[SOLVED] is DVD R still the most durable storage medium than a hard drive?

[brannsiu]

Is there any research or statistics about the average lifespan of a DVD disc on condition that it's kept nicely and not scratched??

I still have quite a lot of blank DVD that I wish to use as backup medium of some of my critical files, but it takes time to burn the files into the discs. If it doesn't last longer than a portable hard drive or may only last a few years, then I will save the time of burning. I hate DVD burning. (Assume the discs are kept nicely and handled with care, not scratched)

 

[TerryLaze]

No matter how you store them,the surface on the dvd can start a chemical reaction and go bad,more so on lower quality/no name brands but it also happens with the best brands.
The only safe method for backup is using the cloud or using multiple backups.

 

[hang-the-9]

Is there any research or statistics about the average lifespan of a DVD disc on condition that it's kept nicely and not scratched??

I still have quite a lot of blank DVD that I wish to use as backup medium of some of my critical files, but it takes time to burn the files into the discs. If it doesn't last longer than a portable hard drive or may only last a few years, then I will save the time of burning. I hate DVD burning. (Assume the discs are kept nicely and handled with care, not scratched)

DVDs will last for years, as will pretty much any storage medium. You should have more than one backup anyway, so keeping it on an external drive AND a DVD is not a bad idea. With the low cost of large drives these days, it's nothing that is out of reach for most people.