Best DVD-R for storage?

[aironmax_1]

Hi, I need to transfer some photos out of my CF's and I needed a backup other than the memory on my computer. Was wondering what are the best DVD-Rs or another newer mediums for storing my digital photos. What are some of the better known companies out there? Where can I find a good buy? Any info/tips would be greatly appreciated! :thumbsup:

And if it makes any difference, I need to transfer just a few JPEGs but going to use most of the storage for RAW files.

[mwfanelli]

Hi, I need to transfer some photos out of my CF's and I needed a backup other than the memory on my computer. Was wondering what are the best DVD-Rs or another newer mediums for storing my digital photos. What are some of the better known companies out there? Where can I find a good buy? Any info/tips would be greatly appreciated! :thumbsup:

And if it makes any difference, I need to transfer just a few JPEGs but going to use most of the storage for RAW files.

Personally, I'd skip the optical media and use USB hard drives for backup. They are very cheap these days, substantially faster than DVDs, and have a good track record for reliability. My photos are stored on two USB HDs (dupicate copies) and I've been very happy.

[aironmax_1]

Yeah, I never really thought of that.. But I'm a student and I'm going to get a MacBook when school starts. I just need a cheap but reliable back-up for my photos, so the DVD-R seems like the best bet. I'm still trying to find out which DVD-R company makes the best ones for a reasonable price.

[SmartWombat]

I'm not sure, the arguments about longevity testing are about as conclusive as the arguments about inkjet ink/paper and print life.

For what it's worth, I found that the Kodak Archive CDs have proved by far the most reliable 10 years after I made my backups. The Memorex CDs I made my backups on are unreadable

I now backup on to USB hard drives, with a working copy on a 2TB Raid-5 NAS which supports the whole house network.
Maybe I need a second RAID 5 NAS to backup the first one

[Medley]

I use the TDK bulk packs that are sold at my local Costco. I have some that are six or seven years old that are holding up fine. Buying in bulk, I think it works out to about a quarter apiece.

Still, Michael has a very good point on the USB drives. I bought a 160gb drive about a year ago. It's pretty much all I use now. It will hold about 20,000 Raw files, and it's about the size of a pack of smokes. A "go anywhere portfolio" if you will.

- Joe U.

[masdog]

I 3rd or 4th the USB hard drive. DVDs are good for temporary storage, but they do degrade over a period of years depending on the brand and how they are stored.

Personally, I am a fan of having a separate computer with lots of hard drives to store my images on. Then if you need to add storage capacity or backup method, you can.

[aironmax_1]

Ok, you guys got me convinced with the help of friends, family, & PR. I'm going w/ the hard drive. Anyone got some tips & info on hard drives? Brands to/not to buy? Ruggedness? Compatibility w/ PC's & Mac's? Etc. Any info is appreciated!

[mwfanelli2]

Ok, you guys got me convinced with the help of friends, family, & PR. I'm going w/ the hard drive. Anyone got some tips & info on hard drives? Brands to/not to buy? Ruggedness? Compatibility w/ PC's & Mac's? Etc. Any info is appreciated!

I am currently using USB-2-fast hard drives from Western Digital, Seagate, and Maxtor. The Maxtor, even after quite a few years, is still running fine (surprising, but that's another story!). The other two are newer and have had no problems. I buy using the lowest price among the major brands.

If the drive is formatted at FAT32 (the default), any Mac or Linux computer with USB ports should be able to read it without problems.

[masdog]

Even if it comes with NTFS as the default, you shouldn't have too much of a problem using any external drive. Most operating systems come with some sort of NTFS reader built in, even linux.

Just to be safe, check the package for information on what systems its compatible with right out of the box.

[aironmax_1]

Been looking around amazon.com & @ reviews at cnet. There are so many brands/styles its hard to pick! Do I need the firewire or would the USB 2.0 just work fine?

[Franglais]

I use both DVD-R and USB2 drives (two copies - master and backup). Rampant paranoia method.

You don't need Firewire. USB 2.0 is pretty fast. I have a load of LACIE designed-by-Porsche drives. They look pretty smart, come with nice long leads and don't cost a bomb.

One of the French magazines tested different DVD-R and DVD-RW media a few months ago for longevity and compatibility with different drives. Globally VERBATIM did best and that's what I've been using ever since.

[aironmax_1]

I'm going to purchase an external hard drive (320GB). The Seagate FreeAgent 320GB External USB 2.0 Hard Drive to be exact, but its a desktop HD. Will they work on Laptops(MacBookpro) too?

Here is the product details:
External
Drive Capacity 320GB
Drive Connectivity USB 2.0
Rotation Speed 7200 rpm
Data Transfer Rate to/from Interface Up to 480 Mbps
Cache Buffer Size 8MB
System Requirements PC: Microsoft Windows 2000, XP Home, XP Pro or Vista; Mac: Power PC G3, G4 or G5 processor with Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher, or Intel® Core™ Duo or Core™ Solo processor with Mac OS X 10.4.6 or higher; USB 1.1 port or faster

The wording is what confuses me. Are they saying it would work on a macbookpro w/ intel core duo processor or just G3,4,&5's with intel core duo processors..

[Medley]

They work fine on a MacBookpro. If you're just getting your notebook, it should come with OSX 4.9 installed, and all MacBooks have USB 2.0 ports.

Firewire is handy if you're downloading large amounts of data (such as copying your files from your old computer to the notebook), but the USB 2.0 port is more than adequate for transferring photos.

I just recently got a 17" MacBookpro, and I gotta tell you, I love it.

- Joe U.