Best DVD-R for LOng Term Data Storage?

[mbtigger]

Hello everyone!

I was looking at backing up some audio and video files. I was debating about the best way to store them, so I thought I might ask what people here think the best long term storage CDR and DVD-R media is. I will be saving a lot of audio/video as data (SHN, MPG, AVI), so DVD video performance is not a criteria. I just want to be able to pull it off the shelf in 10 years, extract audio and/or Video from it.

I have read somewhere that there are black colored CDR's that are supposed to be better for long term storage. Is this a myth?

Any suggestions for long term data storage on CD and DVD would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

MB

[piano632]

Any of the Japanese-made discs should be excellent, just that they are getting harder to find in the U.S.

Also, check out the professional CD/DVD media by HHB now being sold at:
http://www.american-digital.com/
They are a bit pricey, but for something important it might be worth it.

Here is what they say for their DVD media:
"uses a specially licensed dye formulation to deliver unparalleled data integrity and compatibility with the widest possible range of 1X-4X recorders and players. A specially developed adhesive is used to ensure a durable, bubble-free bond between the two polycarbonate layers of the disc, improving the archival security of the data and providing a higher level of protection from rough handling than conventional DVD-R media... The high purity of the polycarbonate disc substrate yields minimum deviation and tilt in varying temperatures, further increasing the reliability of the disc over time."

They also claim:
Consistently low block error rates and ultra-low jitter
Secure archival life in excess of 50 years

Their DVD-RW discs claim 100,000 rewrite cycles and a 50-year lifespan (which is more than anyone else claims for -RW, that I know of).

I haven't tried any of their discs yet, but I'm tempted.

[gmatov]

I have a bridge for sale. Are ou interested?

"They claim" is a dumb thing to say. They, capped, haven't the foggiest idea how long they will last. 7 years on the shelf, before you burn? But after you burn, a 100 years? Somebody is shitting somebody, and I think it is US.

Hey, in 2005, we might know, or 2010, or 2030, as long as we can get rid of forums such as this, which trade ideas. That is a piece of shit media, don''t buy it. Only defense for us peon consumers.

Cheers,

George