13 replies to this topic

[wazzageek]

Hi All,

I'm looking at getting a new 2TB hard drive to use as the recording drive and was wondering what people are using these days?

My local PC shop has the following to choose from. I like to get my drives local in case of warranty returns.

Seagate ST2000DM001 (Have read these are good performers but not that reliable)
Western Digital WD2002FAEX (5 year warranty but expensive and a little noisy)
Western Digital WD20EARX (Reliable but less performance)

I can also get a Hitachi 2TB Deskstar 7K3000 from a different but not my favorite store. They have to order them in though.

Any suggestions?

Regards
Warren.

[01-0077]

Hi Warrren,

For what it's worth I have been using a WD20EARX since last July and it hasn't missed a beat.

John.

[wazzageek]

For what it's worth I have been using a WD20EARX since last July and it hasn't missed a beat.

Thanks John. I am leaning towards these. I have 2 of the older WD20EARS and they have been very reliable. Does the WD20EARX spin down like the older model?

[skypilot]

My advice is not to get a 5400 RPM one - despite what people say it cannot handle record and playback at the same time. I was using a 5400 rpm disk and my son watches rec TV on another PC but the disk could not handle it the rec TV would stutter and carry on until I changed it.

[wazzageek]

My advice is not to get a 5400 RPM one - despite what people say it cannot handle record and playback at the same time. I was using a 5400 rpm disk and my son watches rec TV on another PC but the disk could not handle it the rec TV would stutter and carry on until I changed it.

I plan to use xbox's as extenders so this is good advice. I was looking at 7200 drives although the WD20EARX is somewhere in between I think or variable. WD don't actually specify a speed, just that they use "Intellipower".

[dwebkombi]

My advice is not to get a 5400 RPM one - despite what people say it cannot handle record and playback at the same time. I was using a 5400 rpm disk and my son watches rec TV on another PC but the disk could not handle it the rec TV would stutter and carry on until I changed it.

Totally agree, only 7200rpm drives for me

[turbodewd]

Call me crazy but Im deliberately using an Intel 520 series 240GB SSD in my HTPC - nothing else! That's right...it will TRIM its head off. There is a lot of FUD on the internet, I intend to personally see how an Intel SSD fares constantly caching coz I watch a fair amount of live TV. Its quick!

[wazzageek]

Call me crazy but Im deliberately using an Intel 520 series 240GB SSD in my HTPC - nothing else! That's right...it will TRIM its head off. There is a lot of FUD on the internet, I intend to personally see how an Intel SSD fares constantly caching coz I watch a fair amount of live TV. Its quick!

Will be interested to know how you go.

[AdrianW]

5400rpm drives are more than fast enough to record four shows and playback a fifth at the same time. If anyone is having issues with recording one show and watching another, then the problem is going to be elsewhere.

I have a 1TB WD green drive in mine and it's never missed a beat.

Edited by AdrianW, 01 July 2012 - 09:46 AM.

[skypilot]

5400rpm drives are more than fast enough to record four shows and playback a fifth at the same time. If anyone is having issues with recording one show and watching another, then the problem is going to be elsewhere.

I have a 1TB WD green drive in mine and it's never missed a beat.

They weren't for me in my system - I changed the drive and the problem went away.

[Martin24]

I'm recording to a 5400 RPM drive, can record multiple channels and play at the same time

(It may depend on which version of SATA you're running and also if you are running them as IDE or AHCI)

I have about 12 Seagate ST2000DM001 drives in total - not a single failure in ~12 months

Edited by Martin24, 02 July 2012 - 06:05 AM.

[wazzageek]

I'm recording to a 5400 RPM drive, can record multiple channels and play at the same time

(It may depend on which version of SATA you're running and also if you are running them as IDE or AHCI)

I have about 12 Seagate ST2000DM001 drives in total - not a single failure in ~12 months

Is the 5400 drive a different model? The Seagate ST2000DM001 is a 7200 rpm drive.

[Martin24]

Yeah - It's actually ST2000DL003 - the green model

I was watching a recorded program while recording 4 other shows tonight - did not miss a beat

[wazzageek]

Guys,

Check this thread out. May be why some 5400 drives work and others don't.