EHD firewire vs usb - which is better?

Hello Apple Fans,
I need to get an ehd for storing and editing iMovie projects and was wondering if a USB 2.0 drive with 480 Mbps is going to be fast and reliable enough for the job?
Many thanks for any help.
PG Logo

I hate to have a difference of opinion with Kirk ..who knows everything about QuickTime!
But although USB 2.0 is fast, it doesn't have the sustained file transfer speed of FireWire. It carries data in bursts, rather than as a continuous stream. So although you can transfer files OK with it, it's NOT really fast enough for editing movies which are stored on that external hard disc.
And if the hard disc is connected to a Mac via USB, then although there may be a FireWire socket on the hard disc too (..supposedly for connecting your camera to..) you won't be able to send video from the camera to the hard disc and use it within iMovie, because there is no connection between the FireWire circuitry and the USB circuitry: so, as Karsten explains below, your Mac won't know that a camcorder is connected to the external disc!
You say "..I need to get an ehd for storing and editing iMovie projects.." ..you'll be able to store your projects on a USB-connected external disc, but you won't be able to edit successfully using a USB-connected external disc.
You could import to your internal disc, edit there, then transfer the finished movie to the USB disc, but USB is too slow for editing with.

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