Topic: Best blank DVD's for backing up music??

[mikesalvo]

so, I finally bought a DVD burner to backup my HD's. The one I bought (LG GP08) supports every different kind of blank DVD under the sun it seems (DVD+R, DVD-R etc....). Is there one thats best for backing up my shows catalog? What the hell is the difference between the different kinds?

thanks!

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

I buy Sony for my own Archive, and whatever is on sale for daily use/giving away/trading, etc...

Terry

[audBall]

I always bought Taiyo Yudens, but haven't purchased any blanks in ages.  I should stock up on a few DVDs, come to think of it....

[fozzy]

Verbatim Datalife plus

[Steve J]

I've been using TDK's and Sony's. Seems like one or the other comes up on sale at Frye's.

[dorrcoq]

I use Taiyo Yuden +R's, never a problem.

[dactylus]

Taiyo Yuden

 

[Gordon]

Taiyo Yuden

 

nothing but for backups.

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

Depending on the size of your collection, it might be a lot cheaper (and easier) to just back everything up to an additional hard drive, and keep it off site.

[Gordon]

Depending on the size of your collection, it might be a lot cheaper (and easier) to just back everything up to an additional hard drive, and keep it off site.

I do both hdd and dvd.  too paranoid

[rsimms3]

You should always verify your discs before deleting the material to make sure you have a good burn.  I never trust Nero and use DVD Info Pro to verify my burns.  Until recently I was using TYs Made In Japan, Maxell labeled.  I just recently ran out and have been using Sonys.  I also burn at 8x.  There has been a lot of discussion about burn speed and reliability of burns, read up on it to make sure you are going to get what you want.  I just checked some burns I made 6 years ago and they verified fine.  I used to buy a lot of Ritek media which was considered high quality for the cost several years ago, many people still stick by them.

[stevetoney]

Depending on the size of your collection, it might be a lot cheaper (and easier) to just back everything up to an additional hard drive, and keep it off site.

I do both hdd and dvd.  too paranoid

Why are you paranoid?  What's to be paranoid over with redundant harddrive storage?  The only thing to worry about is NON-REDUNDANT harddrive data backup.

Does your typical workplace backup critical-to-commercial success data to DVD or tape? 

No!  They back up onto redundant hard drives with redundant power supplies in redundant locations.

In my mind, if work doesn't do it, and work info is FAR more important than my music masters, then why should I feel a greater sense of urgency or heightended sense of paranoia that I need to backup to DVD _AND_ harddrive.

Bottom line is that when done properly, hard drives are far more reliable and WAY cheaper than backing up to DVD.  I bought expensive CDRs and DVDs in the early days and I'm having tons of failures of my old DVD and CDR media.  (Remember what they say...that DVDs and CDRs are only good for 5 years...BELIEVE IT!!!)

So, I just don't agree that harddrive storage is not reliable.  It's unreliable if you only have your data on one hard drive.  But if you back up hard drive data onto another hard drive, you're VERY reliable.  (If a harddrive fails, replace it but do it quickly so you can make sure and make all your data redundant again.)

At $100 per TB, that's SCADS cheaper than DVD backup. 

[Brian Skalinder]

The only thing to worry about is NON-REDUNDANT harddrive data backup.  < snip >  It's unreliable if you only have your data on one hard drive.  But if you back up hard drive data onto another hard drive, you're VERY reliable.

Good points, tonedeaf.  I think the key, though -- which you mentioned with respect to company backup/redundancy (really business continuity) plans, but I think is worth emphasizing when talking about music backup -- is multiple redundancies, at least one of which is in a different physical location.  If my HDD controller fries, and I have 2 HDDs hooked up to it with identical content, both HDDs may be fried or have corrupt data.  Or if my house burns down, well...I've lost all my data.  Having at least one off-site backup -- and one that's updated and tested regularly -- is far more effective than two or more on-site HDDs, and crucial to an effective backup strategy.

[stevetoney]

The only thing to worry about is NON-REDUNDANT harddrive data backup.  < snip >  It's unreliable if you only have your data on one hard drive.  But if you back up hard drive data onto another hard drive, you're VERY reliable.

Good points, tonedeaf.  I think the key, though -- which you mentioned with respect to company backup/redundancy (really business continuity) plans, but I think is worth emphasizing when talking about music backup -- is multiple redundancies, at least one of which is in a different physical location.  If my HDD controller fries, and I have 2 HDDs hooked up to it with identical content, both HDDs may be fried or have corrupt data.  Or if my house burns down, well...I've lost all my data.  Having at least one off-site backup -- and one that's updated and tested regularly -- is far more effective than two or more on-site HDDs, and crucial to an effective backup strategy.

Definitely agree!  This is my ultimate goal, but I haven't gotten QUITE to that point yet, but I'm close.  I've got 5 drives at home under my machine with 3.7TB, but right now I'm backing up to a single 1TB drive.  I backup my music masters, all of my photo's, and my purchased software.  Nothing else of mine is worth backing up so right now I don't need more than 1TB for my critical data.  If I kept electronic checking account records, an electronic will, legal documents, etc, those would definitely be there too.

My plan is to have triple backup...original data, single redundancy under my desk with the 1TB drive mentioned above, then a third 1TB drive for off-site redundancy.  That third 1TB drive will come to work with me where I'll keep it locked up in my desk drawer.  Maybe once a month I'll take it home to refresh my data and then bring it back to work...or maybe at that point I'll rotate with one of the active drives so that all of my drives get about the same amount of use.

Honestly, I could avoid the third 1TB drive right now by doing my redundant storage off-site, but I prefer having my first redundant drive below my desk and active so that I can monitor the health/functioning of all of the active drives daily.

[Red Boink]

Another vote for Taiyo Yuden +R dvds... second, anything verbatim brands..