DVD-RAM vs DVD RW

[Wai_Wai]

DVD-RAM vs DVD RW

Hi.

I'm not sure which one I should choose.

I need a disc which store my regular backup and item collection.

The contents of the disc will be updated, say, quarterly or monthly.

The disc must be reliable and can keep the contents intact.

Q:

1) Which disc suits my need best? Any advice?

2) How reliable is DVD-RAM and DVD+/-RW?

3) What brand/model of DVD disc do you recommend?

Thank you. B)

[puntoMX]

First tell us what drive you use so we can help you a bit better

[LLXX]

The disc must be reliable and can keep the contents intact.

DVD-RAM is better protected due to its extra case.

[dirtwarrior]

I may be mistaken but dvd ram can be formatted like a HD and easy to do back up on

[noguru]

I may be mistaken but dvd ram can be formatted like a HD and easy to do back up on

You are certainly not mistaken.

You can even choose between FAT or UDF fileformat. Because DVD-RAM behaves like a removable drive it's much more efficient for backups.

Other advantage is that DVD-RAM has error correction.

The cartridge type disc is the most reliable offcourse. Outside the cartridge DVD-RAM is just as vulnerable as any DVD-/+RW. But drives that support cartridges are DVD-RAM only as far as I know. Some don't even accept disc's without cartridge. (Panasonic, my own experience)

I use cartridge DVD-RAM for professional reasons for many years now. This archive needs to be accessed a lot by everybody, people carry the disc's around..... We never lost a bit!

There is a second copy of every disc but that's more in case the whole building burns down or something.

So if you want to make easy AND reliable archives and your drive supports it, go for DVD-RAM.

Edited April 5, 2006 by noguru

[Wai_Wai]

First tell us what drive you use so we can help you a bit better

Frankly, I haven't purchased one yet.

You may recommend one which you think the best.

The disc must be reliable and can keep the contents intact.

DVD-RAM is better protected due to its extra case.

What do you mean by extra case?

I may be mistaken but dvd ram can be formatted like a HD and easy to do back up on

Isn't it true that DVD RAM can be written directly without doing anything?

I assume DVD RAM is like a large-sized floppy disc.

DVD RW can be formatted as a "floppy disc" by Nero etc.

But as far as I knwo, this technique is not reliable.

[Wai_Wai]

I may be mistaken but dvd ram can be formatted like a HD and easy to do back up on

You are certainly not mistaken.

You can even choose between FAT or UDF fileformat. Because DVD-RAM behaves like a removable drive it's much more efficient for backups.

Other advantage is that DVD-RAM has error correction.

The cartridge type disc is the most reliable offcourse. Outside the cartridge DVD-RAM is just as vulnerable as any DVD-/+RW. But drives that support cartridges are DVD-RAM only as far as I know. Some don't even accept disc's without cartridge. (Panasonic, my own experience)

I use cartridge DVD-RAM for professional reasons for many years now. This archive needs to be accessed a lot by everybody, people carry the disc's around..... We never lost a bit!

There is a second copy of every disc but that's more in case the whole building burns down or something.

So if you want to make easy AND reliable archives and your drive supports it, go for DVD-RAM.

What is cartridge DVD-RAM?

It seems DVD-RAM have several types as well.

[noguru]

The cartridge is the extra case that LLXX is talking about. Just a plastic cover around the disk for protection. Compare it with a floppy and you get the idea.

There is a type I and type II (I'm sorry can't help it, all those types...).

Type II can be opened to take the disc out. If you really need you can open a type I too but that will destroy the cartridge forever.

I need to mention a disadvantage of DVD-RAM (cos I forgot before). The disc are usually difficult to get. Don't expect your local store around the corner to have them.

Hope this helps

[DL.]

I recently ordered (yesterday, will get it tomorrow) a NEC ND-4551A, I did choose a NEC because their DVD-burners are recommended by many sites (and has been for a while). The drive has DVD-RAM support.

I was going to wait for Blue-Ray or HD-DVD, but it will probably take quite a while until those technologies have matured and the prices have dropped.

I will be using DVD-RAM to backup the most recently used files (weekly or daily) and DVD+/-RW for files that are not updated as often (when needed). DVD+/-R will be used to archive files (for example when the HDD is running out of free space). I also mirror the entire HDD to an identical drive montly. In the future I'll probably get some more HDD:s to keep the system and storage separated on different drives (and maybe RAID some of them).

