get scary hot, they are not that loud and most importantly they work great. They are not that expensive either for the options that they come with.

OWC is another company I would look into. Unlike LaCie, which doesn't specify what type of hard drive is inside their unit, OWC uses Hitachi drives in almost (if not every) one of their units (unless labeled otherwise). I have an OWC 4-bay RAID and it is one of the best build and working things I have ever used in terms of external harddrives.

Oh and in terms of connections, don't use anything other than Firewire 800 unless it is eSATA (amazing).

On another side note: G-tech is also something I would recommend.

I hope this either gave you some other ideas, or reassured you of what you may have already been thinking.
Feb 17 2012 10:20AM
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goodiepocket
Posts: 950 - Karma: 641
forgot this...

Obvious minimum required specs to edit off of-

Firewire800 and a hard drive rpm of 7200.
Feb 17 2012 10:21AM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594

that helped a lot man. i have heard some people on dvx user saying even firewire 800 isnt to great to edit right off of. can i get some truth factor to this?

also, out of all of the ones you have listed, what would you take? between the d2, g-tech's, and OWC.

Feb 17 2012 10:40AM
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goodiepocket
Posts: 950 - Karma: 641
Well for now, Firewire800 is going to be the fastest connection you will get other than eSATA (and usb 3.0). I use an express port adapter to use eSATA on my MBP.

Out of those three...I would probably say OWC because of the Hitachi drives.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB

That seems similar to the LaCie d2 price/storage.

Also, OWC is similar if not better than G-Tech and is usually a bit cheaper.

Feb 17 2012 10:54AM
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goodiepocket
Posts: 950 - Karma: 641
It will be the fastest connection you will get without some sort of adapter. That is of course unless you have a brand new mac and have the ability to use Thunderbolt.
Feb 17 2012 10:56AM
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@ScubaSteve
Posts: 378 - Karma: 822
Seagate stay away from. My whole schoolers sever crashed which were all seagate, even the back ups... weird stuff.

Everyone speaks good about LaCie, but I have had terrible luck with them.. warranty.

Western Digital is what I have had the best luck with the past 4 years. Never had 1 crash or any problems. The western digital elements drives are sick if you only need usb 2.0. Only 100 bucks for 2tb. If you editing with the drive I would get a firewire 800/400 (depending on what kind of computer you have)


Of course this is only my opinion. There's no real right answer for this kind of stuff..
Feb 17 2012 11:42AM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
thanks for the help guys. +K to everyone.

still have yet to decide. will post in here when i do.
Feb 17 2012 3:40PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
thanks for the help guys. +K to everyone.

still have yet to decide. will post in here when i do.
Feb 17 2012 3:40PM
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dispatchQ_main
Posts: 2619 - Karma: 629
Are solid state drives better for editing?
Feb 17 2012 3:53PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Buy two, and backup your backup. All hard drives will fail over time. All of them.
Feb 17 2012 3:56PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
My dad gave me a Western Digital Passport 2TB for Christmas. I really like it's compact size and the reviews are outstanding. Great price on Amazon.
Feb 17 2012 6:58PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
For desktop, get a dual toaster slot with firewire 800/eSATA, and load up on internal drives. This is the cheapest way to get storage, and you have backups of everything. If I remember correctly, I got the entire configuration + two 1TB hard drives for around $150.

If you're travelling, the 500gb G-Drive Mini is unmatched. I have one and it's flawless. The firewire 800 is faster than the eSATA on my toaster configuration, and you can daisy chain them without any external power supply. I use it to edit straight off the drive when I'm travelling.
Feb 17 2012 7:12PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Landis do you mind explaining your first paragraph? Kinda new to this.
Feb 17 2012 9:01PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
something like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817707266

allows you to use internal hard drives as externals. its usually cheaper and you can store data on more reliable drives
Feb 17 2012 9:06PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
or you can buy an external that has reliable drives in it from the get go

the problem with the dock style set up is the drives can be easily damaged as they are not protected in any way

