TEAMGROUP T-CREATE CinemaPr P31 Portable SSD Review – Made With Filmmakers In Mind

by Johnnie BehiriJuly 1^st, 2024

Compact, lightweight, durable, and with sufficient capacity, this is the new T-CREATE CinemaPr P31 External SSD from TEAMGROUP. This external SSD was designed to cater to the ever-growing needs of filmmakers by offering robust construction, easy attachment to camera cages, a high data transfer rate via USB-C, and durability. But how does it function in the field? Let’s find out.

Today on our table is the newly announced TEAMGROUP T-CREATE CinemaPr P31 2TB External SSD. TEAMGROUP is a Taiwanese company that specializes in providing storage solutions, and in this review, I’ll be focusing on a product made by one of their sub-brands, T-CREATE. 

TEAMGROUP T-CREATE P31 – reviewing an SSD or a memory card…

Normally, reviewing a memory card or SSD is not that easy since those products are not as engaging as cameras or lenses, for example, but of course, they are essential for our productions. Also, usually, transfer rate and “other numbers” make it confusing or not so appealing to talk about so I’ll simply concentrate on facts. Can this SSD sustain the stress or not?  

Well, according to our tests, it certainly can, and this is why I’m excited to share my thoughts about it.

First and most importantly, it is a dedicated SSD for filmmakers, meaning that a lot of thought went into designing this product so it can be used easily in the field as an external recording device. One has to love the multiple 12 1/4” standard screw holes and set of bundled screws on this unit. Those are there in order to allow for multiple attachment possibilities directly to cameras or cages. 

The IP67 certification means this device is shock resistant next to being water and dust-proof. And indeed, in our testing, we confidently simulated using it in various outdoor situations. Even the 3.2 USB-C connector matches the IP67 certification. Apparently, there is some sort of O-ring inside, which also renders the connector waterproof. Please note that it is highly recommended by the manufacturer to dry the USB-C port BEFORE connecting the cable to it in case it gets wet.

When it comes to durability in general, since the T-CREATE CinemaPr P31 is formed by CNC precision machining, it makes the product more durable, and the aluminum surface helps with heat dissipation. It is worth noting that in our testing at the time, the SSD got hot, but never to the point that it failed us and stopped performing. 

When it comes to usability, I simply enjoyed using this external SSD solution. It looks good, and it is small and lightweight, so I don’t have to think twice about taking it with me wherever I go. 

Just to prove a design point, even that rubber surface part is useful. The SSD won’t slide away, no matter where it sits. 

In reality, what I used it for mostly was mobile editing because it is fast and durable, and the 2TB capacity was right for my needs. It is worth mentioning that 1TB and 4TB SSD versions are also available for purchase.

When it comes to testing it for camera recording, we paired the SSD with the SIGMA fp camera and recorded a Cinema DNG RAW externally in its highest 4K resolution and 12-bit format. I’m happy to report that we simply had no issues. We did the same connecting the SSD to the new LUMIX GH7, and recorded externally to ProRes RAW, and again with full success. 

And “a word of advice” – if your camera supports USB-C recording and storage, it is recommended that you visit your camera manufacturer’s website or visit the P31 official website to find out if there are models that support USB-C.

What can be done a bit better?

If there is anything that I would have loved to see enhanced, it is: 

• The ability to attach this device magnetically to the back of an iPhone 15 Pro. I mean, TEAMGROUP has a dedicated unit that does exactly this, yet if I don’t want to invoice twice, I would have preferred this SSD to be better integrated with a mobile phone workflow.

In terms of pricing and availability, the TEAMGROUP T-CREATE P31 2TB is now available at Amazon.com for $299.99 (€335.96 on Amazon.de), while the 1TB is being sold for $169.99 (€224.46 on Amazon.de), and the 4TB version for $499.99 (€558.99 on Amazon.de).

• And this brings me to my next remark. I wish there were additional sales channels for buying this SSD. Currently, this product is being sold via Amazon only, and I would have loved to see it sold via other established retailers, too. 

Are you familiar with products from TEAMGROUP? If not, what other SSD solutions are you using for external recording and editing? Please share with us your thoughts in the comment section below.