Backing up your media is important, especially to an off-site location. It is a good thing optical media is as cheap as it is so creating a duplicate copy isn't a cost prohibitive operation. But if you are going to devote the time and energy to backing up, you want to be sure your media will be readable in the future.
Ad Terras Per Aspera has a thorough technical explanation of optical media and what makes a good disc. To summarize his findings:
- DVD+R has superior error correction and burning control.
- Taiyo Yuden makes the best discs.
- Gold plated discs don't offer any added protection.
I suggest you read the
full article to understand how he came to his conclusions and become a DVD whiz kid in the process.
