I just got a new plextor 716sa serial ata... 16x dual layer. I'm going to use the drive to burn DVDs for regular dvd players and to backup files. Couple of questions.

1) what name brands of media and media types (+/-r / +/-rw) are best for which application.
2) what good backup programs are there to backup my files from windows?

I backup my files by hand. The CD burner brought a Nero 5 CD, and I use it to burn the DVDs. Then I use Catfish to catalogate the files to know in which DVD/CD each is.

And the only way to know which DVD is better is trying them. I use Imation, both +R and -R. If you want to play DVDs, -R is a better choice, as it can be read by most (any?) player.

I keep everything important in organized directory structures. It makes backing up easy because everything worth backing up is in a folder ("\archives[audio\video\software]") (excluding program files, like game saves). All installed programs go into another directory ("\installed applications[tools\games\etc\]").

Though, due to the fact that I own no DVDs (but have "access" to a dvd burner) and I'm on a 52G wireless card, I actually have yet to backup my computer files. Which is horribly long overdue, I realize.

Same rules as CDs. RW for things you want to change (backups that change a lot, like source code). R for things you don't (backups that don't, like a music video).

+ and - don't matter as far as I remember, because all modern DVD players support both formats. As long as your DVD burner does, of course.

Some more information: Any of my backups would have a tree like (some branches might be missing if a determined CD/DVD does not have that kind of stuff in there):

• Documentation

• Software

• Internet

• Programming

• ISOs

• BitTorrent files

• Utils

• Music

• Videos

• Source code

Doble layer DVDs here are very expensive (around 25x a DVD+R, $2.60 against $62), so I don't use them. RW DVDs are to exchange information with friends, or to test some DVD ISO before burning it. Ah, and since my connection is just a 256kbps (upgrading to 512kbps, will take a month), I burn 2 DVDs for each one, to keep a safe copy (of course, if you can download a ISO I needed 7 hours in just 20 minutes, you would not worry as much ).

it costs $62 for a dvd dual layer?!

Dual Layer media is expensive, like $12 cad per disk. Where as I can get a 50pc spool of 8x (single layer) (that I can burn at 16x) for $20 or less.

$2.92 = u$s 1.

(Edited: And it seems it is now $51.01, that means it is around u$s 17.5. A bit too expensive for my taste still).

I use DeepBurner for everything now... it's nearly flawless on burning, haven't lost a disk to it yet... unlike Nero. Besides the new Nero I got with the Lite-On burner I have is difficult to understand... I just want to burn a damn disk, not go through some stupid wizard for 3 mins. Not only that but the DVD tab had to be selected to burn to a DVD... which is a small little hidden bastard so I was getting quite frustrated trying to figure out why it wouldn't go past 700MB Also DVD-DL media is very expensive, 30 bucks for 3 disks at the moment, but as they become more popular I hope the price will drop. You can get 15 packs of DVD+R for 10 bucks anymore.

I'll have to wait to use dual layer then

At least i'm upgrade-compatible for once though So what about backup software, like a progrma to automatically backup and keep differential backups?

For backup you want to use RW media especially if you want to do differential. I don't know if they have DVD+RW DL media yet.

As for the media, there are only a few firms that make the actual dye and they make different qualities of dye. Most brands of disc state the dye and you can easily find out about it.

I buy from a site called ebuyer.com and with every product they sell they list uncensored reviews by people who have bought them so you know if it is a good make or not.

Neil.

Burned DVDs are really unreliable, even more than CD-Rs. You cannot be sure that your backed up data is still intact in a year. This also varies greatly between recorders and media.

I've heard the most reliable choice for storing data on burned DVDs is DVD-RAM. It's a rewritable format that was out before RW-media, but that cannot be read by most DVD-players. Sadly only few burners support the format. Mine does not. (Of course, MO would still be much better.)

Probably best way to backup stuff is to copy really important stuff to somewhere big and reliable server and for the rest get an additional HDD or two. Price per GB of HDD's is practically the same as CDR's and a bit more expensive than DVD's

DVD-RAM are even more expensive than DVD DL, at least here. However, that is why I burn two DVDs per every of my copies