(Part 2) Best blank media products according to redditors

It's a pretty easy assumption when you can buy a blank DVD for less than a quarter retail.

Verbatim 4.7 GB up to 16x Branded Recordable Disc DVD-R 100-Disc FFP 97460 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZDNZT2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_suxGxb5N2EPW5

The tapes used in the show are UR-60 audio cassettes which hold 30 minutes of audio per side. You can identify the type of tape by looking at this image (note the white text in the red squares). The running times of the episodes are between 54 to 58 minutes, so the show is roughly twice as long as the tapes.

Not to be "that guy", but...

www.amazon.com/MAXELL-NORMAL-15-Pack-Standard-Cassettes/dp/B00000J1EP/

A 3.5" floppy is, on the high side, approximately 3.3mm thick.

A stack of 5,970 3.5" floppies is therefore roughly 19.7 meters - over 64 feet - high, until it inevitably tips over.

Now, you might be thinking that it'd be easiest to make a bunch of smaller stacks, and you'd be right. A hundred sixty-floppy stacks would fit neatly on a pallet; each stack would be a quite safe ~198mm in height - 7.8" - and the whole operation would be less than a meter across each way (~90cm by ~94cm). All of these dimensions are rounded up, if anything, to allow for a bit of pallet wrap, paper dividers, whatever.

"The pallet is overkill, Val!" Perhaps so, for a cuboid that small, but at a weight of ~19 grams per diskette, we're looking at over 113 kg - 250 lbs - of floppy.

Hmm. Let's divide this up so that it can be carried up the stairs by hand.

A standard case of paper, here in the States - 10 reams of 8.5x11" writing paper (like A4 sheets but shorter), has roughly 11x17" usable footprint and 8.5" height - about 28x43x21cm. This lets us put twelve stacks of up to 65 floppies in each box before we consider how many we can stuff down the half-floppy-width gap in the side - may as well not bother with that, honestly, if it only saves one person one trip up the stairs and disrupts the order of the disks. These 780 floppies weigh about 14.8 kg, or under 33 lbs - light enough for an out-of-shape PFY to handle.

Now we're only looking at eight boxes of floppies, with the last box being only two-thirds full. This is a totally reasonable backup solution!

Okay, there are a few missing details here - reliability issues (with both disks and drives!), the number of man-hours required to have someone swap and label the disks, and, of course, the $2,500-plus-shipping cost of the disks themselves, even from the suspiciously-cheap brigade - if by some miracle the disks all work out of the box.

Now you know!

There are 100GB BD-XL M-Discs now.

Actually, it does with gold archive disks and is better for long-term storage than most other single storage mediums. They are typically rated to last up to 100 years. https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-UltraLife-Archival-5-Disc-96320/dp/B000WTO352/

If you do this please don't skimp on dvd's i've had some cheap dual layer dvds have an almost 50% failure rate.

http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-95310-Dual-Layer-20-Disc-Spindle/dp/B000GHWRIK

I've yet to have one of these fail burning @ 2.4x

Also an application called ImgBurn works great with default settings for me.

You can still buy them. Not old enough yet for museums.

https://www.amazon.com/Floppy-Diskettes-Formatted-MF-2HD-Manufactured/dp/B006HI22LO

It basically means that he's taken terabytes of data (in this case visuals for the cube) and compressed it down to a file size enough to store in a Floppy Disk

CDs can have 1 or 2 sides writeable: see this

First and foremost, I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine your situation.

I'm assuming you intend to keep this data for your daughter's life, so I'm recommending based on 100+ years retention. I don't know of any medium that's going to last that long. Because of that, my recommendation is to refresh the media every 10 or so years.

My concern with some of the other recommendations of flash drives is Flash Drives have a tendency to bit rot at a significantly faster rate than other media.

A DVD/BluRay would probably be my go-to, but we don't have too much historical data on life-span. In that situation, what I'd do is the following:

https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-BD-R-25GB-Branded-Surface/dp/B003EE08S8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1503602872&sr=8-3

Buy this set of disks. It's super cheap and while a blu-ray writer is going to run you about $70, it's not super expensive in the long-term. Burn the data to every disk in the pack and check that it's still good every couple years. I would also upload to "cloud" storage and keep it on an external hard drive (kept in a fire safe or bank vault).

