CruDrive or CruDrive Mini UK

[funkytwig]

This is regarding my previous post, creating DCP for BFI.

It states

"The DCP is delivered on a professional quality portable hard drive suitable for use with Digital Cinema Distribution (CruDrive or CruDrive Mini are preferred)"

It feels like maybe https://cinestore.gr/en/11-cru-dcp-dc-mini-kit but wondering if anyone knows of a good place to get these from the UK.

[IoannisSyrogiannis]

Or, you can also browse here:
https://cdsg.com/products/dx115dc?confi ... rmat=n%2Fa

or, where I can not browse, but you probably can:
https://datastores.co.uk/product-catego ... rives/cru/

I would pay more attention to the "CruDrive or CruDrive Mini are preferred" part though.
Nowadays, most deliveries are digital, and while CRU is useful for many TMS systems and a couple remaining cinema screen servers, there is not much demand. Many smaller distribution companies in the... continent, were using USB drives. Some with extra USB power supply.
Others, often use those rugged LaCie drives. I remember a number of deliveries with those, from well known distributors, since the '10s. I wouldn't go USB-C to connect to a cinema server, though, if I had the choice. I don't know of any that can connect to USB-C.
I would also pay more attention to the file-system and partitioning, than anything else.

See what is there and what can be sensible in terms of cost.
You may find out that for a one-go it would be less expensive to go digital (delivery).

All the best with your work!

Edit:
I have both bought CRU (without a hard drive) from a store and used from ebay. Ebay took a few more days, but it was considerably cheaper. Also, I would expect that you would mostly need to deliver the DX115DC carrier. If that is the case, it's best to take that into account. You could format and copy a drive attached otherwise and then enclosed into that.

[Carsten]

When you buy a 3..5" CRU DX115 container, you may also need a CRU frame for a desktop PC to use it, or a so called MoveDock (externally USB connected). You could also simply write to a bare 3.5" or 2.5" SATA drive that is connected internally in a stationary PC, or mounted in a USB-SATA dock - then mount the drive in a CRU sled and send it away.

The 2.5" CRU mini has some benefits, but our experience as an exhibitor was mixed - they were not operating as stable as the larger 3.5" sleds. They were only in use (at least in germany) for a very short time, before internet delivery of DCPs took off.

They may be easier for you to use, as you don't need a CRU DX115 mounting frame or MoveDock to use them, as you can attach them through a standard USB3 mobile drive cable just as any normal mobile drive

You will usually find some of these items on ebay, e.g.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375669635941 ... media=COPY

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw= ... m570.l1313


I would probably contact BFI and try to speak to a human contact. Maybe in reality they are more flexible than their official paperwork.

Do they want the drive to be ext2/ext3 formatted? This could be the more complicated part, depending on the OS you use.

[cvila]

If CRU isn't mandatory I would avoid it.
Lately I've been seeing more and more portable external SSDs being delivered. They are small, cheap, fast and way more reliable than mechanical HDDs. A 250 GB model should be enough in most cases, they are around 30€.