Question Best physical media data 2021

[gamerfan]

Currently what is the best and most reliable physical media for long-term storage of files???

 

[Billy Tallis]

Probably tape.

But you shouldn't be worrying about the best physical media for long-term storage. You should be worrying about the best strategy for long-term preservation of your data. Choice of physical media matters a lot less than having a good system to make and periodically verify backups, and to move backups to newer devices as needed either when the old devices are degrading to the point of unreliability, or when they're going obsolete and you need to switch to a newer media format.

Rather than trying to buy something that you can (try to) rely on to store your data for 20 years, you should be looking to buy hardware that can store your data for at least 3-5 years.

 

[UsandThem]

This is your 3rd thread this year concerning backing up data, so I'm not sure what else anyone can tell you.

Like Billy said above, just pick a media to back up your data (like a hard drive), and don't try to find something that you expect to last 20 years. Pretty much everything will be outdated, and you might have to pay a good amount to buy something that is no longer manufactured (like a recent user who needs to buy a Super Disk drive to access her files). After a period of time, you can reevaluate if it is time to move your backups to another format. For now, an external hard drive connected to a USB port is likely a solid choice for most users, with some users deciding to use writeable Blu Ray disks.

 

[VirtualLarry]

with some users deciding to use writeable Blu Ray disks.

I use them rarely, since I have several NAS units with RAID-5, but Blu-Ray are the shiznit. 25GB all the way to 100GB (133GB?), nearly-infinite lifespan (using REAL metallic phase-change BD-R media, not the cheaper Dye-based LTH stuff that Verbatim pushes from their DVD factory).

 

[UsandThem]

I use them rarely, since I have several NAS units with RAID-5, but Blu-Ray are the shiznit. 25GB all the way to 100GB (133GB?), nearly-infinite lifespan (using REAL metallic phase-change BD-R media, not the cheaper Dye-based LTH stuff that Verbatim pushes from their DVD factory).

They are good quality for sure, but I imagine the price of those discs will continue to go up as less and less are made.

Honestly, a hard drive is a reliable economic choice for most users. Most last a significant amount of time (especially if they're only used during the backup process), and the lower capacity ones are pretty inexpensive. I can't even remember the last time I burned a disc for backup purposes. I'm guessing somewhere maybe around 2006?

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Honestly, a hard drive is a reliable economic choice for most users. Most last a significant amount of time (especially if they're only used during the backup process), and the lower capacity ones are pretty inexpensive. I can't even remember the last time I burned a disc for backup purposes. I'm guessing somewhere maybe around 2006?

Optical discs have one additional "advantage" over HDDs for backup/archive purposes. If you use mastered burning, once burned, you cannot alter data on them. Which means you have an additional layer protecting against unintended manipulation, accidental deletion or malware/ransomware/virus-based threats.

Is optical for everyone? No. HDDs have the advantage of ease-of-use, capacity, transfer speeds and don't need to be burned (which takes 90 minutes for a double-layer 50GB BD @ 2x). Does optical have a niche? Most certainly.

 

[gamerfan]

M-Disc DVD is good? I have compatible drives but not the media and I'm from Brazil

 

[UsandThem]

M-Disc DVD is good? I have compatible drives but not the media and I'm from Brazil

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...-or-external-usb-drive.2589723/#post-40415472

You already asked this and it was already answered (in detail).

 

[gamerfan]

bluray drive is too expensive for me i no money for buy

M-DISC DVD is bad?

 

[UsandThem]

bluray drive is too expensive for me i no money for buy

M-DISC DVD is bad?

https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...-or-external-usb-drive.2589723/#post-40415472

You already asked it, and it was answered.

Amazon and Newegg sell the media, among others, but it is expensive. Most of what is available gets snapped up by companies that use it for for archival backups.

If you can't afford it, that is a problem for your plans. You might want to look up the cost of multiple cloud storage providers in your area as in the long run it might be cheaper (depending upon how much data you have to save).

If you can't find it (and can't afford it), why do you even keep asking about it? Several different users in your previous thread linked to M-Discs and where you can buy them at. If you can't buy them in your location, that should be a huge red flag that they are not going to viable option for you to backup your data.

Buy a hard drive, and backup your data. You can easily find those, and (hopefully) can afford one.