How can I backup my MP3s? (30 gbs)

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Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
Originally posted by: biggiesmallz
I wouldn't recommend a hard drive for backup.

I'd recommend a good quality DVD-R

I've personally been made wary of recordable media. Look up "disc rot" on Google.
One article at PC World actually calls it a myth. I don't know if I technically got "disc rot" but I had several CD-R's a few years back whose top layer, the thin dye layer I assume, just started curling peeling away at the edges. This of course totally destroys the data, as the dye layer is no longer physically attached to the disc. Once that happened, and with the continuing range of quality in media available today, well, I lost a lot of faith in the capabilities of recordable media like that.
Look around for tests concerning media recording quality; there's a nice program out there called K-probe that can test disc read/write quality. Some discs don't even conform to error-rate standards set by the DVD Forum. But they're not required to publish this data, and I guess that it isn't an official government standard, so it isn't really enforced.
 

biggiesmallz

Banned
Feb 1, 2003
881
0
0
Originally posted by: Jeff7
Originally posted by: biggiesmallz
I wouldn't recommend a hard drive for backup.

I'd recommend a good quality DVD-R

I've personally been made wary of recordable media. Look up "disc rot" on Google.
One article at PC World actually calls it a myth. I don't know if I technically got "disc rot" but I had several CD-R's a few years back whose top layer, the thin dye layer I assume, just started curling peeling away at the edges. This of course totally destroys the data, as the dye layer is no longer physically attached to the disc. Once that happened, and with the continuing range of quality in media available today, well, I lost a lot of faith in the capabilities of recordable media like that.
Look around for tests concerning media recording quality; there's a nice program out there called K-probe that can test disc read/write quality. Some discs don't even conform to error-rate standards set by the DVD Forum. But they're not required to publish this data, and I guess that it isn't an official government standard, so it isn't really enforced.


That's why I specified "good quality".

I've actually had disk rot happen to me. The dye layer actually started rotting like it was rusting away. There were holes in the dye layer where it was rotting. The disk was only about a year old. But I guess the quality sucked.

People say Taiyo Yadien (I possible spelled it wrong) is top notch quality. It costed a little more but my data is worth it.
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
Originally posted by: austin316
Originally posted by: Homerboy
Originally posted by: austin316
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
just think of it this way... its better than burning 50+ cdr's;)

right, but does nero allow me to just drop a whole folder into the window and then prompt for another blank dvd once the previous one is full? or do I need to group my songs in blocks of 4500MBs?


why you would burn to DVD is beyond me
buy a 40gig HD copy everything to that, pull HD out of PC and toss in closet or offsite or something and be done with it

Money reasons. Rather pay like $6, than like $40 for a hard drive.

You have 30GB of mp3s that you backed up yourself, and you're skimping on $35? A HDD backup will last you much longer than the DVDs will. You're going to need to recopy the DVDs every few years unless you're willing to risk them degrading.
 

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
Originally posted by: biggiesmallz
I wouldn't recommend a hard drive for backup.

I'd recommend a good quality DVD-R

Unless you get archive grade DVDs, even the best DVDRs only lasts for 5-7 years. Archive grade though can last up to 300 years... but they're pretty expensive, since they have a layer of 24 carat gold (in bulk... they work out to be about $10 a DVD a think... but individually, they're about $30).
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
OT Rant alert:
What I don't get about DVDs and CDs is why only one side has a protective layer of polycarbonate. It's a little funny to hear "oh no, the CD's scratched!" It's like scratching your glasses - you can't see, but your eyes still work.
Now take the force required to make a scratch on the polycarbonate, halve it, and apply it to the other side of the disc. Irreparable damage right away. I just wonder why it's not like a true sandwich - polycarbonate, data layer, polycarbonate. The dye layer could even be sealed against the atmosphere that way. And hell, polycarb can be treated against UV radiation. True, it might make the discs a little bit more expensive, but they'd finally live up to the "indestructible" status that DVDs were advertised as having when they first came onto the market.
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
Originally posted by: Jeff7
OT Rant alert:
What I don't get about DVDs and CDs is why only one side has a protective layer of polycarbonate. It's a little funny to hear "oh no, the CD's scratched!" It's like scratching your glasses - you can't see, but your eyes still work.
Now take the force required to make a scratch on the polycarbonate, halve it, and apply it to the other side of the disc. Irreparable damage right away. I just wonder why it's not like a true sandwich - polycarbonate, data layer, polycarbonate. The dye layer could even be sealed against the atmosphere that way. And hell, polycarb can be treated against UV radiation. True, it might make the discs a little bit more expensive, but they'd finally live up to the "indestructible" status that DVDs were advertised as having when they first came onto the market.


becuz of where the data layer is? cdr the data layer is on top. so peeling is bad
dvd has it in the middle. so there is polycarb on both sides. ever try scratching the top layer off a dvd r? go ahead..try, it wont be like what happens on a cdr.

anyways, double copy of 16 dvdr is easy as pie. and is redundant enough to last for a few years. then u can use whatever new media is out
 

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

becuz of where the data layer is? cdr the data layer is on top. so peeling is bad
dvd has it in the middle. so there is polycarb on both sides. ever try scratching the top layer off a dvd r? go ahead..try, it wont be like what happens on a cdr.

anyways, double copy of 16 dvdr is easy as pie. and is redundant enough to last for a few years. then u can use whatever new media is out


Huh, well whaddaya know. Yeah, I had to try it myself, as I've seriously never tried to scratch the top of a DVD. Something I tend to avoid, in fact.;) Scissors scratch on the top yields no visible damage on the other side. Nifty. Nice that they actually fixed that serious design flaw. I don't suppose that this fix can be used on new CD-Rs? Or would that mess with the focal length too much?

 

Rudee

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
11,218
2
76
Originally posted by: Britboy
Why don't you just pick up another HD for cheap and back em up there?

Yeah, HD's are reliable backup mediums. NOT! Worst idea ever!

 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
Originally posted by: Rudee
Originally posted by: Britboy
Why don't you just pick up another HD for cheap and back em up there?

Yeah, HD's are reliable backup mediums. NOT! Worst idea ever!

actually its not THAT bad of an idea, all of mine are on a back up HDD in an external enclosure that is only turned on when backing up, the chances of it and the main drive failing at the same time is very small
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
I agree. Odds of 2 hd's dying at once are slim. Anyways, I keep my important stuff on DVD and on the external HD. My music is soon to be backed up yet again once I decide on an mp3 player.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,823
6,368
126
8 DVDs cost like $4 these days, just burn the mofos! Backing up to HD seems kinda odd, since they are already on HD, what makes a "Backup" HD any better? If you do backup to HD, don't let it be a Maxtor!!