8) 8) 8) 8)

I read somewhere here that drives that record continuously should be replaced every 5 years?. I have some DVR that have drives date coded 2002 and I am unable to find the model number listed anywhere and therefore cannot find the specs. I am assuming they are discontinued but hopefully replaced with something else. These drives are Maxtor 160Gb and probably 5400 rpm. Is there any place where I can cross reference the model number to other manufactures? Are 5400 rpm being phased out?

Thanks

8) 8) 8) 8)

If they are recording 7/24/365, they should probably be replaced even more often. Sanyo recommends every 2-3 years for their DVR's.

It also depends on the type of drive. Many DVR's use lower-quality desktop computer hard drives that aren't made for continuous use and will fail earlier than SCSI or SAS or even RE drives. The other problem is that most DVR's can't use either of these more robust types.

Sounds like the GE/Kalatel drives .. i have one sitting right here on my desk :)

You can still buy them, a client of mine did, but yes they are hard to find typically. Laptop drives are typically 5400 rpm still though (less power), so you could use one of those .. its a power issue really, so if you mod a PC power supply to the DVR you could just use a standard 7200rpm drive.

One of the main issues with drive longevity is platter bearings. Cheap and older drives use(d) ball bearings, which tend to wear out due to metal-to-metal contact friction. Newer drives use fluid dynamic bearings, which eliminate metal-to-metal contact.

Another primary cause of drive failures is the "PZT actuators" that move the heads. Still another cause is vibration and physical shock that can make the head hit the spinning platter.

Most drive failures are mechanical, not electronic in nature.