Dropped Frames during play back (slow disc warning)
 

I am using an Iomega 1TB drive usb 2.0 and after I rendered an HD project captured as HD then rendered into ProRes 422, it dropped frames during playback with the warning saying my hard disc was to slow. So I then copied the project onto my computers internal hard drive, and it played back with no problems.
Is my hard drive to slow or is it a formatting issue with the drive. I formated it as OS Extended (journaled) when I got it. I have used 10-15 Iomega drives in the past with no problems with SD footage. I'm new to HD editing so am curious how I can fix the problem. Do I need a different drive?

Despite what others report on here, USB is NOT ideal for video playback, especially an intermediate CODEC like ProRes which needs almost 1GB per minute of footage, depending on frame size and frame rate. Firewire, SCSI and eSATA are the only external desktop solutions that can be counted on (of course, fibre channel et al are HIGH end solutions; talking about desktop solutions).

EDIT: Also Journalling is not recommended for media drives. Your system drive, sure.

Ok. what do you format your discs as then, just mac os extended?

Yep, although one of the LaCie External FW400 drives attached to my computer that I sometimes capture and render to is Journaled. No issues capturing ProRes 720P60 to it, or playing back. Pretty positive your bottleneck is USB. USB is designed to be highspeed by sending packets of info; that is, the sustained speed isn't "guaranteed" like Firewire. You need a specific amount of data per second EVERY second for video (unlike file transfers).

Interesting, I didn't realize USB wasn't a constant data flow, but that would explain it. So FW 400 is a safe bet? So what would you do if you needed 3 of the firewire drives up and running at once?
I've been reading that G-tech drives are good. But how much better are they, then say an Iomega FW 400?

3 drives: I have exactly this issue. Some FW drives have a FW pass-thru. Some of mine don't, therefore they are the last drives in the chain. I have 2 FW400 ports: one has 2 drives daisy chained and then the FW cable for capturing from camera or deck, the other port goes directly into the drive with no pass thru.

G-Tech FW800 or ESATA are the way to go up to uncompressed and heavy ProREs HQ. Then you need a RAID.

Noah

Which drives of yours have the pass through?

One of my older LaCie's and the Western Digital I use for DVD images and other archives. My Triple Interface LaCies (I swap drives in and out, depending on the project) DON'T have pass through, at least at FW400. They DO have FW800 pass thru.