Backup Solutions: Which to choose?

[kgeier821]

Money isnt a huge issue, but its nice to save here and there. what do you all recommend? While ive been using handbrake for quite a while, it has its drawbacks.

My encoding method of choice is: h264, bitrate around 1500 (puts most movies under 1.5GB's

Option A
buy 1.5TB, cost 400
use current DVDs as backups
no encoding nightmare, quality issues, etc...can re-encode for iphone
whenever/whatever
total cost:
400$, no time.
only con: 320 dvds MAX, would need additional storage soon

if HD fails:
120 dvds x 10min/dvd = 1200min = 20hrs restore w/1machine
= 10hrs restore w/2 machine

Option B
buy 750 GB, cost 160 (build own)
buy 2 x 100 cakebox, cost 40
buy enclosure, cost 45$
compress all movies onto 750
backups on DVDRs, 3per
total cost:
280$, plus 700hrs/30days encode time
@1.4/dvd, store 500 Movies

if HD fails:
120 dvds x 10min/dvd = 1200min = 20hrs restore w/1machine
= 10hrs restore w/2 machine

CONS: no re-encodes for iphone usage, it is what it is. TIME

Option C
buy 750 x 2, cost 320$
buy adapter, cost 25$ (sata/ata to usb)
buy enclosure, cost 45$
encode all dvds <1.5GBs
backup encodes on 750 int.
total cost:
390$, plus 700hrs encoding (30 days straight)
@1.4/dvd, store 500 Movies

if HD fails:
restore from current HD backup. minimal time spent.

CONS: no re-encodes for iphone usage, it is what it is. TIME.




None of the above prices/methods are really negotiable, ive thought long and hard, need usb/firewire for external's, and so on...

comments?

[dynaflash]

While ive been using handbrake for quite a while, it has its drawbacks.

I am looking for the question about HB here. Looking ... looking .... can't see it.

[kgeier821]

i guess your right, there is no real question.

i thought since most people in the HANDBRAKE forum have gone through this process, they would be able to comment on whether its worth it or not to invest all that time.

lock if you like, ill ask elsewhere.

[dynaflash]

I am not locking anything. Was just asking as I couldnt tell if you had a handbrake relevant question. Thats all.

[kgeier821]

im sure this isnt the correct place to ask, but i thought many others have had similar situations when using handbrake, is all.

i thought it may be relevant to Handbrakes "use"...

[jbrjake]

I just went the 2x 750gb in an external enclosure route, using a software RAID 1.

Not having your data backed up* is simply not worth it. Your time is more valuable than an extra hard drive.

*Yes, I know, even a mirror RAID isn't really, professionally, backing up...but I'm more concerned about drive failure than home catastrophes.

[Nonsanity]

I've been adding external, chained Firewire drives as I go, now up to 3.15TB total. I don't raid them together, preferring to rely on the original DVDs as the "backup", and I like to be able to detach a drive at a time should I feel the need.

I have software I wrote that indexes the movies into a web page that I can use to start any one of them, no matter which drive they are on... So the fact that they are all separate is no problem.

And I use MPEG-4 encoding because it's a softer, less precise encoding than H.264, and that hides the native DVD's MPEG-2 artifacts better than the more "accurate" H.264.

I'm sure that when HandBrake goes HD, I'll make the switch.

[JohnnyRocks]

I'm doing the same thing as Nonsanity except I have one copy at home and one in my office. I also create a raid. Firewire memory is getting so cheap it makes sense.

[brownrecluse]

Hey kgeier821,

I also posted a similiar thread awhile back, got 20 some replies but no real solid solutions.

I tend to ignore the forum ninnies who sit in front of their computers 23.5 hours per day waiting for someone to ask a question that was already asked ten years ago or asking a question that in their small mind isn't related to handbrake. Why someone would think that a post about how to back up all of the files you've encoded from handbrake is not a relevant question is beyond me. Many of us have spent many many hours encoding, and many friends of mine have all pondered the backup question.

There are several online backup solutions like Mozy.com, but it would take a very loooooong time to backup in that fashion.

I'm considering just buying a 1T drive and moving my files onto that and storing it in the original box at a friends house. I would certainly hate to have to start the encoding process all over again!!

The blue ray drives that can store 25GB on single-layer or up to 50GB on dual-layer Blu-ray media are coming down to about 600 bucks, so that might be an option down the road.

[dynaflash]

I tend to ignore the forum ninnies who sit in front of their computers 23.5 hours per day waiting for someone to ask a question that was already asked ten years ago or asking a question that in their small mind isn't related to handbrake.

Well, since I am the "forum ninnie" you are obviously referring to, I might just say that I dont sit 23.5 hours a day and wait for anything on the forum, though I do spend a fair amount of time helping develop HandBrake so that you can spend all of those many hours encoding your dvd's. As well, I guess you are right in that my "small mind" was not really sure just what the question was in reference to HandBrake in the OP. Especially since it was originally posted in General I believe, not Tiki Bar which is appropriate for this type of question. So I asked, the op answered and so be it. Fair enough.

Oh and my apologies that your post about the same thing did not yield answers to your satisfaction. We will try much harder to meet your expectations from now on.

Regards,
Small Minded Forum Ninnie

[jbrjake]

Well, since I am the "forum ninnie" you are obviously referring to

Aw. and here I thought he was referring to me ;>

And brownrecluse...maybe you should consider that the reason we're sitting in front of our computers reading the forum is that we're waiting while new copies of HandBrake compile and test encodes run. Since we're small minded ninnies who should be ignored, perhaps you'd like to take over development with your large, juicy brain?

[baggss]

Well, you are both "ninnies"...

[nightstrm]

What kind of solution are you looking for? Everyone does things their own way, each with positives and negatives. Me, I'm content using the original DVDs as my seconary backup if my readynas array were to fail on me. Re-encoding isn't the end of the world...

If the hb devs are a bunch of ninnies, they are the smartest ones I've ever seen.

[eddyg]

What kind of solution are you looking for? Everyone does things their own way, each with positives and negatives. Me, I'm content using the original DVDs as my seconary backup if my readynas array were to fail on me. Re-encoding isn't the end of the world...

If the hb devs are a bunch of ninnies, they are the smartest ones I've ever seen.

I also rely on the original DVDs as the backup. I almost relish the idea of reencoding everything with my newest settings

Cheers, Ed.

[dynaflash]

I almost relish the idea of reencoding everything with my newest settings

Cheers, Ed.

You are a sick, sick man.