SxS memory card archiving

[Nick Righton]

We backup our 8 gig SxS cards to DL DVD+R discs. We transfer the file from the card to the computer using the XDCAM Transfer software then copy the .mov to the disc using Toast. It takes about 30 minutes per card / disc. Some people use BluRay (the discs can store more info and you can play video off the disc due to the higher data rate (9MB/s)), but the discs are still expensive in my opinion.

I wish I was good at one thing rather than average at many, but oh well.

[Rafael Amador]

I’ve posted this few days ago:

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/142/858468#858468

As Nick says, disks are still f*!x@! expensive but I think that, at the moment, is the solution.

Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
JVC DTV-17″
SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
..and always a big mess on top of the table.

[Dean Sensui]

Hi Steve…

I handle field production and post-production of Hawaii Goes Fishing. we started shooting with the Sony EX1 this year.

All our footage is archived on mirrored RAIDs consisting of Hitachi’s enterprise-level drives. Not much more expensive than their standard SATA drives but more reliable.

As for how well they work, I have about 35 Hitachi SATA drives here and none have failed yet.

Editing on FCP and color grading with Apple’s Color. OC16 will start to show our program on channel 1016 fairly soon in full HD. Meanwhile we’re still doing analog on Betacam SP.

Aloha,

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Matt Kerstein]

Dean,
Looking forward to more HD content to join us on TWC. Have you seen our channel 1000 yet?
Would like to get your feedback…It’s Ok if you think it’s boring 🙂

Aloha & Mahalo from Maui

[Steve Sullivan]

dean
mahalo for the info. i have caught your show on oc16 and you guys do a great job!
aloha
steve sullivan

stevenmaui

[Dean Sensui]

Hi Matt…

I haven’t subscribed to digital cable yet, so I can’t see channel 1000. Still got analog. But I will upgrade to digital as I should be checking what runs on 1016 when we finally become part of their HD workflow.

Looking forward to seeing your program.

Aloha,

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Dean Sensui]

Thanks, Steve.

The hardest part is finding people to take us along. But the word is slowly getting out that I’m low-maintenance. A couple of guys said that they almost forgot I was there and just did their thing. And that comes across well on-camera.

Aloha,

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing

[Ron Shook]

Dean,

[Dean Sensui] “All our footage is archived on mirrored RAIDs consisting of Hitachi’s enterprise-level drives. Not much more expensive than their standard SATA drives but more reliable.”

This is certainly a lot quicker than any optical archiving, pretty darned fool proof with the mirroring, and quite inexpensive. I like it in the sense that it should be pretty rock solid for 2-3 years, giving you a window to wait for the free fall in solid state pricing to catch up with everything else. I’d guess that solid state is where it’s all heading, dontcha think?

What does anyone think is the best solution for databasing all this source material so that when we migrate from hard drives or optical to solid state for archiving, we can find what we need? We can count on the technology to develop astronomically, but what can we supplement our memories with, i.e., databases?

Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*