WD Purple SC QD101 MicroSD Review: Tailor-Made For Modern-Day Security Cameras

| Published: Sunday, October 25, 2020, 9:09 [IST]

Western Digital is a well-known name when it comes to modern storage solutions. The company makes HDDs, SSDs, microSD cards, SD cards, and a lot more. Depending on the user requirement, the brand makes products in different classes with variable read and write speeds.

Rating:

4.0/5

PROS

Compact in size
Offers up to 512GB storage
Unique look to help distinguish from regular microSD

CONS

A bit expensive

In this modern world, it is important to keep our home and office premises as secure as possible, and WD has a solution to this aspect as well. The company recently launched the WD Purple SC QD101 microSD in India with a starting price of Rs. 855 for the 32GB variant, and here is the full review of the tailor-made microSD card for surveillance and security storage solutions.

WD Purple SC QD101 Specifications

Capacity: 32/64/128/256/512 GB
Form Factor: microSDHC
Storage Technology: 96-layer 3D NAND
Interface: SDA 6.0
Warranty: 3-Year Limited Warranty

WD Purple SC QD101: Design

As the name suggests, this is literally a purple card, which will help distinguish between the similar-looking microSD cards. The form factor is exactly like the other microSD cards, making it easy to carry around. This is also the best storage options available in the market due to some of the features that it offers.

As most of the security cameras are installed outside the house/office, it is important that the microSD card has better endurance certifications to the harsh weather. The WD Purple SC QD101 can operate between -25°C to 85°C, making it an excellent card to be used with security cameras even in extreme weather conditions. This is the one microSD card that can be used in both Delhi during summer, and in Kashmir during winter without any issue.

WD Purple SC QD101: Real-World Usage

We tested the 128GB version of the WD Purple SC QD101 with the Mi Home Security Camera 360° camera, capable of recording in 1080p videos and stream in real-time. The camera uses the latest H.264 encoding, which uses less storage space without affecting the video quality.

The WD Purple SC QD101 was able to record continuously for more than 24 hours and it was also able to rewrite the older data once the storage space got over. In my usage, I did not face any quality or compression, thus making the WD Purple SC QD101 a reliable storage solution for security cameras.

Given the 128GB storage capacity, it can easily store data for a few days without any NAS backup. So, even if the backup storage solution does not work due to a power outage, the WD Purple SC QD101 can easily store all the data directly on the camera.

WD Purple SC QD101: Verdict

The WD Purple SC QD101 is made for security cameras. So, this microSD card cannot be used with a computer or a camera, as it is designed to be used with security cameras. On select cameras, one can also monitor the health of the microSD card. However, this feature was not available on our security camera.

This is a Class 10 UHS Class Speed Class 1 card, which can even record 4K resolution videos as well. If you recently bought a modern security camera and looking for a reliable microSD card, then get the WD Purple SC QD101.