How reliable are burnt DVDs? Like if I burnt them now and the scanning shows a good result, can it suddenly turn bad really soon, but after I deleted the files from the hard drive? Or in other words, how reliable are they for data storage. And if a burn is good, what’s the chance of them degrading really fast due to factors undetectable by the drive?
I use Verbatim DVDs made in Taiwan and Singapore.
Obviously your best chance is by using known good media, as you already are, since no-one can see that far ahead.
If it’s really important data, don’t trust it to just one copy; make another (or another two, as I do - I also keep backups on HDD), preferably on a different brand/manufacturer of media.
[QUOTE=Arachne;1926241]Obviously your best chance is by using known good media, as you already are, since no-one can see that far ahead.
If it’s really important data, don’t trust it to just one copy; make another (or another two, as I do - I also keep backups on HDD), preferably on a different brand/manufacturer of media.[/QUOTE]
Hard drives are more expensive. A 500GB hard drive costs over 100 dollars plus tax. DVDs have 4.7GB on them and 50 of them costs 18 dollars when on sale.
So that’s like 40 dollars for 500GB.
Plus, is hard drive safe? The hard drives could have it’s magnetic heads change so it’s no longer readable, so all of a sudden 500GB of data are lost.
Using a HDD and DVDs are way too expensive for me.
How is DVD RAM? Is that thing reliable?
[QUOTE=Goit;1926251]
How is DVD RAM? Is that thing reliable?[/QUOTE]
I don’t use DVD-RAM extensively, but it’s said to be more reliable than regular DVD. I’ve certainly kept data on one for quite some time. It verifies the data as it’s being written, which does make it a bit slow, though.
Sounds like your best bet would be multiple DVD copies.
[QUOTE=Arachne;1926257]I don’t use DVD-RAM extensively, but it’s said to be more reliable than regular DVD. I’ve certainly kept data on one for quite some time. It verifies the data as it’s being written, which does make it a bit slow, though.
Sounds like your best bet would be multiple DVD copies.[/QUOTE]
Is DVD RAM more reliable than regular DVD or DVD RWs?
I just want something that can preserve downloaded stuff (and listen to them with the medium).
Certainly more reliable than RW media.
I’m sure it’ll be fine for the purposes you just described. Obviously handle them carefully.
Edit: although, if you’re gonna be playing the music files stored on it regularly, I still say back up to at least 2 different DVD medias - one for regular or everyday use, the other to be put away as a backup/archive.
[QUOTE=Arachne;1926928]Certainly more reliable than RW media.
I’m sure it’ll be fine for the purposes you just described. Obviously handle them carefully.
Edit: although, if you’re gonna be playing the music files stored on it regularly, I still say back up to at least 2 different DVD medias - one for regular or everyday use, the other to be put away as a backup/archive.[/QUOTE]
Would a big 500GB hard drive be better? It’s more expensive $/GB wise, but is it safer? Or is a hard drive actually sensitive and could get demagnetized so the entire 500GB is lost in a flash?
That’s what I’m worrying about.
On another note, is there a program that checks the health of your drive? Like in what condition it is now? I’m concerned about the drive being bad (already over a year old) and burn crappy DVDs that dies within a month. If there’s a good chance that it’s going bad, then I’ll just simply get a new one before I burn those files. Because these files are downloaded, so I need to make sure that they are placed in a safe medium for archival purposes.
[QUOTE=Goit;1926939]Would a big 500GB hard drive be better? It’s more expensive $/GB wise, but is it safer? Or is a hard drive actually sensitive and could get demagnetized so the entire 500GB is lost in a flash?
That’s what I’m worrying about.
On another note, is there a program that checks the health of your drive? Like in what condition it is now? I’m concerned about the drive being bad (already over a year old) and burn crappy DVDs that dies within a month. If there’s a good chance that it’s going bad, then I’ll just simply get a new one before I burn those files. Because these files are downloaded, so I need to make sure that they are placed in a safe medium for archival purposes.[/QUOTE]
I know what you mean. I have a lot of stuff from over the years, which as I’ve said, I have on 3 different brands of DVD media and one HDD. (Paranoid, moi? :D)
I would recommend backing up to at least one set of DVDs as well as a HDD, if you’re going to go the HDD route.
I’m not aware of a program that checks drive health (you’re talking about ODDs, right? Because they exist for HDDs), but someone else may know of one. 
[QUOTE=Arachne;1926944]I know what you mean. I have a lot of stuff from over the years, which as I’ve said, I have on 3 different brands of DVD media and one HDD. (Paranoid, moi? :D)
I would recommend backing up to at least one set of DVDs as well as a HDD, if you’re going to go the HDD route.
I’m not aware of a program that checks drive health (you’re talking about ODDs, right? Because they exist for HDDs), but someone else may know of one. :)[/QUOTE]
Yes, I meant optical burners.
So if I burn it and the scan shows good, then does it mean that it passed? Or can there be subtle differences such that it will deteriorate quicker than other discs, even though at the beginning it looks good?
Also, if I get a new burner, is the samsung one the best? Is it better than a plextor?
Also, does it matter weather if it is SATA or IDE?
