DVD and time

[stompinne]

I burned audio-cd's in the past. Then read somewhere that the data on it disappears tru time. Then actually experienced this, a few years later: stuttering audio-cd's...

Now i have my home-videos...can i burn them on DVD and store them safe tru time or will i achieve the same problems. For how many time will the data on the DVD be secure? Do i have to make a regularly copy? What time interval?

[redwudz]

Burned DVDs can last a long, long time. If you use quality DVD media. But recorded DV tapes will also last quite a while. If you want to preserve the best quality for future formats like Blu-Ray or similar, I would keep your tapes also in a dry, cool storage environment.

[ZAPPER]

This has been brought up many times before. If you want you can search and read all about it. Unfortunatly nothing last forever. (Hell 10 years would be nice) The sad truth it seems, is that dyes fade or fail and disk get scratched, warped, cracked and all sorts of other nasty things that basically mean die!


So, to cope with this awful truth it has become the reccomended norm to have a dynamic backup stratigy. That is, make multiple back ups in multiple formats on multiple medias and keep doing it forever. (and this from a guy that never backs up his work at the PC)

The idea is to make copies at the highest or original format if not the original media. Personally I think that a DV tape original is the best copy, a copy on tape is the first best back up and then a full DV copy on a medium sized dedicated removable hard drive being a close equal for the second copy. Disk, in my humble opinion, are for the everyday use and distribution.


Let the war begin!


I would suggest that a tape, kept in a safe location should be good for five years. Most likley longer. The same for a hard drive and maybe even for a disk. Unfortunatly your precious memories are a hell of a thing to be rolling the dice on.

I am starting to think that film would have been a better way to go. About two years ago I watched some original WW 2 film footage from a private collection. The stuff belongs in a museum, archived and allowed to be displayed for its historical content. It was probablly as good as the day it was developed except there was no sound. (Never was) It saddens me to know that the owner, now gone, didn't want it copied or distributed and I believe that the surviving family will keep his wishes. I think that if I ever get my hands on those reels, they are going straight to the Smithonian (SP)