Recommendations on best non-budget dvd-r media please

[Will Hay]

I have some rather important footage I'd like to archive to dvd-r, and as it's footage of the first year of my son's life I don't want to risk it on cheap media.
For my backups I tend to buy Ritec and Datasafe, but I want to try ensure as long a life as possible for these important movies.
What would people recommend I use?
Price isn't really a problem and whilst I have no idea how much blank media can cost I don't realy wan to exceed £5/£6.00 per disk.
Many thanks,
Will Hay

[tgpo]

Verbatim Data Life Plus media is very good, as are the Apple media. It seems like these are the best options for quality.

[txpharoah]

The old Apple 1x/2x were re-branded Pioneer discs. Some were Mistubishi Chemicals media. The old ones were best.

The newer Apple 1x/2x discs are Maxell. I'm not a fan of Maxell, but it looks like these are now the best we are left with since Pioneer has left manufacturing discs (PVC media ID).

The new Apple 4x discs are still Pioneer. These are now best. However, I'm not sure how long they'll be around. A 5-pack of 4x Apple are $20. I just bought a shelf-full of them.

The Optodiscs (blue-topped and gold-topped) are really good media too. I use those for the rare occasion of backing up movies or backing up projects. Great for source and data too.

I've had bad Verbatims. I hear that the CMC-made Verbatims are the usual culprits, but I no longer have any to read the media codes. I don't like TDK, though I may try their new Armor Coat discs. I say "yuck" on Memorex and several others you may find in stores.

While I don't want to start a media argument, I'd like to point out that Apple and Optodisc almost NEVER have bad posts written up. It's always the other brands.

[Will Hay]

Speed of burning is not an issue.
Would it be fair to say any brand of Maxell would be a good choice, or are there some at £1.00 a disk and some at £5.00?
What I mean is the age old premise of 'you get what you pay for' isn't necessarily true of brand names (although from experience I will conceede levi, budweiser and walker's crisps!).
I won't buy anything just because it's the most expensive.
Will

[rhegedus]

Verbatim DataLifePlus.

http://www.cd-rmedia.co.uk/cgi-bin2/cdrmedia/listproducts.pl?type=specific&catid=8&manufacturer=0

You can even get 4x for less than £2 now! And, as your worried about your data (as you have every right to be considering the subject matter), I'd go as far as to say burning 2 copies and sealing one of them in an air/moisture tight bag (freezer bag?) - it's a bit drastic, but the loss could not be quantified.

[Will Hay]

Verbatim DataLifePlus.

http://www.cd-rmedia.co.uk/cgi-bin2/cdrmedia/listproducts.pl?type=specific&catid=8&manufacturer=0

You can even get 4x for less than £2 now! And, as your worried about your data (as you have every right to be considering the subject matter), I'd go as far as to say burning 2 copies and sealing one of them in an air/moisture tight bag (freezer bag?) - it's a bit drastic, but the loss could not be quantified.

Yup, absolutely right.
Not only will they be on the HDD and burnt as a dvd but I'll be backing up the dvd and archiving the mpeg's too!
Plus I still have the vhs-c cassettes!
Can't do much else!
Thanks to everyone for the input.
Will

[arcorob]

Silky

I would have said Kodak because Kodak has always been the only one who offers true archival media. The problem is, in DVD-R, they do not produce the standard 4.7 gig media. They use a different 3.9(original intention of DVD forum) scheme. You can use them in your drive at the sacrifice of space but they are supposed to last 100 years.

Here is more info.
http://wwwuk.kodak.com/global/en/service/faqs/faq1629.shtml#g2

I don't think ANY good brand will hurt you. The technology will be dead long before the disk is. Your biggest enemy would be external conditions such as HEAT, breakage, scratches, etc.

[VinnySem]

Samsung BeAll disks. Don't let their sub-$2 price fool you. Fantastic media.

I've never used them personally, but I also hear that Taiyo Yuden are very high quality, those are typically around $2.25 a pop.