A few months late, but in my defense I just found this thread.


I found several. In like two seconds. In fact, when I searched for BD-R" on Amazon, EVERY result I checked, except for one that was labeled LTH was HTL. Note that I am relying on the customer questions & answers to get the ID. It is technically possible that the manufacturers have started selling different discs under the same listings, so if you are worried you can check the ID on the discs before using them.


I think that your confusion comes from the fact that the name of the manufacturer is rarely the brand name.


For example, these Quantum Optical discs have a media ID of cmcmag-ba5. If you look for that ID in the list you will see that they were made by CMC Magnetics Corporation and are an HTL disc.


https://www.amazon.com/Optical-Quantum-OQBDR06LT-50-Blu-Ray-Recordable/dp/B009KXE4VO


These made by ValueDisc have that same media ID, cmcmag-ba5, so we can tell that they are the same disc sold under a different brand.


https://www.amazon.com/Value-Disc-Blu-Ray-Spindle-Taiwan/dp/B00DUHUPCS


These from PLEXDisc have the ID "OTCBDR-002" so they are made by Amethystum Storage Technology Co., Ltd. and are HTL.


https://www.amazon.com/PlexDisc-633-214-Blu-ray-Printable-Recordable/dp/B00IK2OQM8


Those are all cheapo discs. If you want to see some name brand, these Verbatim discs have the media ID VERBAT-IMe. According to that licensee list they are made by Mitsubishi Chemical Media Co., Ltd. and are HTL.


https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-BD-R-Blu-ray-Recordable-Media/dp/B00GSQ4DBM



A quick side note, if you look at the licencee list, you will see that there are several manufacturers that have never made an LTH disc. If, for example, you buy a Sony disc, you can be sure that it is HTL.

I own this recorder and the Ninja Inferno. I use the GH5.

The Atomos is better than the GH5, but noticeably inferior to my recorder. I specifically have issues with weird clipping.

Also, you need purchase a lemo breakout cable for it as it doesn't come standard.

You might want to just get the Shogun Inferno to future proof yourself. I sort of regret not doing that.

I'd suggest buying a recorder. That way you can have backup audio on the GH5 in case something fails. Two sources of audio is always ideal.

I'm pretty sure you can find them ether, on eBay or Amazon.

Edit: Didn't link before since I was on the phone, but here Floppy Disk

Well they definitely aren't $115.

https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-LTO-Ultrium-7-Data-Cartridge/dp/B018J4H8EO

I'm sure in bulk you could get them closer to $60.

Wanna go really retro? Beverly Hills Cop on Betamax from Amazon is about as retro as you can get these days.

CD-R's DVD-R's, etc. vary in manufacturing quality. The following link is about the best you can get for archival quality.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WTO352/ref=twister_B003ZK6U5G

Further reading here:

http://www.linuxtech.net/tips+tricks/best_safe_long-term_data_storage.html

Update: Wanted to update this with a new product I learned about (1000 year lifespan of data)

http://www.amazon.com/Millenniata-4-7GB-M-Disc-Write-Forever/dp/B007H30YG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414124435&sr=8-1&keywords=m-disc

I did.

I've been searching into permanent storage for all my files.

They make digital media that is supposed to last a century.

https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-BD-R-Blu-ray-Recordable-Media/dp/B003EE08S8/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_23_lp_tr_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YYKW73FR1WMVWW3C0KKC

Verbatim AZO DVD-Rs, not their Lifetime line of media products.

https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-DVD-R-4-7GB-Recordable-Media/dp/B00081A2KY

In order to use those tapes Ona VCR you would need this www.amazon.com/dp/B00QV2T6II/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_XTGLAbKGZD85W

You can record 10-bit 4K/30p with an [$895 Blackmagic Video Assist 4K] (https://www.amazon.com/Blackmagic-Design-Video-Assist-4K/dp/B01F6IC1R0//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) (example output from this recorder [here] (https://youtu.be/fr455OzZeFY), shot with the Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K), but to record 10-bit 4K/60p, you would have to step up to a [$1995 Atomos Shogun Inferno] (https://www.amazon.com/Atomos-Shogun-Inferno-12G-SDI-Recorder/dp/B01K7W3N0O//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20).

