plutoniumman
New Member
I've lost too many photos & videos (& other things) due to failing HDDs or scratched/old optical media.
What are my options for long term and durable storage solutions (preferably 10 years expectancy or longer; 5 years minimum)? I won't be accessing the medium a whole lot. I'll write to it, and then set it in my closet for god-knows-how-long. I need to store about 700 GB worth of data (can span accross multiple mediums), which I'm expecting to grow at a steady pace (11 MP raw photos + 1080p HD video @ 24 Mbps are both efficient space suckers).
I'm willing to pay $1 per GB or maybe more if it means some little bump or scratch isn't going to ruin the entire medium.
I've considered an online storage site, but don't see it as a suitable option.
I've looked at tape drives (particularly LTO4). The drives' prices seem pretty steep, but the media seems very affordable. Couldn't find much on durability or if it's suitable for archival purposes (except some table on wikipedia claiming 15-30 years). Someone enlighten me plz?
I've also checked-out RDX drives. The drive-to-medium price ratio seems something my wallet is much more likely to approve of. I've read at a few places that the RDX media has a life expectancy of 30 years or more. How likely is it that it'll last even half this long? (assuming I only read 2-3 times a year max)
Any info or tips are appreciated
What are my options for long term and durable storage solutions (preferably 10 years expectancy or longer; 5 years minimum)? I won't be accessing the medium a whole lot. I'll write to it, and then set it in my closet for god-knows-how-long. I need to store about 700 GB worth of data (can span accross multiple mediums), which I'm expecting to grow at a steady pace (11 MP raw photos + 1080p HD video @ 24 Mbps are both efficient space suckers).
I'm willing to pay $1 per GB or maybe more if it means some little bump or scratch isn't going to ruin the entire medium.
I've considered an online storage site, but don't see it as a suitable option.
I've looked at tape drives (particularly LTO4). The drives' prices seem pretty steep, but the media seems very affordable. Couldn't find much on durability or if it's suitable for archival purposes (except some table on wikipedia claiming 15-30 years). Someone enlighten me plz?
I've also checked-out RDX drives. The drive-to-medium price ratio seems something my wallet is much more likely to approve of. I've read at a few places that the RDX media has a life expectancy of 30 years or more. How likely is it that it'll last even half this long? (assuming I only read 2-3 times a year max)
Any info or tips are appreciated