Re: eSATA Expresscard by walter biscardi on Sep 5, 2008 at 12:41:00 pm
Does the drive manufacturer recommend a card? That's where I always look first because if they do, that means they've probably tested it out with their product.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Bob Pierce on Sep 5, 2008 at 12:48:41 pm
I recently bought a Sonnet from Other World Computing for $100. Drives were spontaneously unmounting, and after much discussion with tech support they admitted that the unit doesn't get along with the Mac Book Pro. I exchanged it for the $140 EZ Quest, which so far is working great for me.
Good luck,
Bob
Mac Pro 2.66 - 8GB memory - Mac OS 10.5.2 - Quicktime 7.4.5 -
Mac Book Pro 2.33 Duo -
FC Studio 2 (Final Cut 6.0.3) - Kona Lhe
Adobe Production Suite CS3 -
Sony Multiformat 14" - Panasonic 42" Plasma -
Ikegami HLDV7 - PVW EX-1
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Robert Buncher on Sep 5, 2008 at 2:14:07 pm
I have been using a Firmtek card with two Firmtek enclosures, a two bay and a five bay. It works just fine. How it might work with a different brand I can't say.
Bob
MacbookPro 2.33 2gb os 10.4.11
FCP 5.1.4 After Effects Bootcamp XPpro
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Rafael Amador on Sep 7, 2008 at 2:12:09 am
Hi Jeremy,
I'm with Leopard, and no way to make the FW-Express card to work. No way to write from HD to HD connected to the card.
In Sonnet they told me to return the card, but for me is cheaper to buy a new one that to ship something from here. Bought the second one and the same problem.
Soon I'll be able to build with the cards an small wall to protect my alley from the floods.
Rafael
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Zane Barker on Sep 7, 2008 at 6:55:08 pm
[Jeremy Garchow]"That's strange. You installed the drivers, no?"
I assume that you are referring to the post on the Sonnet FW cord not working at all. The Sonnet FW card uses a driver that is built into 10.5, it does not require any additional driver for the mac (it does on windows)
I am betting that the reason that it is not working on his machine is that his machine just happens to be the one machine that the Sonnet FW card will not work on.
From Sonnets site.
"Not currently compatible with 15" MacBook Pro, Model Identifier 2, 2. Compatible with all other models. Check System Profiler (Apple Menu->About This Mac->More Info) for Model Identifier.
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Jeremy Garchow on Sep 6, 2008 at 9:23:53 pm
[Bob Pierce]"I recently bought a Sonnet from Other World Computing for $100. Drives were spontaneously unmounting, and after much discussion with tech support they admitted that the unit doesn't get along with the Mac Book Pro."
Say wha? I use a Sonnet Express 34 with an F2 for all of my portable editing/live captures. It works swimmingly. Are you sure it was Sonnet tech support you were talking to?
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Zane Barker on Sep 6, 2008 at 2:38:09 am
I've done a LOT of research and looking myself, and have learned that ALL eSATA card that connect to a MBP use the same chipset and same driver.
Sure some manufacture bundle that driver inside there own installer, but after looking at the package contents of the drivers for over a half dozen cards, I found that they all used the same driver, and thus the same chipset in the eSATA card itself.
There are no "technical solutions" to your "artistic problems".
Don't let technology get in the way of your creativity!
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Josh Evans on Sep 6, 2008 at 8:46:56 pm
Hi THere,
thanks for all the replies.
I went with the APIOTEK EC-0003D
it cost me $400 Hong Kong and seems to work fine. There were a few glitches at first like FCP frezing and causing bad crashes, but now seems to work ok, not sure why.
Everything is definitely faster than before with Firewire 800. Ive noticed more things are in realtime in my timeline now, and rendering takes much less time, so eSATA definitely worth it. eSATA II must be even better, but out of my price range at the moment.
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Nate Stephens on Sep 7, 2008 at 2:30:26 pm
Josh,
Next time check out Addonics. They are a distributor of all sorts of cards, enclosures and hard drive hardware.
Their Express card sata, is mulitport capable and was under 80 bucks US. A Port -multiplier capable esata express card will allow you to plug in port multiplied hard drive enclosures to eash sata port.
so you can get about 8 esata drives plugged into a 2 port sata express card.
FCP, Mac Pro, Mac Book Pro, HPX500, HVX200, Betacam, Dvcam
Write for the Edit, Shoot for the Edit, Edit.....KISS Principle
As far as I can tell all the express 34 esata cards out there that say they will work on the mac are the exact same card with nothing more then a different brand name sticker on the card.
There are no "technical solutions" to your "artistic problems".
Don't let technology get in the way of your creativity!
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Nate Stephens on Sep 7, 2008 at 8:07:35 pm
Zane,,, they might have the same chip, but I think Addonics has the lowest of low prices 44 bucks and it supports Portmultiplier technology... And now they have the new Raid 5 express card for 55 bucks... just might have to look into that one..
FCP, Mac Pro, Mac Book Pro, HPX500, HVX200, Betacam, Dvcam
Write for the Edit, Shoot for the Edit, Edit.....KISS Principle
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Zane Barker on Sep 7, 2008 at 8:15:04 pm
[Nate Stephens]"they might have the same chip, but I think Addonics has the lowest of low prices 44 bucks and it supports Portmultiplier technology... And now they have the new Raid 5 express card for 55 bucks... just might have to look into that one.."
Same Chip + Same Driver = SAME PROBLEMS
I dont care if the price is cheep I want something that will NOT give me same problem.
There raid card is the same card with a raid driver added on top of the standard driver. Believe me I have looked into them.
Same Chip + Same Driver = SAME PROBLEMS
There are no "technical solutions" to your "artistic problems".
Don't let technology get in the way of your creativity!
Re: eSATA Expresscard by Nate Stephens on Sep 7, 2008 at 8:36:33 pm
Sorry about your luck Zane,,,, but
The Addonics Express eSata card is working great with my Mac Book Pro 2.4, 4gb ram, 320 HD, 15 inch..
I have recorded 1080i DVCproHD for over 24 hours straight to the attached mirrored sata Hard drives (budget enclosures, budget drives) with NO problems, no drop outs. I have been using this combo with various enclosures and drives all summer... Works like a charm...
FCP, Mac Pro, Mac Book Pro, HPX500, HVX200, Betacam, Dvcam
Write for the Edit, Shoot for the Edit, Edit.....KISS Principle
Re: eSATA Expresscard by David Wheeler on Nov 10, 2008 at 6:50:23 pm
I have been using the Addonics eSATA Express card 34 adapter with my '07 MBP 17" for several months with no problem connecting a Seagate HD. However, I could not get the express card to recognize my XDCAM flash drives. Apple said I needed to replace the express card slot which I did. Now the XDCAM flash drives read fine, but the Addonics adapter is not recognized and freezes the keypad and mouse so that I have to hard boot the laptop to unmount it. Whatever driver issues there may be, Apple may also have issues with their express card hardware.
