<p>Having been responsible for data backups for systems ranging from single PCs to enormous servers, my advice is to just ditch the DVD idea completely.<br>
A safe data backup strategy requires that the data be redundant (multiple copies), and that those copies be spread across different devices (preferably in different physical locations).<br>
There are essentially two ways to accomplish that goal, either using a proven archival medium, like magnetic tape (yes, it is still in use, and yes, it is still the standard other media are measured against.), or by having 'live' copies of the data spread across other devices.<br>
Good, high capacity tape drives are very expensive, and require continual maintenance.<br>
The more (much) economical option is to build a NAS (network attached storage) or USB/firewire box that supports RAID 1 (mirroring). This is by far the safest option, since it means your data is complete on multiple individual hard drives. If one fails, the other half of the pair is still immediately available.<br>
This can be accomplished as simply as buying something like this: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=466 (I own one and like it a lot, but feel free to peruse their competitors. :) ), or you can build/purchase your own setup to whatever capacity you can afford.<br>
Heck, in a pinch, just making sure your data is copied to a separate computer is better than nothing and likely much more reliable than burning DVDs.</p>
Photos archived to DVD are "lost"
in The Digital Darkroom: Process, Technique & Printing
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<p>Having been responsible for data backups for systems ranging from single PCs to enormous servers, my advice is to just ditch the DVD idea completely.<br>
A safe data backup strategy requires that the data be redundant (multiple copies), and that those copies be spread across different devices (preferably in different physical locations).<br>
There are essentially two ways to accomplish that goal, either using a proven archival medium, like magnetic tape (yes, it is still in use, and yes, it is still the standard other media are measured against.), or by having 'live' copies of the data spread across other devices.<br>
Good, high capacity tape drives are very expensive, and require continual maintenance.<br>
The more (much) economical option is to build a NAS (network attached storage) or USB/firewire box that supports RAID 1 (mirroring). This is by far the safest option, since it means your data is complete on multiple individual hard drives. If one fails, the other half of the pair is still immediately available.<br>
This can be accomplished as simply as buying something like this: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=466 (I own one and like it a lot, but feel free to peruse their competitors. :) ), or you can build/purchase your own setup to whatever capacity you can afford.<br>
Heck, in a pinch, just making sure your data is copied to a separate computer is better than nothing and likely much more reliable than burning DVDs.</p>