G-RAID 2

Hi there,

I've heard G-Technology has gone down hill in reliability since being purchased awhile back. I'd like to use a G-RAID 2 (1 TB) to store video footage in various formats from Standard Def to High Def. It may also be used to cut together some of this footage with FCP, but mostly for storage.

Can anyone share any praise/grievances they've had with these drives so I get a sense of what I'd be purchasing?

Best,
-Hoku

Not at all. They had issues with a batch of HDs back a year or so ago. They have since been bought out by Hitachi one of the most reliable HDs on the market. Many HD manufacturers use Hitachi.

Michael Horton
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I just bought five of them. I have absolutely no complaints.

They are our workhorses -- handles everything from SD to XDCAM and DVCPRO HD without a skipped frame -- great drives

Quote

I'd like to use a G-RAID 2 (1 TB) to store video footage in various formats from Standard Def to High Def. It may also be used to cut together some of this footage with FCP, but mostly for storage.

Bad idea...let me tell you why.

Yes...the Hitachi units are the utmost trustworthy drives, they are workhorses, bla..bla...bla. It's the REASON YOU WANT THEM that bothers me. You want it "mostly for storage" which means this would be your backup. Never use a RAID "0" for backup. G-RAID2s are RAID "0" which means you lose a drive, you lose everything. G-RAID2s are only RAID "0" and nothing else. Drives are sealed in the enclosure and if you bust it open to try to swap a drive, you void the warranty.

CalDigit VRs and CalDigit Firewire VRs on the other hand are configurable to RAID 1 (Mirroring) which means that if one of the drives goes dead, you simply pull it out, plug in another sled and the RAID rebuilds itself. When both sleds fill up, pull them both out, store them in the handy storage box that comes with the unit, buy 2 more sleds, slide them in, you have a new RAID "1" backup. I have 2 units - one I run at RAID "0" for performance and I back up on a RAID "1".

[www.caldigit.com]

[www.caldigit.com]

I have one G-RAID2...the fan grinds like a baseball card in your spokes. CalDigit units have ball bearing fans - whisper quiet.

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

I have G Raid drives - several - and, despite their fine reputation, I have had nothing but trouble and failures.

I'm glad someone else shares my problem.

I wish I could speak better of them. It's one problem after another and one return after another. I have six. Every one of them has failed at some stage and been replaced.

And now that they are no longer in Santa Monica, I can't just run down there and swap it out.

They do, however, look cool.

Harry.

I was getting a lot of GRAIDs from a client to shuttle back and forth; one had a burned out power supply, but it was replaced fast and there were no other issues. This was like 2 years ago.

My main issue with them now is contacting tech support. I feel like things have gone downhill since Fabrik bought them, maybe Hitachi will makes things better.

? They do not respond to support email requests. I've sent in a couple in the past two months and have always had to call them. Nothing but an automated response.

? They don't return phone calls. If you can get your issue handled in one phone call, great. But if they pass you off to a specialist and they're not in, good luck. There's one guy over there who is their 'networking guru' (for RAIDS) and everyone said I needed to talk to him; I got his extension and email and left 2 VMs and 2 emails. NOTHING for over a week. Had to hunt him down.

? Good luck with getting your unit back. I sent in a RAID for repair around the time of the Fabrik acquisition, they had it over a month with no status update. Finally got a hold of someone and learned it was "on the shipping table." It STAYED on that table for another 2 weeks. They finally FedExed it but did not mark 'signature required' so it got left at my door. And stolen. they eventually replaced it, but DAMN.

I hate to dish on them like this, but I've had nothing but frustration with their service. Their PRODUCTS are great however.

JK

_______________________________________
SCQT! Self-contained QuickTime ? pass it on!

We use G-Tech almost exclusively- no problems. That said, we like CalDigit too.

Noah

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