ProRes performance over USB 2.0?

[Shane Ross]

NOPE. It MIGHT work with DV, but definately not ProRes. USB sends data in packets, not a constant stream that video wants. DV has such a low data rate, that some have had success with USB drives. Many do not, and ProRes has a much higher data rate, so even FW400 might not cut it. Might need FW800 raided drives like the FirewireVR or G-Raid.

Shane

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[Jeffrey Buras]

Are you sure? Like I said, I’ve done it with FW400 with no problems. I wasn’t using ProRes HQ, just regular ProRes and HDV resolution, not full 1080. No raid, just a single 7200 RPM external drive.

[Shane Ross]

You have to look at the data rates. DV and HDV have the same data rate, about 3.6MB/s. ProRes is MUCH higher, 16-18MB/s for regular, and 25MB/s for HQ. This is UNCOMPRESSED SD data rates, and USB cannot handle those rates.

So I am pretty sure.

Shane

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[Casey Pegram]

It works for me. I’ve transcoded HV20 footage to ProRes422 during the pulldown removal process for 24p footage. There’s a slight delay sometimes when you first start playing back a file, but once it gets going it’s real-time. Granted, this is 23.98 stuff, I don’t know if 60i or 30p would push it too far or not.

For editing, I find the slight delay somewhat irritating so it’s not a bad idea to use something a little more robust, but in a pinch USB 2.0 should work.

[Shane Ross]

AH…again, works for some…

But why chance it? Get a drive that is a solid performer.

Shane

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[David Roth weiss]

[Jeffrey Buras] “I’m about to have someone send me footage but I’m wondering if I can get the same kind of performance with a USB 2.0 drive that they easily can pick up locally.”

Are you suggesting that firewire drives are not available locally? Come on, they are available at every Staples or Office Depot and they’re cheap. Using a USB drive for video editing when drives are as cheap as they are now is simply ludicrous Jeffrey.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

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[Jeffrey Buras]

[David Roth Weiss] “Are you suggesting that firewire drives are not available locally? Come on, they are available at every Staples or Office Depot and they’re cheap. Using a USB drive for video editing when drives are as cheap as they are now is simply ludicrous Jeffrey.”

Agreed, but it was their call, not mine. I don’t know what they have access to.

To be honest, the editing is pretty much done. I was just wanted an archive copy and maybe tweak a few things later. It seemed more simple for them to pick up a drive than for me to ship them one.

[Rafael Amador]

USB can cope with the data rate of Proress, but not sustained like in FW.
I tried few times with DV footage and after a while things start to go very slow.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Stephan Walfridsson]

[Jeffrey Buras] ” was just wanted an archive copy and maybe tweak a few things later. It seemed more simple for them to pick up a drive than for me to ship them one.”

So why not just have them send the footage on a USB-drive. And if it works for you to edit from then fine. If not just copy the stuff to a firewire drive.

Stephan

[Walter Biscardi]

[Jeffrey Buras] “Would USB 2.0 play nicely with ProRes?”

Nope. For short bursts, maybe, but over a full day / multiple days of editing, USB 2.0 is not what you want for editing. Firewire 400 is the bare minimum, though FW800 would be better. SATA even better.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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