Avi storage advice needed

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

I've been humming and hawing over getting more disc space for the past couple of weeks and it has come to a head this week with disc space critical on all machines.

The big question is do I get an external drive or a new internal drive? Assuming I'm looking for something around the 250-300gig mark what sort of prices am I looking at comparing the two situations and what would be the more suitable option form me.

This is the rough scenario. I image on my laptop which, at the max only has about 20 gig I can use for storage (40 gig HDD). I do very little processing on the laptop as it is slow, only 1 or 2 avies on an imaging night to check how things are shaping up. Nearly all my processing gets done on the desktop PC. Similarly it only has around 25-30 gig of space left after deleting anything not absolutely needed and zipping stuff that is, and uninstalling programs not needed (80gig HDD on it).

Now the other night I found myself in a situation of having to move about 12 gig (all the room I had at the time) over to the PC 'cos I'd run out of space on the laptop. Of course this was right in the middle of an intense imaging run of above average conditions

Then the next night I had to do the same thing, only by now the PC was starting to choke.

So back to the original questions. Bigger internal HDD for the PC (still have the storage problem on the LT). Bigger internal HDD or the LT (too slow for processing). Get an external USB2 drive (will I be able to record my Avies directly to that?)

What sort of prices am I looking at for the various options?

Any suggestions folks?

Oh and I'd like to be able to get it as soon as possible. I missed last nights transit due to disc space and I don't want to miss tomorrow nights. I need the information for a project

Thanks

[Dennis]

Hi Paul

Just to pass on my experience that more, and bigger drives are only a temporary solution. In our laptop we have a 60G C: drive and an 80 G hot swap D: drive where I capture my avi’s before uploading to the desktop PC via the network.

In our desktop we have a 200G C: drive, (applications only), a 300G data drive for personal data and a 320G backup’s drive which serves as a backup drive for the data on the personal data drive. Right now, I only have 40G, 34G and 44G spare on these drives respectively, barely enough for 3 sessions of imaging!

When I capture say, 100 avi's of Jupiter, I come in with approx 40/50G of data and after 4 or 5 sessions, even the 300G drives fill up.

I’m at the point now where I am going to have to cull some of the older avi’s or acquire say, a 500G USB2 external drive, which will put off the day by another few weeks, maybe. Not really a viable strategy to keep adding more disc, it seems I’m going to have to delete avi’s that have been processed unless they hold some special value?

To answer some of your specific questions:
I have successfully captured avi's to a USB powered 40G 5400rpm 2.5" HDD in a USB2 enclosure via the USB2 port on my laptop without dropping any frames.
Buying an OEM 300G+ drive and an OEM USB2 enclosure is usually a lot cheaper than an OEM external USB2 drive.
External USB drives usually require their own mains power supply.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers

Dennis

[RB (Andrew)]

Paul I had the same problem and so did Mike.
There's info on this thread that Mike started a few weeks ago.

I found though that I can't capture directly to this external HDD since it drops a lot of frames. I capture what I can to the LT and then transfer the AVI's to the mainframe, I mean main computer.

It will also be partitioned soon so I can archive some important files too.
300GB is quite large for now.

EDIT: I hadn't read your post yet Dennis, I have to add that I don't keep all my AVI's that's why there's room on the 300G HDD. If I was to keep them all then yes the HDD would fill up quite quickly.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Thanks guys.

I looked at that option the other week Andrew, unfortunately at the time ti wasn't a financial option. Now it is. I see they still have the same item but slightly more expensive. I suppose to that in the future if I need to I would transfer the 300 to my desktop and put a larger disk in the enclosure?

If I were to buy these items offline from say a local computer store or such how would prices compare as to this one online? Just a rough guestimate. Cheaper offline or cheaper online?

I know I've left it till the last minute but there are Jovian events coming up (particlarly transits to catch while I'm on holidays) so if there are generic computer stores (DS Tandys etc) around where I might be able to get these things from today or tomorrow that would be great.

Even if I have to drive to Brisvegas

[asimov (John)]

You reckon you guys have problems, lol. My laptop is 5.726 gig. My desktop computer is 19 gig. The laptop is partioned giving me 3.726 gig to store AVI's on. No way to transfer the AVI's to main computer: no CD burner/external HD/memory stick.

Hence my differently processed versions of the same AVI popping up everywhere on IIS. I know I'm going to have to delete them in a few days if I want to do any more capturing. The only thing kept is the final images.

I'm not too worried about it, I'll upgrade to the full works & jerks when I get to America.

[RB (Andrew)]

Asi I like how you quote your storage space to three decimal places.

That's how I feel at the moment with the water situation here, we're running very low and I have to take into account every last drop.

Paul I'll do a bit of research and get back to you ASAP on your question of where to buy from.

