Blu-Ray: A Viable Data Storage Answer
2011
Many people are aware with the Blu-Ray format when it comes to movies, but what some may not know is that it could also be utilized as a information storage medium in the exact same way as DVDs.
These discs can hold 25GB on single layer versions and 50GB on dual layer versions whereas DVDs can only hold 4.7GB on single layer and 8.5GB on dual layer.
For those of you who like to backup the information on your computer, it can be an effective way to accomplish this, but you will find some things to think about before proceeding.
Data Protection
You may worry about your discs becoming scratched and ruining your information, but this really is a lot much less typical of a problem then it is with DVDs. Blu-Ray uses a hard-coated scratch resistant material on the bottom with the disc in order to protect the information from typical harm.
The data on the disc is also much more protected than an external hard drive. Simply because it is an optical media format and you will find no moving parts, it's protected against most physical damage such as dropping it on the ground.
An external hard drive has many mechanical parts so it's much more susceptible to physical harm. An alternative would be to use a solid state drive (SSD) instead of a regular hard drive as these drives function much within the exact same way as a USB flash drive; meaning you will find no moving parts. Nevertheless, the downside to solid state drives is their much higher cost as described below.
Cost
The going price to get a Blu-Ray writer can range from about $100-$150 based on exactly where you buy it, that is the equivalent to a 1TB-2TB external hard drive. On leading of this, it'll price you about $1 per 25GB disc so to be able to reach the 1TB-2TB capacity of an external hard drive, you would need to spend an extra $40-$80.
An external hard drive is more cost effective than a Blu-Ray setup; however Blu-Ray does have a greater advantage more than solid state drives.
Presently, a 120GB SSD will price you $250+ so in order to reach the 1TB-2TB capacity, you're looking at $2,000-$4,000. Solid State Drives are still fairly new so that price will come down in time, but that could be anywhere from 5-10 years prior to it is the equivalent price of a Blu-Ray setup these days.
