BluRay is NOT suitable for this purpose. If this is how you were using BluRay, I can certainly undertand why drives are a better solution for you.

Makes sense given how you describe your use.

Well, that's an issue with the man at the top of Apple. You can get a BluRay player or burner on all but the very cheapest of PCs at this point. And I cannot see the utility of traveling with BluRay.

OK.


The point here is that you seem to be using BluRay as backup. Or you were. It's not good for that. No optical solution is. The idea of BluRay is archival. Something to use once your project is done and delivered. You don't WANT to be going back to them. They are there for reference only.

Used in the correct context, as short term archival media, I feel BluRay is an excellent choice at this time. But they make exceptionally poor backups.

Hi Perrone,
I agree with you that BR still being a good solution for environments "wider" than mine.
I wish I could manage a double-format workflow for back-up/archiving, but:
- I archive almost 100% of what I shoot.
- I'm a "one-man-band".
I have to simplify. With HDs, I can back-up and pre-archive on the field.
Back home, I clean and organize the stuff, clone the HD, and erase the CF and SxS cards.
Even this simple system give me headaches :-)
rafael

Hi Rafael and Perrone

Ok thanks for the info.. so once you put a video clip on a BR.. its not so easy to just drag it off again?

Thanks

Yes, it's easy. It's just a LOT slower than doing it with a hard drive. Let's say I was working on a project due on Dec 31. I'd keep it on multiple HDD until delivery. Once the project is delivered and signed off, I'll clean off my temporary files, but keep the sources and project file intact for another 30 days or until the project "airs". I do a lot of project that are for single play use. Let's say the project is going to air on Jan. 15. On January 16, I will take the project files, source media, deliverable, etc., and commit them to bluray. There is no going back and fixing anything, the project has already fulfilled it's purpose.

Once its on bluray and the disk is verified, I scrub the project off my drives and prepare for the next project. I've had people come to me 6 months, a year, or 2 years later, ask me about an old project. If they want to see it, I can go to the bluray, copy off the compressed version I put on there and give that to them on a CD.

It would take me 15 minutes to do that if the material were stored on a HD. It might take me 30-45 minutes to do the same off BluRay. The hard drive would cost me many times what the cost of a bluray would.