cheap media ok for data backup ?

[LittleBill]

I'm thinking because of error correction that even cheap media is ok for file,avi,mp3 etc.
Disk that are no good for video are good for data.
Is this right ???

[sterno]

Cheap media for backups??? Just the though makes me cringe. I tend to put video on cheap blanks, and buy the good stuff for any kind of backup or long-term storage.

Yes, if you burn a CD with cheap garbage CD-Rs you will probably be able to read the files back off after you burn them. But it might not work in a couple years when your drive fails and you want to use your backups. Cheap media usually has significant problems with aging or exposure to UV (like sunlight). Error control isn't magic - once data is gone, it's gone. When too much is gone errors are no longer recoverable, and your "backup" is trash.

[devinemi83]

I'm thinking because of error correction that even cheap media is ok for file,avi,mp3 etc.
Disk that are no good for video are good for data.
Is this right ???

I would use only GOOD quality media for my data backups. You could use cheaper ones for things like videos, music, and temporary file storage. But for things like banking,business, system backups, I would use a high quality media. And still make a backup copy of your backup.