Data Storage: HDD vs DVD

**ghosthunter** · May 5th, 2009 01:42 AM

I realized something tonight when I checked the prices of 500GB to 1.5TB 3.5inch hard disks. They are now cheaper to use for data or media storage than DVD-R or similar optical media (of reasonable quality).

I am planning to build a media server to store the stuff I download from *******. It would also replace my ancient pc working as my ******* download PC. At least using that, I can add more HDDs if i need more capacity in the future.

**Macmon** · May 6th, 2009 12:59 AM

As you said, to store your media in your server. Then HDD is your first choice. However since HDD have a limited lifespan, DVD is your backup choice for longer storage. Make sure your DVD disc is a good one and not placed at the same place with your HDD

**flakez** · May 6th, 2009 01:48 AM

mahirap lang sa hdd is pag nasira, lahat ng data mo is goodbye na. unlike sa dvd mga paisa-isang dvd lang masisira so marami ka pa rin matitira. dapat may backup besides don sa hdd.

**Horsepower** · May 6th, 2009 03:35 AM

That's what RAID is for...

**Jun aka Pekto** · May 6th, 2009 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

I realized something tonight when I checked the prices of 500GB to 1.5TB 3.5inch hard disks. They are now cheaper to use for data or media storage than DVD-R or similar optical media (of reasonable quality).

I am planning to build a media server to store the stuff I download from *******. It would also replace my ancient pc working as my ******* download PC. At least using that, I can add more HDDs if i need more capacity in the future.

I always use external hard drives for storage. If you use them strictly for storage, they can last a very long time. I have a couple of 500GB WD MyBooks plus an assortment of smaller capacity 2.5" and 3.5" external hard drives.

I also have priceless files such as digital photos stored on each of the externals plus the internal hard drives of every computer at home. I'm the only one who seem to have a lot of files at home. Might as well make use of the spare space on the other computers.

**Automahn** · May 6th, 2009 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by Jun aka Pekto

I always use external hard drives for storage. If you use them strictly for storage, they can last a very long time. I have a couple of 500GB WD MyBooks plus an assortment of smaller capacity 2.5" and 3.5" external hard drives.

I also have priceless files such as digital photos stored on each of the externals plus the internal hard drives of every computer at home. I'm the only one who seem to have a lot of files at home. Might as well make use of the spare space on the other computers.

+1. I store my files in 3 places at any given time - desktop HDD, laptop HDD & an external HDD.

**ghosthunter** · May 6th, 2009 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Macmon

As you said, to store your media in your server. Then HDD is your first choice. However since HDD have a limited lifespan, DVD is your backup choice for longer storage. Make sure your DVD disc is a good one and not placed at the same place with your HDD

In my experience, the DVDs I have made tend to go "defective" much earlier than my hard drives. Also DVDs tend to make searching for a specific file more difficult without a physical catalog of which disc that particular file is stored.

I have tried accessing some of the DVDs and CDs I have written as the oldest being three years old and at least 1/4th of them are defective in some way or another (file unreadable or takes a long time to retrieve).

I have a CD (HP media) which I wrote some stuff on ten years ago. 50% of the stuff on it was still easy to retrievable but the other 50% took a long time to copy on to HDD.

It seems optical media is not as stable as we were told.

**ghosthunter** · May 6th, 2009 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by flakez

mahirap lang sa hdd is pag nasira, lahat ng data mo is goodbye na. unlike sa dvd mga paisa-isang dvd lang masisira so marami ka pa rin matitira. dapat may backup besides don sa hdd.

Not really. It also depends on what kind of failure that caused your HDD to be unreadable. IF the controller board failed, simply replacing it would make the HDD good as new. IF the head or a critical sector of the HDD failed, a retrieval service can get the data out intact (if you are willing to pay for the service).

**ghosthunter** · May 6th, 2009 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Horsepower

That's what RAID is for...

Yup and many motherboards being sold today have RAID features built-in already.

**valvura** · May 6th, 2009 09:45 AM

i'm just an oridinary user of portable HDD, flash disks, CD-Rs, DVD-Rs etc., but i heard recently that the most stable and reliable for long-term digital back-up storage is digital tape. what first comes to my mind are cassette tapes that we know madaling magdikit & masira but hey, an advance technology for tapes i.e. SDLT?:

The old name of DLT (Digital Linear Tape) was CompacTape.The DLT backup tapes are one of the most dominating backup tape media standards that are being used by the enterprises all over the world. The DLT technology reduces the operational cost and saves the investment. The SDLT (Super DLT) tapes are based on the DLT technology and are the new and advanced generation of Digital linear tape. The DLT cartridges have the "WORM technology". WORM means "write once read many". It is the most powerful feature of the SDLT (Super DLT) tape cartridges that they provide their users the high recording capacity and also have the tendency to fulfill the increased storage requirements. The high recording capacity of the SDLT backup tape helps to reduce the maintenance cost, and the rack mounts. Therefore, as a result the whole operation cost is reduced and overall efficiency of the company also enhances. The SDLT has more recording capacity than the DLT backup storage tapes.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/sdlt-...echnology.html
however, i don't have an idea yet of how restrictive the price of this technology is.