LaCie RAID-0: overkill or other?

[CMD is me]

I've been reading through the archives without a real conclusion. I need to buy another external drive. I'm on a 2.16 C2D MacBook Pro w/ 3bg ram, will be shooting HDV (Sony HC9) and editing with iMovie 6 for use on an AppleTV. I currently have a 320gb LaCie FW800, but will need another/larger drive to edit/store.

I'm considering the a 1tb RAID-0 LaCie for $230. Is that a good choice for what I'll be doing, overkill or is there a better choice?

My plan is to use the larger drive for editing/backup and the smaller 320gb for the final AppleTV files, older SD DVD imports, iTunes and iPhoto libraries.

Thanks

-------
2.16 2CD MacBookPro / 3.3gb RAM / Sony Premier Pro 23"

 

[misterredman]

I would get a separate backup drive. Not a good idea in my opinion to use the same drive to work and backup, especially in Raid 0. For the rest seems a good and fast drive for editing.

 

[CMD is me]

I've yet to use iMovie with HD. With SD a miniDV = ~13gb/hr if I remember correctly. Working with a weeks worth of video the iMovie file is usually around 35gb.

I've read once I import the HDV to iMovie to expect a 80gb/hr (so ~240gb for a weeks vacation) but when sharing for AppleTV it will be closer to 8gb.

As "backup" I meant I'd do all the editing on the 1tb drive, export the (8gb/hr) edited file to the 320gb drive as well as the 1tb (for back up). I'd keep the HDV tape untouched for original source archiving, then delete the ultra large (80gb/hr) iMovie file.... can't store many 240gb files.

...of course I haven't used HD footage yet, so this is all based on research.

 

[Apple Ink]

Its all fine but I hope you do understand the risk you'll run by storing your unedited work on the disk! Even if one single drive fails in Raid 0 and everythings gone!

Though not substantiated, but Ive heard that drives fail faster in Raid 0!

But still.. Its a great xHDD and at a good value! And Lacie's no roadside stand!

 

[CMD is me]

Its all fine but I hope you do understand the risk you'll run by storing your unedited work on the disk! Even if one single drive fails in Raid 0 and everythings gone... Ive heard that drives fail faster in Raid 0!

Interesting. So the question is, with my system and what I'm doing, will a basic 500gb-1tb FW800 drive be sufficient and/or will I notice much of a gain with a RAID-0 drive?

 

[Apple Ink]

Interesting. So the question is, with my system and what I'm doing, will a basic 500gb-1tb FW800 drive be sufficient and/or will I notice much of a gain with a RAID-0 drive?

A Raid 0 setup internally would be great! But considering that the drive has a max Fw800 output... the performance gain wont be as much as that internally! The output port is sure to bottleneck it!

So my suggestion is very simple - there are a ton of large xHDDs out there! in fact I found this just yesterday:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136171

A very excellent drive with 5 years of warranty!

 

[CMD is me]

Here is another consideration then: http://www.clubmac.com/clubmac/shop/detail~dpno~7383573.asp Obviously I'm a fan of LaCie. OWC as well, but being priced the same, it's nice to have matching drives.

maybe 750gb for editing + existing 320gb for storage?

 

[Apple Ink]

Here is another consideration then: http://www.clubmac.com/clubmac/shop/detail~dpno~7383573.asp Obviously I'm a fan of LaCie. OWC as well, but being priced the same, it's nice to have matching drives.

maybe 750gb for editing + existing 320gb for storage?

Yes... that should work fabulously! And you've got me into it! Seems like I'll be getting that Lacie too

Since I've no experience with club mac, how are they? Warranties, replacements....?

 

[scotty96LSC]

Is it really overkill when something is so important that you would be in a funk for months if it was lost? We have over $1 million dollars worth of graphics at work, you can bet we overkill.

 

[Apple Ink]

Is it really overkill when something is so important that you would be in a funk for months if it was lost? We have over $1 million dollars worth of graphics at work, you can bet we overkill.

Thats because you dont have an option!

When CMD has an option to opt for a wonderful drive which'll provide him the same performance, without risks at a lower price, why should he opt for a risky proposition at more $ (both have an almost equal PPG)

Also, cooling in external drives with Raid configuration (specially 0) is terrible... amounting to faster HDD failure! (Heat is the largest HDD Failure cause). At your office/studio... these are servers (hope Im correct) that have much better cooling solutions than an xHDD even without a fan!

And for this reason, I believe Raid and xHDD only mix for NAS... direct connection will require abrupt spin cycles and faster response times.... more heat!

P.S.: Please confirm if your office/studio has only Raid 0 array or a 0+1 array!