P2 Archiving – Tandberg Data VXA 320

[Adam Smith]

Can’t say much about the drive since we were just ordering ours (firewire version) but your link has the same item for $200 less, so thanks!

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Video Photographer / Avid & Final Cut Editor

[Michael Sacci]

I have just started looking at tape back up, one thing to think about is long term cost.

While a LTO-3 (what I’m looking at) is about $2300 but the 400GB tapes are $40 where as the VXA 160GB tapes are $55. Plus the LTO looks to be about 3x faster.

800GB – (5) VXA = $275 vs. (2) LTO = $80

Just food for thought.

[Lars Wikstrom]

I have it and I love it! if you can get it for that price don;t wait. I got mine at Christmas time for $950

A couple things to note about the drive. It only backs up at about 600 megs per minute. So depending how much you back up it can take 5 to 6 hours to back up and verify the data.

Also you will only get have the data that you are thinking. When using the large tape that says 160/320 that means 160 gigs normal and 320 gigs compressed. Since your video footage is already compressed you will only get 160 gigs onto one of those tapes. I found that out when I called their support line to figure it out why I was running out of tape. Also leave about 5 to 7 gigs so only back up 154 gigs on the 160 tape. I have run out before with only 2 gigs to go and it asks you to put in a second tape, that sucked.

But here is a very cool thing using retrospect. You can back up everything and then just pull off what you need from the tape after it is backed up! I was told that I might have to dump the whole 160 gigs back to the computer to access a simple text file.

It comes with a cleaning tape and it tells you when it needs cleaning every 12 hours of use or so.

If you are like me and switching from DVD-R back ups to this you will love it. Buy a second drive and make it the same size as your tapes and when it is full, write a tape and erase the hard drive.

I use this for cataloging the DVDs and tapes.

https://www.haxial.com/products/diskcatalog/

Before I empty the drive I drag the folder or disc onto this program and it catalogs it in about 2 to 3 seconds creating a visual file structure for you to go back and find programs. I hate word only data bases.

You’ll love the drive! But be sure to order more tapes before you need them because not many people sell them and they can take some time to get to you.

-Lars

[Nate Stephens]

Lars,

I thought you had mentioned this VXA320 before..

Your link to Haxials is great,,, sounds like wonderful cataloging software..

So you use Retrospect and Haxials… I thought Retrospect was a catalogue software?

[Dan Brockett]

Do all of you really have SCSI 160 cards? Unfortunately my G5’s slots are maxed out, I have no room for one. Wish that they made these Firewire 800.

Dan

Providing value added material to all of your favorite DVDs

[Michael Sacci]

They do
https://www.provantage.com/tandberg-9201-vxa~7EXAC035.htm

[Lars Wikstrom]

Retrospect is a good cataloging program but Haxials is better and faster. Right now when I open it up it quickly loads a couple hundred CD,DVD, Tape, hard drives and more images that I can click on and view what is on the disc before I even put the disc in the computer. Also the find feature is really fast. Retrospect creates a catalog for the tape or what you use to back up to. I have not played with any find feature to locate things across many catalogs. But, if you are going from DVD back up to tape Retrospect won’t be much help searching your old media for files.

I have posted about this drive before when it has come up. I have had it 5 months now and used it for about 10 tapes and it works great. It’s best to do it when you go to bed or leave the office at night. Next Morning it is done. Before I toss out the media I open retrospect and bring in a few files to be sure.

-Lars

[Lars Wikstrom]

Like they mentioned it is a firewire drive. No pricey card to buy.

-Lars

[Lars Wikstrom]

I just clicked on that link and that is the SCSI version not the Firewire one for that price.

I hope you noticed that or ordered the card for it. I got the Fireiwre for $950 in December.

-Lars

[Nate Stephens]

Lars, You got to dig a little, but they have the firewire version for $744 as Michael Sacci noted in the link above…

Get a second one,,https://www.provantage.com/tandberg-9201-vxa~7EXAC035.htm

I hope they still have this price in a couple months.. I am spending all my money this month on a HPX500,, Spec.com had them for 16K for a day, I got a great bid on a demo, and my local guy swears he will beat everybody and with a Canon lens not the Fujinon.. I am desperately looking for the best price, because I would hate to see the value of my HPX500 drop 20% over 4 months like the Tandberg VXA did…