OK I just paid for 40 more DDS3 Data dats...

They work

We use Retrospect

$7 for 12 gig on one Dat

How are folks getting on with DVD back ups?

Dual sided?

Cost?

Speed?

Happy with it?

Reccomend it? (if so explain why please!)

I just got a 100 pack of Dvds for $19.99 from newegg.com and that pioneer dvr-109 for about $60.

I can burn a disk in like 6-9 minutes...works awesome!

I use Retrospect too most of the time but sometimes I just burn it straight to disk.

I cant think of a better way of backing up then a dvd-r. Its cheap, reliable, fast, and can archive for a reasonable amount of time.

I have avoided DVD because one of my roomates, who is a film maker, has had problems With burned DVDs going bad after a couple of plays. He no longer submits to film festivals on DVD, goes straight VHS. David

hard drives

if theres really a need for ... it goes to dvd ... otherwise a backup harddrive!

I use mainly Hard Drives.

Although using DVD and Hard Drives would probably be better. The more differing technologies the better.

Fire Wire hard drive while working on the project. DVDr for once it is finished. The price is really coming down for dvds. I just don't like how long it takes to burn them.

Hard drives, then DVD. I've had hard drives go bad, so I like to always have backups of backups on different media.

There's a million dollar problem with a hundred dollar sollution. Tell him to get a new DVD drive. What is it with people? heh


OT: I have a client who makes his graphic artist and I (I implement their designs on a data-driven website I designed) jump through flaming hoops backwards trying to get files from him.

Why? Because the SuperDrive in his relatively new G5 broke. I've told him over and over (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) to take it to the freakin' Apple Store and get things fixed...

But he won't, for whatever reason.

So I've got him using yousendit.com (great free utility).

Now if I could just get him to zip or stuff all those loose files...

A full disk? I can barely burn an English Muffin in 6 minutes!

16X!!! gotta get me one of those!

around here the working drive becomes the archive when the project is over, and for backups, I burn DVD-Rs and store them off premises.

If I had a faster burner , I would probably make two sets of backups- the disks are cheap enough these days.

band pays for HD for the project and DVDr for backup off that [plus i use one of my HD's as a mirror during the session].

There is a DVD and CD duplication shop right around the corner. They are pretty big and see 1000's of DVD's a week. I asked the owner, an old friend, about the integrity of DVD backups.

His reply was that DVD is not really a backup solution.

!!!

Why? Because of error rates in his experience. He's seen so many errors it's insane. He also said to remember there is error correction built-into the DVD playback technology so it's not as much an issue in movie duplication as in a backup situation.

His opinion is that if you are going to backup to DVD and want security, use two brands of disc and burn twice. He said the errors are unlikely to overlap.

I back up to Iomega USB2.0 drives (80gb) until the project is done, then I make a final backup on DVD once the mix is accepted. Works for me in my humble studio.

War

I usually do both a Hard Drive and a DVD-R back-up.

I'm not really satisfied with either, though, as I know the shelf life is limited. I wish someone would come up with a cost-effective data back-up equivalent to microfiche: 500 years in an airconditioned, dry environment.

-KD03

my radar has a dvd multi drive, which is dvd-r, and dvd-ram. i backed up to dvd-r, seems quick and painless. i haven't backed up to dvd-ram yet. does anyone have experience with it?
regards,
tf

FireWire hard drive for the full PT sessions, DVD-R for the consolidatet session data, CD-R as additional safety backup for master mixes. When the HD is full, it goes on the shelf and get replaced by a new one.

A so called safety expert told me I should also do a mirror of the project HD and store it somewhere away from the studio, for example at home. Makes sense in case of fire or other disasters.

Stein Tore

a little while ago i burned a dvd with my life's work on it (some projects i had done, all my compositions, and all my little ideas that never turned into songs). the dvd was corrupted 2 days after the fact. i had wiped my drive (the reason for the backup)

:(

We have AIT 1 backup with Retrospect.
35Gb on a single tape. Unfortunately that's still a lot more than 35Gb of HD space or 4 DVD-R's.
I'm not too happy with Retrospect either, but what are the alternatives? Mezzo? Tried that, but try upgrading their software...Good luck!

Backup to DVD-R? Too slow. When the client brings in 350Gb worth of HD space, that'll take quite a few DVD-R boxes. Not to mention the time it takes for someone to change the discs all the time.

Hard disc? temporary backup medium before we backup to tape. Fast, but over the past few years we've had two dead firewire drives. That's enough to start living on xanax.

So what's up for the next 10-20 years??

Gone Fishin'

Redsandblu

Here is where it pays to be extra prudent. Let's be real, if a project is that important to you are you only going to have 1-2 backups? I have two FW800 b-up drives and I usually burn 2 b-up DVDs of a particular project. You should have no less than 3 backups and yes it is a wise idea to keep at least one of them in another location...unless of course it's somebody else's lame project which happens to be from time to time! Spend the extra time.

fwiw, i got HD's that are 10+ years old that work just fine and they have been literally thrown in boxes and dust collected on them... some of them still have old OS's on them i have even booted from when a computer had gone down.

also, make sure you verify the DVDr...

HD's....2 externals...Maxtor....fast....SUPER fast on the fly

...I can backup without having redundant copies.

I have 2 DVD burners now but don't use em'...They aren't reliable IME. My burners are high quality NEC's (double sided variety)...it's the DVD's themselves I don't trust.

I suppose that both can fail...Good to use both but right now HD's I trust.

So I can sleep at night, I do 3 back-ups:
1. Hard Drive
2. DVD-R (Brand 1)
3. DVD-R (Brand 2 or different production run than #2)

My thinking is that even the high quality brands can have a bad run in production so I try to use two different brands or at least a different production run of the same brand.

I've heard of manufacturers talking about Blu-ray:
httP://www.blu-raydisc.com

Also, Iomega REV drives are an option and SATA drives are so inexpensive they're a great way to back up quickley.

Audy O

Gah....

I kinda like the DDS format - it's been good to us (touch wood)

Perhaps I will just move up from our SCSI DDS3 machine

to a firewire or USB DDS4 recorder and be done with it...

but perhaps that will bite me in the ass when I move up to 96k tracking...

This thread has been very interesting indeed - but inconclusive as far as I can tell

Somehow the 'vibe' of dusty electrical / moving part hard drives sitting on a shelf seems less reliable than dusty magnetic DATA DAT tapes...

I was going to mention the exact same thing.
I back up to just DVD-R for the things that aren't that important and simple safetys, or before I consolidate.
I back up to HD and DVD for most things that are important.
And for the real important things I go to two DVDs and hard drive.

I also think it's a descent idea to not use any file compression or proprietary programs. I mostly use Toast.

I also use the larger size jewel cases, so that no part of the dvd other than the inner ring is touching anything.
Keeping it out of the sun probably isn't a bad idea either.

I haven't had one single problem in the discs that I have had to reload.

TDK dvds from costco are a good deal and seem to be of good quality. I stopped using Ty Yuden DVDs after receiving some shady batches.

I think I read the question wrong. I have 2 250gig UDB2.0 Hard drives that I keep my crap on. I burn to DVD when I got to make room.

Do you keep two copies of your projects on separate drives? I always leave ongoing stuff on my internal drives and backup immediately to my USB standalones at the end of each session. Both of my drives would have to simultaneously croak to cause a problem.

War