The Inferno is pricey, but produces some amazing images:

• [Shogun Inferno Official Launch Trailer by Atomos Video] (https://vimeo.com/181587039) (4K)
  
  All the best,
  
  HCR

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009GGC4B2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1404441253&sr=8-1

I bought a pack of those a while back for $15 and I've been happy. I'd gladly buy them again, especially with the lower price they've got now. They seem sturdy enough, they've got embossed Blu-ray logos on the front. There's a review complaining about covers not fitting but I've not run into that, mine all fit perfect. They do have areas on the front and back that use thinner plastic but that doesn't bother me, still better than the retail cases with the holes cut in them.

You can burn your own black CDs.
(They're actually a very, very, very dark red so that the red CD laser can shine through them.)

I use these. :-)

I was supposed to have all my gear! 5 days ago, UPS & USPS fucked me over saying they delivered when they didnt i had to get a refund. I ordered this adapter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077N2KK27/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this drive:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CINXPZS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also these discs:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GHWRIK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Am i good to go?

Properly stored archival quality DVD's should be good for over 100 years.

https://smile.amazon.com/Verbatim-UltraLife-Archival-5-Disc-96320/dp/B000WTO352

You will never need to worry about a virus hitting your backup, either.

Edit: So I guess there's a blu-ray equivalent that is even better. https://smile.amazon.com/Verbatim-M-Disc-BD-R-Branded-Surface/dp/B011PZALWA/ but your blu-ray burner needs to be rated for M-DISC.

Here is the listing, which has gone up since I last bought them, unfortunately. If you're going to be working with DOS-era PCs then Double Density (720KB) is a good thing to have. You'll probably find High Density (1.44MB) disks more easily, but some DOS machines won't read them properly. My only MSX with a built-in drive is Double Density only.

I've seen that and unless i'm mistaken the discs I have should be supported. If it helps, here's a link to the amazon listing where i bought them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EE08S8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

these are the discs i am getting. are they any good https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0056DV0L4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

> You had to buy a cd player/stereo/laptop/etc at one point, did you not? I'm not understanding the argument of cost.

Yeah, but my point being is that you likely still have a capable device around. Tape decks? Quite a bit older and less people still have this equipment. Tape decks also lack the multiple use scenario of a CD/DVD drive. Software, data, games, movies, and music all come on discs so the things that play these discs are much more ubiquitous.

>CDs can be found for around $0.30 each

http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-94691-Branded-Recordable-50-Disc/dp/B00029U1DK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375136983&sr=8-1&keywords=blank+cd

$0.20 a CD. So half the cost compared to your number and it only goes cheaper the more bulk you go for.

Let's spend $10 on tapes now to make this purely an Amazon comparison. http://www.amazon.com/Maxell-UR-60-Blank-Audio-Cassette/dp/B000087NBV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375137258&sr=8-1&keywords=blank+tape

Well, can't do that, so let's get two of these and spend $12.

$0.75/tape.

You keep bringing up how much they're sold for and that's besides the point. They're selling them for cheaper than CDs because of the market they're selling them to. According to the numbers here it's actually giving the labels a much smaller profit margin.

Tape doesn't have the large album art of vinyl nor the sound quality of vinyl or CDs. They have what, portability? That is why 8 tracks lost according to some. But I'm sure no one is still using that portable tape deck.

> Where are you finding LTO-7 for $90? Please do share

There seem to be plenty on Amazon, to list two:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019DGCRAW/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018J4H8EO/

And thanks for the info on LTO6.

Taiyo Yudens are expensive compared to Verbatims, lord.

So you're saying that this should be fine for dual layer or is there another set of Verbatims for dual layer?

