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.
CD-R - Most CD-Rs allow you to store up to 700mb of data. The specifications for CD-R disks came out in 1988, but the price of recorders exceeded $1000 until 1995 (when the 4020i by Philips came out). Today, almost every computer comes with a built-in CD-R recorder. Based on research by J Perdereau, the average longevity of CD-R disks is about 10 years, putting to rest fears about data degrading.
Bear in mind though that most storage problems with optical media are attributable to issues with the initial burn of the disc. So it is essential that as soon as you have burned any media to any type of optical storage that you check it has copied over the data 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.
DVD-R - These typically store 4.7GBs of data, although it is possible to get double-sided, double-layer discs that will store up to 17.08GB. The quality of the discs is a big factor in how long they will last, but in tests this has been shown to be anywhere between 2 and 15 years, with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finding in its tests that there is greater variability with DVD-R in archival longevity then for CD-R. So, if your archival needs are modest then CD-R is probably a better choice.
Blu-Ray - A normal single layer Blu-Ray Disc holds 25GB of data, while a double-sided one holds 50GB. Commercially Blu-Ray has not caught on as much as was earlier predicted, largely due to the quick growth of broadband speeds and the rise of online streaming in the United States. But as an archival format it offers the greatest capacity of any of the current mainstream optical media solutions. In one French Study into its longevity it was concluded that Blu-Ray (HTL) discs produced by Panasonic and Sony offered the greatest reliability for archiving, and that Blu-Ray (LTH) discs should be avoided for this purpose.
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.
CD-R - Most CD-Rs allow you to store up to 700mb of data. The specifications for CD-R disks came out in 1988, but the price of recorders exceeded $1000 until 1995 (when the 4020i by Philips came out). Today, almost every computer comes with a built-in CD-R recorder. Based on research by J Perdereau, the average longevity of CD-R disks is about 10 years, putting to rest fears about data degrading.
Bear in mind though that most storage problems with optical media are attributable to issues with the initial burn of the disc. So it is essential that as soon as you have burned any media to any type of optical storage that you check it has copied over the data 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.
DVD-R - These typically store 4.7GBs of data, although it is possible to get double-sided, double-layer discs that will store up to 17.08GB. The quality of the discs is a big factor in how long they will last, but in tests this has been shown to be anywhere between 2 and 15 years, with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) finding in its tests that there is greater variability with DVD-R in archival longevity then for CD-R. So, if your archival needs are modest then CD-R is probably a better choice.
Blu-Ray - A normal single layer Blu-Ray Disc holds 25GB of data, while a double-sided one holds 50GB. Commercially Blu-Ray has not caught on as much as was earlier predicted, largely due to the quick growth of broadband speeds and the rise of online streaming in the United States. But as an archival format it offers the greatest capacity of any of the current mainstream optical media solutions. In one French Study into its longevity it was concluded that Blu-Ray (HTL) discs produced by Panasonic and Sony offered the greatest reliability for archiving, and that Blu-Ray (LTH) discs should be avoided for this purpose.
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:
Thank you to CD Aces for information on blank cd media and other cd media ideas. 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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