DVD Backup

Hi,

I'm hoping this is the right kind of place to ask this, not sure which other section it would fit in...

I'm backing up some pics onto DVDs today and in the past I have always made them into 'data discs' because that seemed to offer the most storage capacity.

Is that the way to go or is there another better option for saving large amounts of photos onto DVD?

Just wanted to make sure as I have quite a few .

Thanks in advance.

photos = data. best way to go

Many thanks, just wanted to make sure there wasn't some nifty 'fit on many photos in super quality' disc burning option I hadn't noticed

Data for photos! Good question though....

neil_g wrote in post #6150906
photos = data. best way to go

I 2nd that!

I hope you are not using -RW or +RW to archive! OK for shorter term data 'backup'

are CD-R's good enough for back-up?

nordstern1 wrote in post #6156427
are CD-R's good enough for back-up?

Point 1: -RW and +RW (whether CD- or DVD- ) are inherently less stable, because they are designed to be written and rewritten...made for CHANGE!

Point 2: DVDs are burned optically at faster rates than CD, so they are inherently less stable in order to permit the lasers to write on the DVD

Point 3: There are less stable families of CD dyes, and more stable families of dyes...Taiyo Yuden uses the most stable CD dyes in the CDs they make.

Point 4: Secretive DVD manufacturers have provided far less public information about DVD dye families, and so they are a relative unknown about relative permanence.

Point 5: DVD+R is more 'stable' than DVD-R, solely due to the data encoding and error correction scheme employed, not because of any difference in dyes! While the dyes might (or might not be different) the 'stability' is due to the data encoding!

Point 6: Organic dyes are not permanent things. Organic dyes were used in color film and paper, and both are antagonized by sunlight, chemical fumes (including wood fumes!), and other agents. Organic dyes are used in optical media (CD, DVD) and are affected by the same things, although the optical media are protected somewhat better than the dyes in film and photographic paper. Organic dyes are not permanent things, so keep this thought in mind when you consider 'archival storage'!