Movie backups and choosing an external HDD

Channels DVR Server
#1

I am not sure how many people on here backup their movies on Channels DVR, but now that my Synology NAS is approaching 3 years old, I was thinking about doing so, to ensure I don't lose my videos in the event of the unexpected happening.

I've got about 2TB of movies saved that I'd like to backup. I am thinking I want a 4TB external drive for a backup of my DVR library to allow for some wiggle room and of course so that I can backup additional movies in the future. Assuming that I'm going to have to go with a HDD versus SSD due to the very expensive SSDs at 4TB size, can anyone recommend a good external 4TB HDD?

As for the separate topic of "how" to backup/restore a Channels DVR library, I think I am good on that based on forum articles I have seen about it in the past. I am just interested in any feedback on the particular brands of HDDs that may be recommended. Also, any information on the average amount of time it might take (in my case) to backup 2TB of data to an external HDD (i.e. average number of hours). This would be helpful to know since I will need to take my Channels DVR down to accomplish the backup.

Thanks for any feedback.

#2

Have you thought of using a NAS drive externally and attaching it to the Synology?
Depending on the Synology model you have, could use eSata or USB connection on the NAS.

That way you could plug in (mount) and unplug (unmount) the external drive as needed.

#3

I've got a Synology NAS 218+. I had not thought about that. Perhaps, what you are indicating would be a more efficient solution versus connecting a newly purchased external drive to my PC to accomplish this task.

This is exactly why I posted, to get some insight here into the best way of accomplishing a backup of my media. My current NAS is working fine, but you never know if/when a failure could arise.

Thanks for your quick response.

#4

Others may not agree, but I use 5 of these in my oldest Synology DS1513+
WD RED WD40EFRX CMR NAS DRIVE
9+ years and still running.

#5

To me, you spend money on backups for the same reason you spend money on insurance— to allow for the unexpected. You expect your NAS to fail, so you build in redundancy to allow for failure. Maybe you get that with RAID ‘or maybe with an old drive in the house. That’s fine. But a backup needs to allow for the unexpected. House gets struck by lightning, you’re covered. House burns down, you’re covered. That’s why I use cloud backup. It costs more than a drive especially over time, but it’s off site and automatic so I’m covered for the things I CAN’T predict.

#6

I am done with HDD; I've had way too many catastrophic failures with them over time. Yes, SSD is more expensive by far, but there are a couple of options. One is to just watch Amazon Warehouse for open box deals. Often times people just buy and return without even using, and that can get you a 25% discount. Another thing is that the SATA ones are a bit cheaper than the USB ones, so you can just have your own USB/SATA connection for like $8. Or you can go a bit further like I'm doing and getting a multi-bay SATA docking station, like this one:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/insignia-2-bay-hdd-docking-station/6153102.p

Now you could drop a couple of SATA SSD in there, even buying them one at a time as you find good deals. Yes, you'll have to manage over multiple drives, but I feel the tradeoff of not worrying about hardware failure for 25 years is worth it.

Library content from other locations on home network
#7

I am with you on that. SSD is way better than HDD! I use a 2TB external backup SSD on my PC with Macrium Reflect. The PC is so simple, I just set the backup schedule and forget it. Not quite so easy with the NAS.

I only use my NAS for Channels DVR. And I keep it entirely separate from my PC. I would much prefer to get a SSD for the NAS (for the backup) if I could find a deal. I would imagine it would be SO much faster too! I am familiar with the folder structure on how to backup Channels DVR.

I just still need to figure out the physical backup device that I will use to accomplish the task. Thanks for the posts here and I will check out the link.

#8

I record to an SSD then have a cron job to move my recordings to external Nas enclosure (secondary storage) when the DVR is not busy ... that includes recording, watching and commercial detection.

*/30 * * * * curl http://10.0.0.106:8089/dvr | grep "busy\":false," && cp -rp "/home/recordings/DVR/TV/" "/mnt/md0/public/ChannelsDVR/TV/" && sudo rm -rf /home/recordings/DVR/TV

*/30 * * * * curl http://10.0.0.106:8089/dvr | grep "busy\":false," && cp -rp "/home/recordings/DVR/Movies/" "/mnt/md0/public/ChannelsDVR/Movies/" && sudo rm -rf /home/recordings/DVR/Movies
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