Archiving

I have about 1.5 Tb of dailies on two firewire G-Raid drives from a feature which is now finished.

I don't want to junk this stuff just in case changes are needed a million years from now. I could just throw the two drives in a cupboard, but they were $1000 each.

Is there any way to compress all this stuff for long term storage which will not harm the files?

Then I could dump them onto a big USB drive and throw that in a cupboard.

Best

Harry

We had a big discussion about this before and HDD storage came out cheaper than tape or DVD/CD and considering the cost of storage has come down at least 30% since then I'd look around for a cheap (but reliable) HDD you can transfer all the files to.

Something like this:

[www.egoodz.com]

or maybe 2 of these

[dealmac.com]

I can't vouch for the performance of either but give the manufacturers a call and check they are not using Maxtor mechs and you should be fine for archive.

Remember to keep the HDD away from excessive heat and moisture.


Ben



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Thanks very much for your speedy reply and all the info.

Best

Harry

3 words, harry: Dual Layer Blu-ray

[www.mcetech.com]

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Three words...

Keep the tapes.

They only thing I archive are the pictures, music, sound effects and graphics. Everything else I toss, because I have the source tapes, and since they have time code I can recapture them when needed.

The only exception to this is P2 media. For that I archive to cheap internal SATA drives...until blu-ray comes available.


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

As everybody mentions above. The classic way is Tapes + Project File + Non-Timecoded Media. Compressing your media files makes no sense, because you will lose a great deal of quality. Don't forget to backup your project files properly, and use date stamps on folders and the drive to know when the project was retired.


www.derekmok.com

Blu-Ray is not the cheapest, easiest or fastest option

Blu Ray is approx $19 for 25GB = $0.76 per GB

Blu Ray is approx $30 for 50GB = $0.60 per GB

Compare with

HDD at $405 for 1TB = $0.41 per GB

Plus you have to take into account...

1. the time taken to split up files into folders to burn the Discs

2. the time taken to burn the discs (2x media write is painfully slower than HDD to HDD via FW 800)

3. time to search and reload media or transfer from BR opposed to reading directly from HDD

4. (possibly) the cost of the Blu-Ray drive $699

5. the longivity and error margin of the Blu-Ray format & discs

Sorry but for me Blu-Ray as an archive medium (unless for physical space saving or transfer via postal service of large files) is a way off yet as it makes no financial or 'work time' sense.


Ben

As Derek mentioned - definately archive to DVD or CD the project files and non-TC media



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

There is one advantage to using optical media like DVDs for backup, and that is optical media is much less likely to become corrupt. Since DVD-ROMs are read-only, the files will stay put -- you can't even erase them. Given careful storage, it's less likely for a DVD to become corrupt than for a hard drive.

However, as Ben says, the amount of time it takes to backup files to a disc is just staggering. 40GB of files takes 10 DVDs to backup, and it'll take all day. Blu-Ray's transfer rate is only 72Mbps, I think, with potential to get up to 288Mbps

[www.blu-ray.com]

And if you're talking about storing media as well, 50GB is still not that much.

I'm thinking Blu-Ray could potentially become the Jaz/ORB disk of today!


www.derekmok.com

Yep.

2x Blu-Ray drives transfer maximum of 9 MegaBytes per second compared with 30 to 50 MegaBytes per second of a FW800 HDD

I would be careful to store the Blu-Ray disc a little more careful than CD or DVD as a scratch on a DVD can cause a small error - the same scratch on a BR could be x5 worse.

Ben



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]

Thank you all very much for the replies and ideas.

Best

Harry

Harry --

For whatever it's worth... I do what Ben does, all the time. I'll visit Powermax or ebay or ewaggle -- even BestBuy sometimes -- I'll find inexpensive Firewire drive(s) of the same capacity (that aren't spelled wrong, like "See-Gate" or "Eastern Digital", format them using Disk Utility, clone all media from the "good" ones to the "cheap" ones using CC-Cloner, and then promptly put the "cheap" ones in a safe place. Done and done.

Not too expensive, doesn't take days to accomplish. The only drawback is that whenever one of these projects becomes "resurrected," I have to use "good" drives again. As long as I only use them for archiving, I have not had any problems whatsoever and I'm not spending a year of my life doing it.

Good luck!
karl

Simple answer I use
COSTCO.com every few months less and less expensive.

Reputable, never overpriced, good shipping, killer warranty, been around for years, not going away anytime soon.

If I had to buy today.
For backup purposes only, I LOVE THIS it works perfect.
Western Digital 1tb my book/ not my favorite HD brand but ITS FOR BACKUP storage.
$399.00 triple interface, firewire 800/400/ USB/ Raid capability

under 43cents per GIG wonderful deal.

Yes, you can find them even cheaper, but if anything at all goes wrong with this drive I can return it to any Costco For a full refund as long as I stay a member.
No issues no problems no drama.
MONEY BACK.
A nice comfort.

good luck

Quote

Western Digital 1tb my book/ not my favorite HD brand but ITS FOR BACKUP storage.

Even BETTER reason to avoid poor manufacturers, IMHO. Might as well use a LaCie.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

Well, IMHO... LaCie's are GREAT!... For this purpose. Only.

!

Thanks agin for all advice.

Harry

Quote

Well, IMHO... LaCie's are GREAT!... For this purpose. Only.

Good luck with that, Karl!

!

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

!!!!Whoa - AVOID Lacie & Maxtor!!!!

I've just been given a LaCie to transfer the BBC promo I am doing and its already hanging up and causing issues!

So I repeat...

Avoid Lacie & Maxtor.

In my experience of HDD failure the only ones to fail in 12 years of editing where Maxtor or Maxtor mechs in Lacie cases.

There is cheap and then there is stupid - don't make a silly choice for the sake of a few cents.


Ben



For instant answers to more than one hundred common FCP questions, check out the LAFCPUG FAQ Wiki here : [www.lafcpug.org]