LaCie 500 GB Big Disk... opinions?

[cwright]

In the next week or so I will be buying a new hard drive, and have been considering the 500 GB Big Disk Extreme from LaCie. It will be used primarily for storing DV footage. I have heard positives and negatives about this drive... many saying that it is extremely fast and reliable, and others say that the Raid 0 format is too risky.

What do you guys think? Is there a better storage solution for massive amounts of video? Or do you think the LaCie 500 GB drive is what I need?

If I go with the LaCie drive, I would be buying it from TechOnWeb:
http://www.techonweb.com/shop/products/productdetails.aspx?id=263147

I would appreciate any comments on this drive, as well as suggestions for other storage solutions around 400-500 GB. I really cannot afford to spend more than the $446 that the LaCie is selling for.

 

[Norouzi]

I'd give the Lacie a big thumbs up. I got one for our server at work for backup. The drive itself works great, it's the windows server that it's connected to that gives me all the problems. However I have taken it home to my PM G4 when windows says the drive has problems. Once pluged into my Mac the drive preformed great, fast transfer rates, easy hookup. As a bonus you can also plug your DV camcorder directly into the drive. Handy if you want to shoot alot of video somewhere without your trusty Mac.

 

[cwright]

I know that you can daisy chain a dv camera to the computer through the hard drive's extra firewire 400 port, but it sounds like you're saying that you can download video to the drive without a computer. Am I missing something??

 

[cluthz]

I know that you can daisy chain a dv camera to the computer through the hard drive's extra firewire 400 port, but it sounds like you're saying that you can download video to the drive without a computer. Am I missing something??

No, you'll need a computer...

Daisychaining hds is ok, but not hd and dvcam...
The result could (not saying it would always) be frequent frame drop.
(I've stressed much about this the last days, i'm getting a pb with ext.hd for videoediting..)
A powered firewire hub would be a better solution

-tb

 

[MacFan26]

I have a Lacie firewire hd, and it works great. I use it mostly for music and backup. I've never had any problems with it, the only thing that wasn't the greatest was the software it came with, Silverkeeper, but it still worked. It's probably better for the drive you'd be getting. Anyway, I'd recommend them, they're make reliable products