DV storage solution..guidance plz

we are in the process of making docus where we end up with 60-70 tapes at a time . we need STORAGE SOLUTION for capturing DV footage ( 25P from Pana ) thro FW400 . if possible we are planning to capture with MACMINI or powerbook G4 1.33 & then do the rought edit with IMAC . in short , we are looking for cost effective atleast 1 Terrabyte hardrive solution in en enclosure type. THANKS a lot guys.



thanks for those who SHARE-gev

G-Raid drives. FW 400 and FW 800, come in a 500GB config (2x250GB) and cost $550 at B&H Photo. Get two. $1100. Rock solid. Reliable.

These drives are rated for use with DVCAM, HDV, Uncompressed 8-bit, Uncompressed 10-bit (both uncompressed ratings are for the FW 800 port usage) and DVCPRO HD (again, best if used with FW 800 port).

Mac Mini? iMac? My goodness...

I agree with Shane -- the approach sounds lopsided. Seems like you should put more money into a fast G5 system. With a large volume of footage coming in, the faster you can log/capture without problems, the faster you'll catch up. The little bit of cash you save by buying a cheap computer will very, very quickly be overtaken by the cost of a slow-running, buggy system run on consumer computers not designed for such heavy workloads and pro applications.

<<<Mac Mini? iMac? My goodness...>>>

I agree. You may be putting a little of that money in the wrong place. We've had people do machine upgrades and the difference is striking. One editor claimed, "I wasn't really editing before, now I am."

Koz

guys,
a faster computer WONT help you capture faster!

you really dont need much grunt to log and capture, so a minimac would be fine.

and the iMac is a G5!

i'm working on a G4 at the moment, and believe me, i'm editing!
(yes, i have worked on a G5, and yes, they are slicker, but i dont have one myself)

gev isnt shopping for a computer, the hardware mentioned is probably already in place,
and will do the job.

nick

> A faster computer WON'T help you capture faster!

It will if it crashes less and takes less time to launch applications and access features.

crashing is more to do with how well the computer is maintained.

a minimac wont be crashing any more than a G5.

we had a bunch of G5s at the school i was at.
poorly kept, they crashed all the time.

sure opening and closing the system, and apps, is faster on a faster system,
but it wont help you log faster, and the tapes still roll in real time.

in fact the cheaper computers WILL help you capture faster:
you can buy two of them, and capture 2 tapes at once!

nick

thanks for the info. actually many a times my firewire driveS ( THAT too good ones like macally & oxford chipset based ) are not consistent ..one enclsoure will show up in powerbook where as WONT show in IMAC..and for other enclosure the reverse will happened . this happnes even with diff harddrives .
what about G DRIVES. i really need to work with FW400based imac to capture & do rought cut with POWERBOOK 1.33GHz as well as with my IMAC G5 ....looking for more LIGHT. TIA .



thanks for those who SHARE-gev