P2 workflow – how to manage source files?

[Toke]

[Vaughan Wood] “wonder when it’s shipping!”
I feel that by the time when you are dumping hvx-200 for the next model… 😉

[Bob Woodhead]

Jesse points to what appears to be pretty decent tech – 1TB data tapes running at transfer speeds of 400GB/hr (from marketing I’ve read) seems to be pretty decent. Of course, the darn things cost $4-$5k. They better work A LOT BETTER than data tape drives I’ve used in the past! FYI, I just tried backing up a 55GB project onto my DLT4000, which to this point I’ve only used for DVD mastering…. it stalled after 25GB & 2 hours. Forget DLT.

[David Massachi]

What about backing up data to DV tape:

https://coolatoola.com/FAQ.htm

This is not in the DV codec. Any data can be transferred to DV tape via firewire with this software, and it claims to have metadata tracking methods so you can zero in on the data you want to restore. Haven’t used it, but saw a post about it on another forum.

Is anyone using this software? Seems like a breakthrough product, but I hadn’t heard of it until last night, so I can’t say for sure.

massachi

[Barry Green]

May currently be vaporware, but there was a news story that Toshiba is pouring some bucks into one of the manufacturers. Might help solidify that vapor!

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Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available at https://www.dvxuser.com/articles/dvxbook/ and at Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/54u4a)

[Bob Woodhead]

I just tried the demo – it worked, BUT – it took 6 minutes for 1 GB. And only 9GB (approx) fit on a DV60. The software DOES span tapes. But a 100GB backup would be an all-day affair. On the other hand, it’s using tape drives we already own, and media is darn cheap. Anyone else?

[Bob Woodhead]

Update – a review indicates 15GB/60minute tape is expected!
http://www.imaging-resource.com/SOFT/DVB/DVB.HTM

[Toke]

I’m still not very convinced about the reliability of this dv-backupping, but how about dv-deck with big casettes and 3-hour dvcam-casette which is 4.5 hours in sp-mode which makes 25 GB per tape with 1:1 error correction?

[Barry Green]

Backing up data to DV tape is, with all due respect, a terrible idea. It is neither practical, nor fast, nor cheap.

DV tape is designed to store video data. The error correction involved is designed to trap and correct video errors. If a dropout occurs on the tape, error correction in the firewire signal will try to mask it. That will lead to a complete *corruption* of the data! It works okay with video because we’re expecting to see the video displayed as video, and a little block of garbage in one frame out of 30 doesn’t seem like a big deal. In data backup, it’s disastrous.

Read Coolatoola’s description, and you’ll see that they pretty much recommend that you have to store two copies of your data on a tape in order to have any hope that it’s actually backed up. That means you get, at max, about 5 gb of data.

Run the math: 5gb, for $5, which takes an hour to back up.

VS.

A 50-cent DVD-R, which stores 4.7gb, and can be burnt in about 5 minutes.

DVDs are a vastly better backup medium than trying to use a DV camera as a data tape drive.

If you want to back up to tape, use a drive that’s designed for backing up data, like a DLT or SAIT or something. You’ll be infinitely happier with a properly-engineered solution.

But if you’re just looking for a cheap and easy way to back up 5gb at a time, forget DV tape. DVD-r’s are 1/10 the cost and 10 times as fast.

—————–
Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available at https://www.dvxuser.com/articles/dvxbook/ and at Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/54u4a)