Basic external HD help

[Dash1]

I am thinking of adding an external HD in order to be able to take full video projects with me
between school and home and also be able to edit directly on that drive.

Most comps have USB2 but I may run into a firewire too.

Should I insist on 7200 speed [ the portable ones are 5400...] ?
Should I need E SATA ??
Should I add to my setting a 1394b card ?

Which model and make should I go for ???

[edDV]

What HD format?
Edit on what software projects? What computer specs?

[redwudz]

Most 3.5" hard drives are 7200RPM, so I would go with that. 2.5" laptop type drives are often 5400RPM. I would use the larger 3.5" drives if capacity and speed are important and size of the enclosure is not an issue.

A combination FireWire/USB 2.0 enclosure may be a good option. Editing on either may be a bit slow, compared to an internal or a eSATA drive.

eSATA would work as fast as an internal drive. You would need either a eSATA card or a motherboard to eSATA PCI slot adapter.

Some places to look for enclosures: http://www.cooldrives.com/sataenclosures.html or http://www.usb-ware.com/external-sata-products.htm

Availability may depend on your location. The advantage to enclosures like those is that you can get a combination setup with USB, FireWire and eSATA, sometimes within a single enclosure. Then you just add the hard drive of your choice.

[vid83]

Dash1,

I recommend a 7200rpm.

I recommend you make your own external hard drive so that you get the hard drive you want.

I highly recommennd:

- Western Digital Caviar SE16 Internal Hard Drive. Seems to run cool. Size available are 250GB, 320GB, 400GB, 500GB, and 750GB. The 750GB model will cost you $129.99 at newegg.com for the OEM version (retail version will be a little more but it is not available at newegg.com except for an open box).

- Addonics External enclosure, model AE5SACSU2 ($54.99 at newegg.com. Expensive but it has a fan and the case is tough). If not this brand, make sure you get an aluminum enclosure. Note that the fan is noisy.

[Dash1]

I have a new setup with Q9300 running XP with 4G mem [no 64 bit].An 8600GT graphics,
250G HD for system and programs and another 500 for the info and edit projects.
So far I am working with regular DV format and lots of stills too.

If I'll get an EX HD with E Sata and USB2 is this a good solution for most Pc's ?
Or to keep all options [USB, 1394a,b,and ESata] ???

I was thinking of Seagate ??? Model?

[oldfart13]

This unit has been working very well for my friends and I:

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10089693&catid=

I'm now considering the 1TB version. I have no problems with editing video on the 500 Gig drive, though I don't do DV AVI and if you leave it on FAT32, it works very well in DVD players like the Oppo line for mass storage/playback. The 500 Gig is a USB 2.0 device by the way and I'm running it under XP.

[Dash1]

If I'll add EX HD to transfer projects and such:
Should I connect it through the E Sata for best resolts ?

Should I get one with or without a fan ?

There are not too many choices for ESata + USB2
Any specific Models in mind ???

[redwudz]

eSATA is the most efficient, if you PC has that capability. Having an enclosure with eSATA/USB is a good combination and should be flexible enough for most any purpose. I would recommend using an enclosure with a fan if possible. They will be a bit larger, but if portability is not the primary issue, much better, IMO.

The two sites I listed above have a good selection. This enclosure seems to be reasonably priced and may suit your needs:
http://www.cooldrives.com/colcal3saiih.html But availability in your location may be a problem.

If you are interested in future expansion, you could also get a larger enclosure that can hold two drives and has a 8CM fan to move air and still be fairly quiet. Some of the enclosures with very small fans can have an irritating whine.

[Dash1]

Thanks.
Which model of the ready made one... [Seagate ? WD ?]

[redwudz]

Seagate hard drives usually have a 5 year warranty compared to 3 years with the WD drives, if that's a consideration. I don't know if that applies to ready made external drives, though.