i still stand behind what i first recommended
Feb 17 2012 9:13PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
I agree with laCie rugged drives being great (they are on a to-buy list of mine once my current two drives fill up)
Feb 17 2012 9:14PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
The toaster configuration is definitely not as durable as an enclosed external, which is why it only works for desktops. What i like about the system is that you can keep a library of drives in a pelican case and it will transition to a RAID array system down the line. Overall, its best for getting the most storage fir the buck. But if you can afford external drives (with full backup), definitely go that route.
Feb 17 2012 10:04PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
ruggeds are my favorite drives for sure, the firewire 800 version is so convenient. I just got a rugged XL 2tb esata drive and so far I love it.
Feb 17 2012 10:13PM
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MLeone
Posts: 725 - Karma: 72
I know you could do better quality wise but I have a seagate 1 TB hard drive that I got for about $50 and I've had 0 problems, it's fast and I love it.
Feb 17 2012 10:39PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
im guessing its connected via usb

its not fast, trust me
Feb 17 2012 10:42PM
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MLeone
Posts: 725 - Karma: 72
Yea you're right, but i mean it really can't be beat for $40 , and well it's faster than many other usb models cause of "usb 3"
Feb 17 2012 10:52PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Thanks for the help landis, jamie, and balto. Dont really know what route to take at this point. As said before, i will get more bang for the buck with the toaster config. So do they corrupt or fail easier the. Real external drives such as a d2 or rugged?
Feb 17 2012 11:47PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
id just get a rugged you dont need to run 3.5" hds...
Feb 17 2012 11:59PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
and since it is just for his desk, why not save money and get the d2, which allows for future expansion

the rugged does not make any sense for him, he is not editing on a laptop that he is carrying around everywhere
Feb 18 2012 12:03AM
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
Western digital is some sick shit if youre a Mac user
Feb 18 2012 12:18AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
lol nooooo, WD is crap, i would never trust important files on their shitty drives (had 3 fail on me)
Feb 18 2012 12:29AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Western Digital is garbage. Every single one I've encountered has had a completely software crash within a couple months. They're cheap and "trendy" looking for a reason.
Feb 18 2012 1:23AM
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
Just. Curious but what would you suggest? I use a western diogitatl and have never had ropbelsm
Feb 18 2012 2:52AM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
For sure he could... I just love not having to plug my HDs in and being able to take them anywhere. Unfortunately with my new hd I had to sacrifice this, but i dig the portable HDs.
Feb 18 2012 5:20AM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Will be ordering the d2 soon. Seems like the best option for me. If i get a laptop, then i will most likely get a rugged as well. Thanks for the help everyone!
Feb 18 2012 7:55AM
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RileySnyderPhoto
Posts: 688 - Karma: 1,451
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/11/buyingguide-hard-drives/?pid=1754&utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Previous

"Which brand to buy? Everyone has a horror story about a drive from Company X or Company Y going south on them, along with a warning to steer clear of everything with a particular brand name on it. But the truth is all drives fail at some point, no matter who makes them. Your primary concerns should be the size of the actual drive and the warranty period. 500GB and 1TB drives have been around for a long time and are well proven. 2TB drives are newer but are now considered by most consumer watchdogs to be just as reliable as 1TB drives. Stay away from 3TB drives for the time being until they've been proven in the field. A 2-year warranty is standard for most hard drives, but 3-year warranties are quickly becoming more common."
Feb 18 2012 12:16PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
^ so if/when your HD fails, are you shit out if luck with everything that was on there or what? I
Feb 18 2012 1:22PM
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[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
Like is there a way to get it back?
Feb 18 2012 1:23PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
depends how it crashes, sometimes it is just an enclosure failure, so you can rip the drive out and it will still work fine (has happened to me)
Feb 18 2012 1:49PM
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RileySnyderPhoto
Posts: 688 - Karma: 1,451
Yeah, had this happen to two "rugged" lacie drives in one day. If it is corrupted, you can sometimes use a data recovery software to get it all back. I suggest you get more than one HD and keep a backup HD.
Feb 18 2012 2:12PM
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