Videoguys NAB2008 Report: G-Tech

If you’ve been a follower of our website then you know that I have loved G-Tech G-Raids since their inception. These drives deliver outstanding performance and reliability because they have built in cooling. At NAB G-tech was showing off three new G-Raid drives that I think are very exciting.

G-RAID3 The G-RAID3 family of drives will not replace the G-RAID2, but they will be available as a step up model. What do you get with a G-RAID3 that makes it worth the extra bucks? First you get a Quad interface. That means they’ve added eSata along with FireWire 400/800 and USB2. I’m a really big fan of eSata. On the PC side you’ll find many motherboards now shipping with external eSata connections. Our DIY6 machine has two. eSata is far more reliable and faster than either FireWire or USB. GRAID3 also includes a quieter and smarter fan. It will adjust it’s speed based on the cooling needed, giving you a much quieter solution. Also there’s now a new “soft† power switch for better reliability.

G-RAID Pro No, this is not deja vu all over again! While G-Tech has resurrected the G-Raid Pro name, this is not the same product at all. Based on the G-SPEED eS chassis, it’s a 4 drive external solution that can be configured as either a RAID0 or RAID5 using the integrated RAID controller. I’m becoming a really big fan of RAID5. You get redundancy and failsafe operation. If one of the drives fails, you don’t lose any data and you can even keep editing. The G-Raid Pro is a triple interface (FireWire 400 / 800 / USB2). At the show I asked if it was possible that G-Raid Pro could have eSata as well. I didn’t get a hard “No†, which tells me it’s still not set in stone. I hope they add eSata. This would make the G-RAID Pro the least expensive eSata RAID5 solution on the market. While the internal RAID controller would limit your ability to expand and stripe across multiple units, the price / performance value of the G-RAID Pro would make it my top recommendation for HD editors on a budget.

G-Raid mini 2 Just like the G-RAID3, the G-Raid mini2 gets a quad support, although it’s just a triple interface – FW800/eSATA/usb2 – FW400 is through an 800 to 400adapter cable. Even more important you now get the option of configuring it as a RAID0 or RAID1. What’s so cool about that? I see it as a fantastic option for in the field. By capturing to a RAID1 mirror, you don’t have to worry about disaster striking. You get two copies at the same time. For anyone using Adobe On Location I see this as a must have storage solution for it. Also, the G-RAID mini can be bus-powered via FireWire while connected eSATA – that’s cool!