DVD-RAM discs are not as common as the other ones, but they should be available from some online-shop.

The DVD-RAM discs are also a lot more expensive and slower to record.

What you should choose depends on how much data you have and how often you plan on doing the backups. If you use your comp a lot (and change/update/replace files) you should do frequent backups.

[puntoMX]

Indeed DL., this is why I use just DVD-R discs; they are cheap and faster then DVD-RAM. Just backing up the server from time to time on DVD-R.

Just a question: How long can you keep a DVD-RAM without data-loss? (dark place, temperature 15oC)

[noguru]

Producers claim a lifespan of 30 years (Fuji). But they do that for CD-RW as well. No real difference here between the different types of disc's.

I believe that the quality from writable media has become better since the first CD-R's, but 30 years?

[Wai_Wai]

The cartridge is the extra case that LLXX is talking about. Just a plastic cover around the disk for protection. Compare it with a floppy and you get the idea.

There is a type I and type II (I'm sorry can't help it, all those types...).

Type II can be opened to take the disc out. If you really need you can open a type I too but that will destroy the cartridge forever.

I need to mention a disadvantage of DVD-RAM (cos I forgot before). The disc are usually difficult to get. Don't expect your local store around the corner to have them.

Hope this helps

Do all DVD-RAM cartridge-based?

Producers claim a lifespan of 30 years (Fuji). But they do that for CD-RW as well. No real difference here between the different types of disc's.

I believe that the quality from writable media has become better since the first CD-R's, but 30 years?

True. I suspect it would be the case.

30 years, maybe just a few years.

===============================

Question to everyone:

1) What do you think about the following choices:

- DVD with InCD or its like

??

2) After long discussions, do you think which media is more reliable, ie DVD-RAM or DVD RW?

Edited April 6, 2006 by Wai_Wai

[pugwash2004]

I've been using dvd-ram for about 7 years in various formats, I've still got some 2.6Gb single sided discs that still work perfectly.

Ram discs are slower to write than the newer dvd+/-R formats but when data is written to them it is immediately verified to check it. To use it like a large floppy disc though you will need a dvd-ram driver to allow it, there is a modified Panasonic/Matsus***a driver doing the rounds that will allow any dvd-ram drive to work in this way, I currently have a Pioneer DVR-110 drive working with it perfectly.

[Wai_Wai]

I've been using dvd-ram for about 7 years in various formats, I've still got some 2.6Gb single sided discs that still work perfectly.

Ram discs are slower to write than the newer dvd+/-R formats but when data is written to them it is immediately verified to check it. To use it like a large floppy disc though you will need a dvd-ram driver to allow it, there is a modified Panasonic/Matsus***a driver doing the rounds that will allow any dvd-ram drive to work in this way, I currently have a Pioneer DVR-110 drive working with it perfectly.

What DVD-RAM are you using?

Any recommendation? B)

Do I need to do anything else before I can drag-and-drop data from/to DVD-RAM (eg format the DVD-RAM)?

[noguru]

Question to everyone:

1) What do you think about the following choices:

- DVD with InCD or its like

??

2) After long discussions, do you think which media is more reliable, ie DVD-RAM or DVD RW?

1) Works, but more complicated than DVD-RAM. DVD+- RW is faster and cheaper. Personal preference I think.

2) Hard to say, DVD-RAM always verifies written data but if you mainly use them for multimedia files than you can do without that.

Using a cartridge keeps your disc's save from scratches and dust. But most "multiwriters", drives that support DVD-RAM and other DVD formats as well, cannot use cartridges.

What DVD-RAM are you using?

Any recommendation?

Do I need to do anything else before I can drag-and-drop data from/to DVD-RAM (eg format the DVD-RAM)?

Sorry,no recommendations. I have used Panasonic, Maxell and Fuji. All worked fine. It's only mainstream producers that have them anyway.

You need a tool for formatting the disc's. These tools also install UDF drivers. (Windows native UDF support is readonly). When you purchase a retail version this software will be included.

(but if you only use fat32 you don't need software at all in WinXP)

Edited April 6, 2006 by noguru