Want 2 Buy: External drive case with e-SATA, USB and Firwire

[Bauzi]

Hey there,

So I thought that I could make my old 16MB cache, 500GB, 7200rpm external drive to an editing drive for footage. I thought that it would be a good idea to just pack it into a new sweet case with e-SATA and Firwire 800, but finding such stuff is... well hard I find some hits with google search, but honsetly: Most of the time they can do too much or are too expensive with 90 bucks or more.

Could you help me and suggest me some hardware or hardware firms? I'm also pleased with an external drive case that has USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 (it is compatible to FirWire 400, right?) only.

Thanks in advice

[NeoQuixotic]

Looking on Newegg and a bit of Google-Fu, it seems that the basic enclosures with just e-SATA and maybe e-SATA and USB 2.0 are about $40. Once you throw on FireWire 400, they seem to be around $60. And when you throw on FireWire 800, the prices are around $90 like you said. It seems that FireWire 800 is a premium feature.

FireWire 800 is backwards compatible with 400; you just need the right cable or adapter to from one end to the other.

I'm a bit partial to stuff Other World Computing makes, mainly they are very solid, not cheap plastic.
OWC Mercury Elite

[Bauzi]

It's so stupid. You know... I can get an older version of a Western Digital My Studio Edition with USB, Firewire 400/800 and e-SATA with 500GB for only 80 bucks. It's ridicolous how much simpel drive cases can cost.

[NeoQuixotic]

I know, a good enclosure costs as much as complete external hard drive. The only thing I could guess is they mass produce the external drives, but the enclosures sold by other companies are limited, thus much more expensive. And a fact that many companies don't make them, so they can charge what they want. You can also try hard drive docks instead of enclosures, but prices seem to be about the same for connections.

[Bauzi]

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=569

What about this plate?

I'll be part of a Digital Film & Animation class from October on and it would be awesome to have such a plate for my footage. I also will get a Mac Book with the course which really limits my harddrive space (Mac Book don't have so much space).

Here are some things that I heard:
I heard that USB 2.0 is not cabable (in practical work) of transfering the speed and power of a 7200rpm harddisc.
So a USB 2.0 harddisc with 5400rpm is enough.
Would FireWire 800 use the full speed of a 7200rpm drive?
Is 7200rpm overpowered for digital video editing and 5400rpm would be fairly enough?

I really would like to know these things. A small 320GB, 2.5", 5400 rpm with FireWire800 would be really neat for storing my footage. It could be usefull for the courses, but also I would like to go for the maximum speed and power possible (for editing) or at least a solid speed that is enough for editing. Yeah oh well... I think using 1080p, 60fps lossless footage from such a drive would be neat ^_^'

There is also the possibility of such a drive:
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=374
Well it's not that portable, but still fine.

[BasharOfTheAges]

Like most computer related DIY, times have changed - it really is more expensive and less reliable to put externals together on your own now. (I've priced and put together 5 in the last 4 years - 6 & 7 were just bought pre-constructed for less than the parts you can buy them for cost w/shipping)

[kholaras]

Cheaper, but not necessarily better in overall quality. It's a little less of a problem now that they're using the green power drives in most of the enclosures (or one of the 2.5in drives), but the majority are plastic and have no active cooling, meaning it's really easy for an external enclosure to overheat if not used in the absolute perfect conditions.

But yea, for the average consumer get the whole kit and kaboodle prepackaged. I still can't believe Microcenter's been running a WD 2tb external for over a month now at a flat $200...