Exploring Your Options For Creating Digital Backups With Optical Media
Backup is a word that has become synonymous with online solutions. Having a physical copy of your data in the form of optical media is a wise decision: it DE-centralizes the data and means that access to it is not dependent on your computer, it removes dependence on third-party backup services, and it establishes a means by which data can be independently transferred to a third party.
The challenges that go along with choosing optical media to store data come down to two main issues: 1) Data storage needs have mushroomed in size; media needs to have sufficient storage capacity to be practical. 2) Media needs to be sufficiently robust to safely store data over the time period when it will be accessed. The choices of optical media for digital archiving currently come down to three types including CD-R, DVD-R, and Blue Ray.
The CD-R - As a general rule, the storage capacity of a CD-R is 700mb. CD-R specifications were initially published in 1988, but the price of a CD-R recorder didn't drop below $1000 until the Philips 4020i launched in 1995. Now, however, virtually every computer includes a CD-R recorder. The average lifespan of a CD-R is about ten years, according to research conducted by J Perdereau. Many users worry about data degradation with CD-Rs, but this research shows their worries are largely unfounded.
It's important to remember that problems with optical media are usually caused by issues related to burning the data onto the disk. As soon as you burn data onto an optical media disk, check to make sure the data has copied correctly.
Most of the time, data degradation on a CD-R is caused by its reflective surface or the dyes that have been used. Over the years, both have been improved. Nevertheless, you should still closely review the manufacturer's claims regarding life expectancy. Because a gold-based reflective surface won't oxidize the way silver-based surfaces do, it's a better choice for long-term data storage.
The DVD-R - The storage capacity of most DVD-Rs is 4.7GBs of data. It is, however, possible to obtain double-layer, double-sided DVD-R discs with up to 17.08GBs of storage capacity. Disc quality has a significant impact on longevity, but research has shown that the lifespan of DVD-Rs ranges from 2 to 15 years. According to the NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology), the duration of archival usability of DVD-R discs is much more variable than CD-R discs. So, if you don't need the DVD-R's larger capacity, the CD-R is probably the better option.
Blu-Ray Disc - A double-sided Blu-Ray disk can store up to 50GB of data; the single-sided type can handle as much as 25GB. Sales of Blu-Ray disks haven't been as extensive as initially predicted, probably due to faster and faster broadband speeds and the growth of online streaming. However, of the three types of optical media currently available, Blu-Ray disks offer the most extensive storage. Panasonic and Sony Blu-Ray (HTL) disks are the most reliable for backing up data, according to French testing. The same research indicated that Blu-Ray (LTH) disks should not be used for data backups.
All three of these optical media storage solutions are inexpensive and easy to use for data backup. They're portable, and they eliminate the need to be completely dependent on third-party backup services. That being said, there are uncertainties about their appropriateness for long-term data storage. Having a physical backup copy of your data on one of these three optical media formats should not be the only step you take. An online backup of your data (in addition to your optical media backup) would also be a smart choice to make.
The challenges that go along with choosing optical media to store data come down to two main issues: 1) Data storage needs have mushroomed in size; media needs to have sufficient storage capacity to be practical. 2) Media needs to be sufficiently robust to safely store data over the time period when it will be accessed. The choices of optical media for digital archiving currently come down to three types including CD-R, DVD-R, and Blue Ray.
The CD-R - As a general rule, the storage capacity of a CD-R is 700mb. CD-R specifications were initially published in 1988, but the price of a CD-R recorder didn't drop below $1000 until the Philips 4020i launched in 1995. Now, however, virtually every computer includes a CD-R recorder. The average lifespan of a CD-R is about ten years, according to research conducted by J Perdereau. Many users worry about data degradation with CD-Rs, but this research shows their worries are largely unfounded.
It's important to remember that problems with optical media are usually caused by issues related to burning the data onto the disk. As soon as you burn data onto an optical media disk, check to make sure the data has copied correctly.
Most of the time, data degradation on a CD-R is caused by its reflective surface or the dyes that have been used. Over the years, both have been improved. Nevertheless, you should still closely review the manufacturer's claims regarding life expectancy. Because a gold-based reflective surface won't oxidize the way silver-based surfaces do, it's a better choice for long-term data storage.
The DVD-R - The storage capacity of most DVD-Rs is 4.7GBs of data. It is, however, possible to obtain double-layer, double-sided DVD-R discs with up to 17.08GBs of storage capacity. Disc quality has a significant impact on longevity, but research has shown that the lifespan of DVD-Rs ranges from 2 to 15 years. According to the NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology), the duration of archival usability of DVD-R discs is much more variable than CD-R discs. So, if you don't need the DVD-R's larger capacity, the CD-R is probably the better option.
Blu-Ray Disc - A double-sided Blu-Ray disk can store up to 50GB of data; the single-sided type can handle as much as 25GB. Sales of Blu-Ray disks haven't been as extensive as initially predicted, probably due to faster and faster broadband speeds and the growth of online streaming. However, of the three types of optical media currently available, Blu-Ray disks offer the most extensive storage. Panasonic and Sony Blu-Ray (HTL) disks are the most reliable for backing up data, according to French testing. The same research indicated that Blu-Ray (LTH) disks should not be used for data backups.
All three of these optical media storage solutions are inexpensive and easy to use for data backup. They're portable, and they eliminate the need to be completely dependent on third-party backup services. That being said, there are uncertainties about their appropriateness for long-term data storage. Having a physical backup copy of your data on one of these three optical media formats should not be the only step you take. An online backup of your data (in addition to your optical media backup) would also be a smart choice to make.
About the Author:
See http://www.cdaces.com/cdr-for-business.html for more information. CD Aces has been in the CD and DVD business for over 15 years working with blank media, duplication, and replication.
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