External Hard Drive Recommendations

[PharmerPhil 0]

I need to get another Terabyte of external storage in a hurry (with FW800 and eSATA) for video capturing/storage, and I am wondering about other's experiences with different brands.

I have always used LaCie drives and have been very, very happy with them. But I am looking at a Western Digital My Book Studio Edition HD that is $50 cheaper than the small desktop Lacie. Anyone used either or both? Any problems? Are the Western externals quiet? Reliable?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/522059-REG/Western_Digital_WDH1Q10000N_1_TB_My_Book.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/542673-REG/LaCie_301827U_1TB_d2_Quadra_Hard.html

[DSE 3]

nothing but problems with the eSata LaciE....We've got a stack of em'. Plus they use a weird, non-standard power supply. Glad they've worked for you, we've had a lot of problems, as have many others. Google "Lacie, big drives, problems."
The commercial grade MyBooks are great. We used 3 of em' on the DZ this year in heat ranging from 110 to yesterday's 32....No hiccups.

[pilotdave 0]

What problems have you run into with Lacie? I have a 500 gig lacie... my computer locks up at some point any time i try to do a big transfer to it. Basically gave up on it... looking for something else now.

Dave

[DSE 3]

on the 500 GB's we have, they cook/overheat and have to be shut down. We've also had problems with corrupt files.
FWIW, we reformat them from the default FAT32 crap to NTFS the second they come out of the box.
I'm a big proponent of the commercial grade MyBooks and the commercial SeaGate externals.

[aardvarkeater 0]

Western Digital and Seagate are both great brands and make good drives. I prefer the Seagates because they have the best warranty out there.

Muff Brother #4026
Loco Zapatos Rodriguez
SCR #14793

[PhreeZone 15]

The WD Mybook series has a good life on them, look to get the World Edition if you need USB/FireWiare/eSata. The cheaper ones are USB2 only and I've had issues with them off and on just corrupting directories. A recovery program gets the files back so I don't know what is occurring. I have only had bad luck with the Seagate ones My first one I knocked over on my desk when it was off and then it would not power back up from that point on. It was a fall of 3 inches and it was enough to break it. I sent it in for an RMA and the new one was dead out of the box. The USB port on it is really flakey and needs to be held at a certain angle only to get it to work, its going back shortly to get replaced again.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[jtval 0]

Speaking of external HD's
Eric,
You got any info about this?

My photos

My Videos

[Coreece 190]

May I suggest these if its not too late? They've been completely solid for me. Worth checking into.

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

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[burkejr.dave 0]

Phil,

I hope this note finds you well. Let's talk, I have a Drobo http://www.drobo.com/index.html very very reliable, quiet, and have never lost Data....and would recommend it to anybody. I use them for my customers as well. Also, I want to start using a camera/Video next year and would love your advice on just about everything especially equipment.

Drobo would probably send you an eval but if you want we can talk barter...

Happy New Year.
Dave Burke

[Bowen 0]

I just ordered a Drobo last week. I hope its all its talked up to be. I'll be running two 1.5T drives with seagates approved firmware.

-Bowen

Retired Tunnel Instructor, Sky/Tunnel Coach

Former dealer for 2k Composites, Skysystems, Alti-2, Wings

[HSPScott 0]

You could try this:

http://www.buy.com/prod/fantom-1tb-g-force-hard-drive-dual-interface-esata-usb-2-0-7200rpm/q/loc/101/206821006.html?adid=17070&dcaid=17070

[Helmut 0]

Here is a great company that sells digital camera's and external hard drives that is skydiver/BASE jumper owned. I stopped using B & H and went to these guys supporting their bad habits!!! Great support and knowledge. Tony Hathaway and Laszlo Andacs uses them for ink paper and stuff.

www.dtgweb.com