Is storing on Blu-Ray discs generally the best way to archive a collection?
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:48 am
Hello everyone,,
I was told this would be the best place to ask this question, if not I apologize and please let me know!
I've been putting together a rather extensive collection of anime and movies that I'd like to be able to keep for a lifetime, maybe introduce my future children to things that I like as they get older in the best possible format.
For example OT of Star Wars, the Despecialized Edition is the best way to watch it in my opinion. Obviously that exists as mkv files. For Dragon Ball as another example, the best viewing experience is definitely the Dragon Box footage. Pendekar is putting together the ultimate Dragon Ball collection using Dragon Box footage and every available Japanese and English audio options with subtitles. Once again these are mkv files, and is the only way to really get non-fucked-with DBZ (I refuse to buy the cropped and saturated Season Sets) since Dragon Boxes secondary market are like $600 each now and FUNimation just refuses to release DBZ in 4:3 anymore.
So as I put together this collection, I want to make sure I keep it. Some of this stuff only had like two seeders and took a week or more to download. I have a WD external HDD I got in like 2013 that's good for temporary storage, but the fact of the matter is HDDs fail. Even SSDs fail. I want to archive this stuff for a lifetime.
So I guess two questions - is burning to a Blu-Ray or DVD the best and most reliable option for this? I've heard of 'M-Discs' that are BD-Rs and DVD-Rs that supposedly last for a thousand years.
Also if I do go with discs, I was thinking of doing something cool and making custom jewel cases with cover art and printed disc labels for my collection. I'd want playable BDs for this. As far as I understand, mkvs aren't an option to be able to pop a disc in and play it, they have to be converted right? I wouldn't think there's a way to do custom menus like an official release would have, is there? Or do the files just play in order? So basically if I want a playable version and just storage of the actual mkvs, that would be two different discs right?
Sorry for the long post, this is just a side project I've wanted to do and I want to make sure I do it right.
I was told this would be the best place to ask this question, if not I apologize and please let me know!
I've been putting together a rather extensive collection of anime and movies that I'd like to be able to keep for a lifetime, maybe introduce my future children to things that I like as they get older in the best possible format.
For example OT of Star Wars, the Despecialized Edition is the best way to watch it in my opinion. Obviously that exists as mkv files. For Dragon Ball as another example, the best viewing experience is definitely the Dragon Box footage. Pendekar is putting together the ultimate Dragon Ball collection using Dragon Box footage and every available Japanese and English audio options with subtitles. Once again these are mkv files, and is the only way to really get non-fucked-with DBZ (I refuse to buy the cropped and saturated Season Sets) since Dragon Boxes secondary market are like $600 each now and FUNimation just refuses to release DBZ in 4:3 anymore.
So as I put together this collection, I want to make sure I keep it. Some of this stuff only had like two seeders and took a week or more to download. I have a WD external HDD I got in like 2013 that's good for temporary storage, but the fact of the matter is HDDs fail. Even SSDs fail. I want to archive this stuff for a lifetime.
So I guess two questions - is burning to a Blu-Ray or DVD the best and most reliable option for this? I've heard of 'M-Discs' that are BD-Rs and DVD-Rs that supposedly last for a thousand years.
Also if I do go with discs, I was thinking of doing something cool and making custom jewel cases with cover art and printed disc labels for my collection. I'd want playable BDs for this. As far as I understand, mkvs aren't an option to be able to pop a disc in and play it, they have to be converted right? I wouldn't think there's a way to do custom menus like an official release would have, is there? Or do the files just play in order? So basically if I want a playable version and just storage of the actual mkvs, that would be two different discs right?
Sorry for the long post, this is just a side project I've wanted to do and I want to make sure I do it right.