Need +DVD Media

[HulaMike]

I need a source for archival +R and +R/W DVDs. I use Mam-a for CDs but they are not manufacturing +DVD media, only -DVD media. Any suggestions??

[Bill C]

I've purchsed +R and +RW DVD media from:

http://www.shop4tech.com

just follow the media links.... here's a link to one page that has the +R:

http://www.shop4tech.com/z/DVD+R_8X_4.7GB/1_88_337/

Bill

[Swampy]

I buy my media from here, don't know if they have what you want, but at least you can shop around:

http://supermediastore.com/

[HulaMike]

Thanks guys. I remember reading a comparison of CDs somewhere as quality and dependability over time was questioned among various brands. I found Mam-a that way. I'm interested in finding the highest rated DVD for archiving, not necessarily the best price.

[crabby]

Let us know what you find as far as archivability. I still use Verbatim. Get 'em at buy.com

[HulaMike]

Mike, as you're one of the experts on the list; what's your take on using DVD to archive images?

I read on the Galbraith or Reichmann site that as there was no standardized format yet that CD was probably better to stay with over DVD for archiving. But it seems like a better idea to use the massive storage capability of DVD for archiving. Do you archive on DVD?

[crabby]

Your guess is as good as mine or any of these other guys for that matter. I guess it's a wait and see game. I just hope things are better then some predict. I use dvd's now for 2 years. I'm thinking of switching to hard drives because they're about as cheap and are more convenient. But I worry about a filled up hard drive sitting inactive for years. It's the same ol' dilema that will probably go on forever.
My DVD's get recorded and stored in CaseLogic type notebooks and stuck in a cabinet in a climate controlled room. They're lucky if they get read again. If one does, the file gets pulled off, reworked and then it gets archived and cataloged again. I don't see a lot of deterioration possibalities but I try to plan for the unexpected.

[HulaMike]

Looks like its Verbatin for me then. Thanks Mike. I emailed Mam-a but they haven't responded. Guess they're not making +R DVD media yet.

[Swampy]

Is the standard set for CD? The Standards for DVD are set. There's many standards. Hehe. More so, like CD, they will evolove more requiring you to upgrade, but today, the standard single layer, 4.7gb DVD's in either - or + should work just fine in anything to come in the next 10 years.

Remember, CD's evolved from 1x, 2x, 4x, 6x, etc. They also evolved into RW format and from 650mb to 700mb and then to overburning to sometimes up to 900mb. There was even a CD Writable RAM cartridge, just like DVD-RAM. DVD has just opened up more ways of standardization.

Mike is right, a hard drive seems like a great way to go with thier lower prices, easier to use, faster media, etc. That's my third backup now afterall. A hard drive in an external USB 2 enclosure. A hard drive sitting around will last much longer than any CD or DVD would be my guess. No one has ever really came out and said how long anything will really last on the shelf. CD's? DVD's? Hard drive's? How long really? You see some people complaining about some of thier CD's not working after a few years while I do have some (CD-r's) that are some 15+ years old that work just fine.

There was also the thing about store bought music CD's a long time ago where people were seeing holes in the metal layer in a CD, did it affect playback? No.

I've also got a couple of hard drives from 20+ years ago that fired up 7 years ago after sitting for 4 years. I bet they still fire up today.

Just stick with a name brand with a decent looking plastic, don't use anything but a sharpy to label it and I bet you'll be fine.

[HulaMike]

Thanks Swampy. I'll roll the dice on DVD, make diplicate back ups and store my most important images on an external HD.

Don't know if you read my Q in another thread or not but I have my old WIN98 HD set up as an external drive right now. Still transfering things off but once done I want to wipe the HD clean and reformat it for a storage device. The question is how do you erase an entire HD? I've never done it before. There must be a simple way to wipe 12 GB at once as opposed to manually selecting files and deleting them.....What should I use???

[Swampy]

hmm, I didn't see that thread Mike. But, if you've got it in an external enclosure and are reading it fine on your current XP computer, dumping it is quick and easy.

Just plug it in like you were going to read it.
Right click on my computer, Select Manage.
Click on Disk Management
Right click on the "colored" box of the drive/parition you want to delete and click on Delete Volume. You could actually skip this part and just right click on it and format it, but I believe you will be stuck with it at Fat32, so I would delete the volume, then right click on the blank area again and say create partition.
Pretty easy to go from there. Create the partition and format it. You're done. For extra protection, do a regular format, not the quick format as this will locate bad sectors that may have popped up over the years on that drive, doubtfull it will find any though. This can take quite some time to do though, maybe 30-45 minutes. Versus the quick format of around 1-2 minutes.

[HulaMike]

I was with you up to "Create a partition". Can I call you on the phone?

[Swampy]

Sorry Mike, just getting back around to the board.

I'll PM you my number and you can give me a call tomorrow morning.