I just remembered, would it be safer to burn them onto CDs instead? Do CDs last longer than DVDs?
If so, should I get a CD burner (mine is kind of old) so I can have good burns?
[QUOTE=Goit;1926946]Yes, I meant optical burners.
So if I burn it and the scan shows good, then does it mean that it passed? Or can there be subtle differences such that it will deteriorate quicker than other discs, even though at the beginning it looks good?
Also, if I get a new burner, is the samsung one the best? Is it better than a plextor?
Also, does it matter weather if it is SATA or IDE?[/QUOTE]
OK. Scanning by itself doesn’t show much - a transfer rate test along with it is a good idea. Even then, initial scan quality doesn’t tell much about whether the disc will deteriorate (look at RITEK G05 - absolutely beautiful scans to start with, unreadable in as little as weeks).
Your best bet is to buy good manufacturers/brands, and store and handle them carefully, which I’m sure you already know. Other than that, you’d need a crystal ball 
As for new burners. There are plenty of new good ones about, have a read of some of the reviews in the Burners forum. I like Samsung personally, along with LG.
As long as your motherboard chipset has good SATA ODD support, you can pick whichever one suits your fancy.
Edit: As long as you use good media, there’s no reason IMO why you should pick CDs instead. My archival DVDs are standing up well (over two years now).
[QUOTE=Arachne;1926956]OK. Scanning by itself doesn’t show much - a transfer rate test along with it is a good idea. Even then, initial scan quality doesn’t tell much about whether the disc will deteriorate (look at RITEK G05 - absolutely beautiful scans to start with, unreadable in as little as weeks).
Your best bet is to buy good manufacturers/brands, and store and handle them carefully, which I’m sure you already know. Other than that, you’d need a crystal ball
As for new burners. There are plenty of new good ones about, have a read of some of the reviews in the Burners forum. I like Samsung personally, along with LG.
As long as your motherboard chipset has good SATA ODD support, you can pick whichever one suits your fancy.
Edit: As long as you use good media, there’s no reason IMO why you should pick CDs instead. My archival DVDs are standing up well (over two years now).[/QUOTE]
Isn’t two years a bit short? Shouldn’t it be nearly decades? And once I find that they are dead they are DEAD, these are downloaded, not burnt from an original CD that I can re-rip.
Are external storage devices better for this purpose? Just wondering, like some external hard drive that is standalone from the computer, that has error handling and magnetic shields? I think 100GB ones are less than 75 dollars now.
[QUOTE=Goit;1926988]Isn’t two years a bit short? Shouldn’t it be nearly decades? And once I find that they are dead they are DEAD, these are downloaded, not burnt from an original CD that I can re-rip.
Are external storage devices better for this purpose? Just wondering, like some external hard drive that is standalone from the computer, that has error handling and magnetic shields? I think 100GB ones are less than 75 dollars now.[/QUOTE]
Shrugs It’s how long I’ve had the discs.
External HDD is a very good idea. Just don’t knock it off the desk.
[QUOTE=Arachne;1926992]Shrugs It’s how long I’ve had the discs.
External HDD is a very good idea. Just don’t knock it off the desk. ;)[/QUOTE]
Are external HDDs more secure than internal HDDs?
I read that the LG GSA-H55N has security enhancements that the samsung doesn’t. Is this true? I just want the most secure writes.
[QUOTE=Arachne;1927001]Read the LG H55LI review here and see what you think.[/QUOTE]
What about the H62N?
My impression is that LG drives burn more securely and with better quality but slower. Is that true?
And why don’t people talk about the plextor discs anymore?
The H62N is a really nice drive, great quality burns especially on MCC004.
Only downside I’ve heard is that it’s not too good burning CDs at high speed.
We have one in another PC and I really like it.
Plextor don’t make their own drives now (they just rebadge stuff like Pioneer and NEC/Optiarc), and they don’t make Plextor media either now.
Edit: But I guess we’d better leave the drive discussion for now, as I see you’ve addressed it here
[QUOTE=Arachne;1927029]The H62N is a really nice drive, great quality burns especially on MCC004.
Only downside I’ve heard is that it’s not too good burning CDs at high speed.
We have one in another PC and I really like it.[/QUOTE]
I have posted a help thread in the burner forum, basically I want the one that produces the most secure and best quality burns that can last as long as possible. Speed doesn’t matter, as long as it can read all media fast enough without skipping it’s good.
So which one would you say is best suited for my purpose? Is it the samsung?
I should mention that I burn DVD+R and DVD+R DLs and CDs only. No DVD-. No RW.
If plextor just repackage other stuff, why are they still so expensive?
[QUOTE=Goit;1927031]I have posted a help thread in the burner forum, basically I want the one that produces the most secure and best quality burns that can last as long as possible. Speed doesn’t matter, as long as it can read all media fast enough without skipping it’s good.
So which one would you say is best suited for my purpose? Is it the samsung?
I should mention that I burn DVD+R and DVD+R DLs only. No DVD-. No RW.
If plextor just repackage other stuff, why are they still so expensive?[/QUOTE]
See my edit above. I think we’d better leave the drive discussion for the other thread, otherwise it’ll be crossposting.