Internal or external Blu Ray drive for archiving?

[jonsjons]

<p>I back up my raw files and edited tiffs to an external hard drive, but also like to burn discs and store them offsite as an extra precaution....but now that I'm using 16gb memory cards it's gotten to be a pain to burn to ~4gb discs. Blu Ray discs seem to be a viable option both in terms of storage capacity and cost, but would I be better off speed-wise with adding an internal drive (I have an empty slot in my desktop) or using an external over usb 2?</p>

<p>Also, any info on the reliability of Blu Ray discs vs. Dvd-rs? I've read some positive remarks on this issue but more information would be good. </p>

[m_tt_donuts]

<p>I would get a USB 3.0 external blu-ray burner, for the simple reason that a laptop is probably very likely in your future and I don't know if the trend will continue but for about 3 years now it's not easy to find a laptop with a blu-ray DVD burner built in. Heck, actually it's getting harder to find a laptop with a DVD player even (thinking Apple). Getting an internal one for your desktop, and later moving to a laptop you may need an external blu-ray DVD burner anyway since it may not come with a DVD burner at all might as well do it right from the start. I've had external USB DVD and blu-ray burning Drives for about 6 years and haven't had a problem, including blu-ray. I would get one with the lightscribe feature.</p>

<p>But personally I prefer an NAS (Network Access Storage). It is a metal box that holds 2+ hard drives that attaches to a wireless network. It shows up on my computer as my H: drive. The two drives in it are configured for mirroring (RAID 1), which means when I copy a picture to one drive on that device it automatically copies it to the other. If one drive fails, the other is an exact copy I just need to replace it and it will mirror it again. The benefit(s) are, I can access the files on it from any computer so when my wife says "Where's our sons birthday pictures" I can just say "On the H: drive under Birthday" and she can then view them on her laptop/ipad. I can synchronize directories so if I copy pictures into "My Pictures" folder it automatically copies them to my H: drive as well. I also backup my important documents, and it can be accessed from anywhere so if I'm at my in-laws in the next state and they want to see some pictures I can access it from anywhere over the internet. They aren't as cheap for ones that can support RAID 1 and with two very large drives but I've had mine for 3-4 years with no problem. I just wished I'd known, that configured as RAID 1 throughput is cut almost in half with the cheap ones... had I known how much I'd use and enjoy it I'd have paid for one with a bit more throughput/horsepower.</p>

[EricM]

<p>I use dual layer dvd and burn 8gb at a time. It sure helps over the 4gb single layer dvd. Maybe try that? But like you, I'm also pondering an internal blu-ray burner and doing dual layer blu-ray burns at 50gb each.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>Two or more limitations on NAS wireless solution.<br>

The speed is OK to get individual pictures or video, but for massive photo or video media use is just too slow, and the limitation seems in the wireless throughput.</p>

<p>Hard drives in NAS devices, like one from Linksys, use propriatory disk formats, nothing like FAT32 or NTFS. Once you start having problems, the discs will need to be recovered in the same type of device using the original disc formatting.<br>

It is not that simple as placing your disc in another enclosure and read it.</p>

<p>Also, smart TV (or intelligent TVs), e.g from Philips, that have built-in wireless Internet , USB ports, and local media storage, seem to use propriatory hark disk formating that will make it harder to recover data from disks formated like that.</p>

[keith_b1]

<p>Well-made Bluray discs using the original silicon/copper recording layer "should" be good for the maximum possible length of time, though I've never seen any consumer-oriented manufacturer make a specific claim. I do know that the Sony XDCam discs---which are Blurays in a protective housing---have claimed a 20 year archival life. The customers for XDCam discs---the world's broadcasters and media companies--have a vital interest in knowing how long their shot discs are going to be viable.<br>

There is a low-end type of Bluray disc called 'Bluray LTH' that uses the same organic dye recording layer as in DVDRs; these have an inherently reduced prospect of being permanent.<br>

I purchased an external Bluray drive from OWC, runs on the soon-to-be obsolescent Firewire 800. Records data much faster than DVD on USB2. USB3 should be even better.</p>

 

[mattb1]

IMO any optical disc is too fragile for archiving. With the price of external hard drives you could store those off site at

about the same price.

[bgelfand]

<p>First, having multiple backups and offsite backups is excellent. You are well prepared.</p>

<p>At present, I use your method of backups to flash and store the flash in my safe deposit box. When I outgrow the flash, I am considering the following:</p>

<p>1) Purchase a USB 3.0 hard drive dock.</p>

<p>2) Purchase two 2.5 in notebook harddrives - probably 500 gigabyte drives. I would choose notebook drives because they are designed to withstand harder bumps than 3.5 inch desktop drives; these drives would be transported back and forth between my home and the bank.</p>

<p>3) Backup to the harddrive which I would store in the safe deposit box; a 2.5" drive will fit in the box easily.</p>

<p>4) Alternate between the two drives i.e. drive #1 has the current backup and is in the safe deposit box; drive #2 has the older backup and is in my desk drawer ready for the next backup cycle.</p>

<p>Considering the cost of media over time, this method should be as cost effective as using BluRay media.</p>

 

[jonsjons]

<p>Thanks for all of the input. I do think I'll keep using discs as a second backup; easier than transporting an external drive back and forth for an off site archive. So any info on the speed of internal vs. external blu ray drives? I might go with a usb 3 external for future use, but my current desktop and laptop are usb 2.</p>

[cudacar2000]

<p>One thing that is often overlooked in the 'external hard drive vs. optical media' debate is that hard drives are read/write, where burned media (DVD and/or Blu Ray) is read only. This means that even if your hard drives never fail, the images could be overwritten or deleted off a hard drive, but not from a burned disk.<br>

Personally, I use both - I would not ever rely on one or the other. Burned media can fail, as can hard drives. I back up onto external drives, burn disks to keep locally, and another set to store off site. The chances of me losing anything important are pretty small that way.</p>