USB RAID Question
Anyone have any input on this RAID:
http://cooldrives.com/8hadrusb20ra.html
In addition, can USB 2 handle streaming video_ts files to a Mac mini then on to TV?
http://cooldrives.com/8hadrusb20ra.html
In addition, can USB 2 handle streaming video_ts files to a Mac mini then on to TV?
Comments
YMMV as far as streaming a video file. Firewire does have the advantage here: FW will, by design, not have a problem streaming video. USB disks don't use isochronous transfer modes, so it's impossible to say if you'll get gaps or not.
Kind of pointless because a single 3.5" maxes-out the USB transfer rate. Also, with USB you have to worry about other device you have on the chain. USB is not a good technology for RAID. For what it's worth, neither is firewire. Also, for what it's worth, a regular 1TB disk holds a lot of DVDs.
YMMV as far as streaming a video file. Firewire does have the advantage here: FW will, by design, not have a problem streaming video. USB disks don't use isochronous transfer modes, so it's impossible to say if you'll get gaps or not.
Oh I know that FireWire would be much better but I plan on only having USB RAIDs hooked up to the Mac mini and no other devices. And I wouldn't do RAID 5 (is that where it looks like one big disk?) so with that being said....
I am trying to not go the PowerMac G5/eSATA route which would end up costing me an additional two grand.
Also, for what it's worth, a regular 1TB disk holds a lot of DVDs.
Oh, and yeah I have several hundred movies and a few dozen TV series sets with some misc. seasons of other TV shows. 1 TB will not be enough
Oh, and yeah I have several hundred movies and a few dozen TV series sets with some misc. seasons of other TV shows. 1 TB will not be enough
How much will be enough? At 10GB per DVD, 1TB is 100 DVDs. Most videos don't use the full 9.4GB of a double layer DVDs, either. That enclosure is nearly $300 alone, and it maxes-out at 6TB. In a year's time 2 or 4TB HD's might be available, and then you'll feel kind of stupid about having paid $300 for a noisy rig that maxes out at 6TB due to the control electronics.
Another potential option is a blue-ray drive. Each disc can hold several normal-resolution videos, TV shows, etc. It's a lot less noisy and bulky of a solution.
How much will be enough? At 10GB per DVD, 1TB is 100 DVDs. Most videos don't use the full 9.4GB of a double layer DVDs, either. That enclosure is nearly $300 alone, and it maxes-out at 6TB. In a year's time 2 or 4TB HD's might be available, and then you'll feel kind of stupid about having paid $300 for a noisy rig that maxes out at 6TB due to the control electronics.
Another potential option is a blue-ray drive. Each disc can hold several normal-resolution videos, TV shows, etc. It's a lot less noisy and bulky of a solution.
Yeah but I have about 400 movies! And that's not including TV on DVD...probably have 30 or so complete series sets of TV shows with about a dozen or so misc. TV season sets. I think 18,000 TBs will hold me over for a very long time to come.
If I wait for 2 TB drives to come along, why not just wait for the 4 TB drives and then the 10 TB drives, by then I might as well wait for the 1 PT drives
But four of those puppies would do me fine, just dunno if USB can carry the bandwith to support reading the data of that of video_ts folders in DVD Player.
If I wait for 2 TB drives to come along, why not just wait for the 4 TB drives and then the 10 TB drives, by then I might as well wait for the 1 PT drives
Maybe you can understand: It seems extremely odd to me that someone out there (you) would find it appealing to chunk a big, noisy, expensive box next to your TV. This thing is going to cost $1500. Is it really that hard to put a disc in a slot when you want to watch from your seemingly vast collection of stuff? Really, that's like 1 minute added to the process. Searching from a list in Front Row will take almost as long. The bonus of waiting for a simple solution is that it's a better solution. Scratch that: it's not just better, it's a solution that doesn't suck.
Maybe you can understand: It seems extremely odd to me that someone out there (you) would find it appealing to chunk a big, noisy, expensive box next to your TV. This thing is going to cost $1500. Is it really that hard to put a disc in a slot when you want to watch from your seemingly vast collection of stuff? Really, that's like 1 minute added to the process. Searching from a list in Front Row will take almost as long. The bonus of waiting for a simple solution is that it's a better solution. Scratch that: it's not just better, it's a solution that doesn't suck.
I hear what you're saying but that many DVDs take up a lot of space, I won't have to worry the DVD player eating the DVDs (it's happened before) and I have a huge Disney set that is irreplaceable so if one gets scratched or broken I would never be able to replace it, or at least without having to a pay a pretty penny.
Also, ripping all the TV makes a lot more sense as I can create playlists and almost have my own TV stations lol
Browsing movies is a lot easier as well then having to get up, look at each DVD then putting it in the DVD player.
I'll probably just end up getting a PowerMac G5 tower, a 12 bay eSATA RAID and noise condenser cabinet and then put a table cloth over it so it will not reveal what is underneath.
Explain to me what you mean here:
The bonus of waiting for a simple solution is that it's a better solution. Scratch that: it's not just better, it's a solution that doesn't suck.
Anyone have any input on this RAID:
http://cooldrives.com/8hadrusb20ra.html
In addition, can USB 2 handle streaming video_ts files to a Mac mini then on to TV?
Have you checked out the Drobo? http://www.drobo.com/
C.
Have you checked out the Drobo? http://www.drobo.com/
C.
Yeah but doesn't it eat up more disk space? So like a 1 TB drive turns out to be like 700 GBs or something?
Yeah but doesn't it eat up more disk space? So like a 1 TB drive turns out to be like 700 GBs or something?
Sure, the error correction mechanism means there is some lost space.
But it also means a drive can totally fail and you can replace it. With the Drobo you can replace it, while the files are still playing!
Check out the video on the site - there's a nice demo in the MacBreak podcast too!
What I particularly like is that you can stick in new drives at any time, and they can be arbitrary sizes. I notice its not a proper ethernet device, you need an add-on to do that.
C.