And what's the difference between 4x and 8x?

If in the future you ever want to have it on disc and work on any blu-ray player, you can download a program called "AnyDVD" and select the option "Remove Blu-Ray Region Code."

Then, select "Rip to Image" and it will copy the entire blu-ray disc to a format that you can burn to a new blank disc. Then, download a tool called ImgBurn, and that will do it.

The only difference is that you won't have art on the disc. But fear not! If you really want to, you can put your original disc in a scanner to scan it. Then, obtain a printer that can print on top of discs (you can get one for $60), and get blank blu-ray discs that allow you to print on them. I like these ones -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IK2OQM8

Last, get software where you can customize the art on the disc and print to it. Software should come with the printer. The printer I use is Epson XP-640 and the software I use is Epson Print CD.

It sounds like you were able to watch it, so these instructions are really just for if you feel like having the disc in your collection without worrying about region code restrictions.

Take care!

They have the Blu-ray logo on them, and they are actually the exact same cases that I have purchased before. They aren't as rounded on the spine, like /u/basiliskfang said, but overall they are great for replacements. They do have that clip on the side you open. I've only replaced a couple so far, but I haven't ran into any major problems with them!

They are on Amazon, 25 for $11. http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Blu-Ray-Cases-25-Pack-97970/dp/B009GGC4B2/

yup

Best thing to do is just get some DL DVDr
http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Recordable-20-Disc-Spindle-95310/dp/B000GHWRIK

You also need to make sure your Burner will burn DL Dvds

Verbatim M Disc BDXL 100GB 4X 1 Pack Jewel Case 98912 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011PGT2FQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3fpaAbT9QS7MK

Blank cassettes?

http://www.amazon.com/Imation-3-5-Inch-Formatted-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00004YKNF/ref=pd_bxgy_147_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KZGP0EVNQVS9D80WHQR

Doing this would probably be the easiest route

I was considering either these Datalife Plus discs by verbatim or these regular branded verbatim's not sure if there is much difference between the two.

No. No fucking way this is true. I can go on Amazon right now and get 1000 CDs for $140. A 15 pack of cassettes is about $18. Using that as a basis, 1000 cassettes would cost $1200. Considering the cost of recording the music is the same, putting them on casettes, in material costs alone, is astronomically cheaper.

Those are LTH discs, not great for archiving. You want HTL discs like these ($41.80/50-disc spindle): https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-DataLifePlus-White-Inkjet-Printable/dp/B004477BQQ/

Edit: I was wrong, they're HTL discs which should be good for archiving.

Or these Verbatim branded M-Discs ($66.75/25-disc spindle): https://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-M-Disc-BD-R-Branded-Surface/dp/B011PZALWA/

Or the ones you linked earlier, Milleniata branded M-Discs ($64.13/15-disc spindle): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KGWV6MI/

The above three products may or may not all use the same chemistry and manufacturing process. Nobody really knows.

Yeah but you can also buy a 5GB DVD for 30¢. You think movie companies want to give up over $5 of profit on every DVD?

$2.90 each http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-Blu-ray-Disc-pcs-Spindle/dp/B0056DV0L4/ref=lp_668575011_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371635777&sr=1-2


$28.50 each http://www.amazon.com/Class-Memory-Adapter-Retail-Package/dp/B00B7KQ4K2/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1371635860&sr=1-1&keywords=64gb+sd+card


>pirating games extremely difficult, loading times would be incredibly reduced, installing anything onto the console's internal drive would barely be necessary

And $110+ per game.

Well, I'm positive that when Beverly Hills Cop came out, there were people who still had both kinds of VCRs so I know the debate went on into the 80s but am also sure it was settled by 1994, and probably 8 or so years before that.

Edit: http://www.amazon.com/Paramount-Pictures-Beverly-Hills-Betamax/dp/B00GM4DA9Q

In 1984 Betamax systems were still 25% of sales of VCRs.

https://www.amazon.com/80-Min-Double-Sided-Colored-100-Pak-50-Pak/dp/B000M2O016