Ken Summerall
Forum Replies Created
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walter,
Not to discount your negative experience with CalDigit, but I would like to offer a differing opinion. I have two of the S2VR HD boxes, an HD Element and the RAID card. I have used the Firewire VR. All of the products that I have had experience with have been flawless.
Two years ago I had an array stolen out of a car. I was in a pinch and needed to get it replaced ASAP. I decided to try CalDigit based on Shane’s recommendation among others. I ordered one from a dealer and had a terrible experience. I was in a real bind so I called CalDigit directly. They had to build me an S2VR HD so they sent me a loaner FirewireVR so that I could meet a deadline. A week later I had my S2VR HD and sent the Firewire unit back.
I am sorry that you had a bad experience and I am sure that Jared’s response to you did nothing to help.
The HDElement is a great box and I am looking forward to really putting it through it paces.
Ken
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[Ben Lithman] “The other question i had was to do with the different RAID system 0,1,5 etc. and which one strikes the best balance with security and capacity.”
Well, with RAID 0 you get speed with no protection, RAID 1 gives you a mirror image, RIAD 5 gives you speed plus protection but is more expensive, RAID 6 gives you a little less speed than RAID 5 but more protection and is more expensive.
[Ben Lithman] “Unfortunately although i would love to say that x, or y is the best option to my aboves. i have to respect that they have said “we are a start up, and need to keep costs down as much as possible””
I am thinking that you may need some hybrid of what you really want since you do not seem to have the budget for what you really want and need. My suggestion would be to buy some bare drives and install them in your Mac. I am assuming that you have a MacPro. Use those for your editing storage. You can put three more drives internally. Get an external box to use for archive only. It could be RAID 1 or RAID 5.
Your issue is that you are having to stay on a very small budget and trying to do alot with it. You may have to get creative in your workflow. While it may not be ideal, it can be done.
K
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Ben,
Are you looking for backup storage, or for online storage? The Drobo would be fine for backup but I wouldn’t trust it to be my online editing storage. If the other unit you are looking at is cheaper than the Drobo then I would say the same thing for it. In this business you truly get what you pay for and with something as important as storage I don’t think you want to go too cheap. Here are a few things to think about:
What type of footage are you editing?
How much storage do you need?
Can you lay off final versions to tape and archive that way?
If you are looking for reliable, fast online storage for your FCP system I would look at CalDigit, Dulce or G-Tech to name a few. Others here will have other suggestions.
K
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The VR is a great box. They have had several versions. They also have great customer support. I don’t think that you would be disappointed with the VR.
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I have not done this, nor will I ever do this. I have read horror stories on this site and others about things just not working right after someone has used Migration Assistant. Do yourself a favor and spend a little time getting your new system set up correctly.
K
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I think that you can do this to the entire timeline. Try this…
1. Set your default transition.
2. Select every clip in your timeline.
3. Drag the selection to the canvas and drop onto the “overwrite with transition” overlaydone!
K
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[David Roth Weiss] “Just go to the Cow’s CalDigit Forum and state your case there. Jon and Jared will give you all the info and personal service you could ever need. They are very, very Cow friendly, and their gear is top drawer. “
I’ll add a hearty AMEN! to David’s suggestion. I have two of their S2VR HD RAID’s and they are solid. I have also spoken with Jon and several others at CalDigit and they really want your business and it shows in their commitment to customer service.
K
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Do you really expect working professionals to advise you on how to break the law? A lot of us here create product and rely on copyright laws to keep others from stealing and benefitting from our hard work. I for one am not about to tell you how to steal from someone else.
K
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[Katrina Lynn] ” I can tell that most of us would like to have little tapes to label and put aside just in case. “
Well, you can have those little tapes with either camera. With the Sony you will be shooting HDV or Dv and with the HVX you will be shooting DV only to tape. All of the HVX’s HD formats are to P2 card.
[Katrina Lynn] “he wants to make sure it’s not something that will cause a huge number of changes before deciding on it.”
You don’t indicate if you are planning on moving your productions to HD. If this is the case then it won’t matter which camera you decide on there will be changes. If you can post a little more about your goals in purchasing these cameras are then maybe you can have a more concrete answer.
[Katrina Lynn] “Currently, we’re using an RS-422-controlled DV or Beta deck going into an AJA Kona going IEEE 1394 into the Mac G5.”
Do you mean an AJA IO? The Kona is a card that installs in the computer. Is this how you are capturing your DV material as well as the Beta stuff?
Your capture process will change (maybe) with both of these cameras. With the Sony you will capture in real time over firewire. With the Panny, using P2, you will transfer files with FW or USB.
[Katrina Lynn] ” We have an external XServe with about 3 TB of space, but it’s generally pretty full (with only 400 GB or so free at one time). “
You need more storage.
Tell us a little more about what you want to do with this and you will get some good opinions.
K
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Ben,
I think that both you and Winston are right here. The problem is that you are looking at the macBook through the eyes of a pro, not a consumer. The MB is by all accounts a consumer machine. It is intended to be bought and used by the consumer. Same thing with the iMac, it is a consumer machine. Now that does not mean that professional are not using these machines, but that is a little like off-label prescription drug use. To get all hot and bothered because a consumer level machine does not have what you need as a pro is little ridiculous. I know that I am going against the flow here but who cares.
Is this another LISA moment for Apple? I doubt it. Look at what they have done in the past few years. After the release of several products a lot of folks have whined and cried and said that Apple had dissed someone or that they had made a bone headed move that may spell the end of the company. They released iPods with no firewire, did that stop the sale of iPods? Nope. They released the iPhone with no 3G, did that stop the sale of iPhones? Nope?
OK, enough of this. I have work to do. Pro work on Pro machines. I’ll keep my Mini to do stuff like post on forums.
K