[h0ughy (David)]

purchase 1 raid IDE pci card about $45, then purchase 4 200 gig drives (at about $120 each, install 2 as master and the other 2 as slaves, XP will initialise the drives and make them part of one drive volume - instant way to get 3/4 of a terrabyte storage. No worries then! if not then but a blueye 2.5" case and buy a 100 gig laptop hdd for about $180. Then save and backup to DVD as you go.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

I get a feeling of how it is for you Asi when the other night both the LT and DT were down to around .6 gig left on each

I hope I haven't deleted anything irreplaceable, like wedding photos

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

h0ughy

Originally Posted by h0ughy

purchase 1 raid IDE pci card about $45, then purchase 4 200 gig drives (at about $120 each, install 2 as master and the other 2 as slaves,

Kinky but I'd like it, if I knew what you were taking about - raid IDE pci card???

but a blueye 2.5" case and buy a 100 gig laptop hdd for about $180. Then save and backup to DVD as you go.

I've considered the idea of getting a bigger HDD installed in the LT, or an external and a DVD burner installed in the PC and doing it that way h0ughy.

[h0ughy (David)]

[QUOTE='[1ponders]'][QUOTE=h0ughy]purchase 1 raid IDE pci card about $45, then purchase 4 200 gig drives (at about $120 each, install 2 as master and the other 2 as slaves,

Kinky but I'd like it, if I knew what you were taking about - raid IDE pci card???




I've considered the idea of getting a bigger HDD installed in the LT, or an external and a DVD burner installed in the PC and doing it that way h0ughy.

Paul,

laptop HDDs come in 6 flavours, 20, 30 40, 60 80 and now 100 gig!

SO for about $140 you can go a 60 gig, or go for a 100 gig for around the $200 mark, then buying a external usb blueye hdd case for $30 you can put your existing lappy hdd in it. If you like we can rebuild this at duckadang! I can bring the parts, just means you have to wait, or I can put one together for you now, and mail it up so that you can at least have some storage. Note they work best on USB2, if you haven't got that on the laptop then consifer getting a PMCIA USb 2 card, I can get a price on that!

I have over a terrabyte storage on one PC, and average of 300-400 on all th others.

[h0ughy (David)]

oh th PCI raid card allows you to connect ass many HDDS as your internal power supply can handle. If you do go to that then I would also recommend a true power 500 watt power supply. and 2 system fans for cooling and venting system

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Thanks for the offer h0ughy, plenty of USB2 ports available.

Options, options, decisions, decisions. Hmmmmm.

Ok, I'll give RB a chance to do a bit of a search for available stores for today or tomorrow. If nothing available then I either pop down to something local and get a DVD burner for now for storage and order the Vantec from here and then take you up on your offer at DaD and put an 80 or 100 in the LP and put the existing LT one in a case.

I'd go your raid and extra HDD but that's out of range atm. Something to work towards.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Sound good?

Might even look at picking up another 512 or gig of stick for the LT (currently had 2x256, is it ok to take one out and replace with 512 or is that a nono? ). What sort of price am I looking at there?

[asimov (John)]

The only good thing to come out of low storage capacity is it turns you into a madly possessed, stacking/processing fiend!! You know you have to get good at it QUICKLY & get the most out of that AVI because it's going to be lost forever once deleted. All you have is 1/2 dozen finals left to gaze at, secretly thinking "hmmm, I wonder if I should have tried this, tried that to get a better result!?".....TOO LATE! she cried! The AVI is gone!

I think I will do a slight upgrade soon. Even a 1 gig memory stick to get AVI's to the main computer would be a big plus. Then I can at least use ver.3 of registax instead of ver.2 on the laptop! (800X600 max res. on lappy=no can use ver.3)

[iceman (Mike)]

Out of an imaging run, I only keep the "best" avi, the one I use that makes up the final image. I don't keep all the average ones that didn't make the final cut.

Dennis can't you zip them up and burn them to DVD for archiving? Then just create a storage system on DVD so that the computer only has the necessary/recent stuff.

The thing is, we're all using the ToUcam. So our imaging runs are small in comparison to guys using the DMK firewire or Lumenera USB2 cameras. They transfer much more data in the same amount of time, so using 40/50GIG in an imaging run is only the tip of the iceberg.

If we (all/any of us) plan to stay in this imaging game seriously, and upgrade cameras etc, then you need a solution now that will serve you into the future with those fast framerate cameras.

I got the 300Gig external USB2 drive, and I can capture onto that without dropping frames. I'm surprised yours drops frames RB?

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Ok I've been on the phone and no one seems to want to open up here on a Sunday. Don't these stores know this is when geekdom is most active.

I know you bought this one the other week Mike and are happy with it.

How would it compare to this item?

[iceman (Mike)]

They're exactly the same, the only difference is the enclosure. It's the same HDD.

So go for your preference, or the cheapest. Both look good to me.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

You know how it is Mike. You want everything, cheap price plus the option to upgrade it later when the 500gig become dirt cheap and put the 300 in the old desktop

How long did they take to deliver to you after you ordered?

[iceman (Mike)]

Only a couple of days.

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by iceman

I got the 300Gig external USB2 drive, and I can capture onto that without dropping frames. I'm surprised yours drops frames RB?

Yeah I have to check my lappy, it might be the USB port is actually a 1.1, don't know. I'll give it another go.

But I love the enclosure and it looks awesome too.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Ok, done and done! I'm off to place my order.