Best way to backup DVD collection

Oliver Costich wrote:

On Wed, 19 May 2004 01:22:11 GMT, 42 wrote:


Darren Harris wrote:



Well, he didn't ask what was the best way to preserve his collection.
He asked for the best way to *back up* his collection.

/shrug

See my monster cable question in the other subthread.


Well, I've done the analysis, and you're wrong. And if you don't what
to make back-ups, then that is your perogative(regardless of where you
store them).

Lets see your analysis... here's mine...


Part I - Assumptions

T = Timeframe to consider is T years.
A = I accumulate A DVDs per year.
V = I have V DVDs to backup at startup.
W = Fixed cost of software + hardware I need to purchase
X = I value my time at X per hour
Y = I can backup Y dvds per hour
Z = Each backup disc costs Z, including case
S = I estimate that the average DVD in my collection will cost T to replace.
U = I anticipate ruining/losing U DVDs per year that will not be
coverable in a large claim against insurance for fire or other
significant disaster.

Backup Cost:

(V+TA)(X/Y+Z)+Z

Replacement Cost:

SUT

Part II - analysis:

S= $20
T= 50 (50 years ought to be long enough...)
U= 1 (This is high... I have ruined/lost exactly 2 DVDs in 6 years...
so 1 per year is triple my norm)
V= 350
W= $0 (I have all that is required now)
X= $5 (Pretty minimal if you ask me. I'd rather be at the beach than
working for 5 bucks an hour at this stage of my life)
Y= 3 (Assuming 2 hour movies at 6x speed, with no downtime/failures)
Z= $3 (good quality disc with a case...no point in doing it twice)
A= 36 (a few per month, probably a little low)


Backup Cost vs Replacement Cost
is (V+TA)(X/Y+Z)+W SUT?

(350+50*36)*(5/3+3)+0 vs 50*1*20

(2150)*(4.66) vs $1000

$10,019 vs $1000

Clearly, in my case, its far less costly to just replace the odd disc
that i wreck over the next 50 years than back them all up.

50 years from now, I will be prepared to update to the next technology.


Conversely Batman Returns is 9.99, and that's only *if* you need to
replace it before DVD is a dead technology. Clearly the standards for
backups should be different.


Different than what? And DVDs will not be a dead technology anytime
soon(regardless of what you heard). VHS is not a dead technolgy yet
and that's analog.

I've given the analysis a 50 year span. That's around twice as long as
home video (even vhs/beta) has even been available. And longer than a
lot of people here will even live.



Were you an Enron accountant?

lol. nope. fwiw, I consider it a starting point nothing more serious
than that.

Darren Harris wrote:



Yeah. And none of all that answers the original poster's question. The end...

'All of that' was intended to counter your accusation. You are proving
to be irrational if you think every post I make must directly answer the
OPs original question.

For what its worth ... your last several posts haven't answered the
original posters question either.

42 wrote in message news:[email protected]
Darren Harris wrote:



Yeah. And none of all that answers the original poster's question. The end...

'All of that' was intended to counter your accusation. You are proving
to be irrational if you think every post I make must directly answer the
OPs original question.

For what its worth ... your last several posts haven't answered the
original posters question either.

Because I've been too busy countering your irrational posts.

(And there was no "accusation").

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

On Wed, 19 May 2004 17:21:56 GMT, 42 wrote:

Oliver Costich wrote:

On Wed, 19 May 2004 00:16:35 GMT, 42 wrote:


Darren Harris wrote:

42 wrote in message news:[email protected]


Darren Harris wrote:



Notice how he mentioned Movies, and went on to express his interest in a
package that can deal with encrypted content. You are now trying to
change the nature of the discussion. If you'd like to concede the
argument with regard to studio production content and move on to a
discussion of personal content, then you should be more clear about it.


Me? *You* are the one who took this discussion where...snip rant

Actually, you probably mean *me* not JH. If your going to go flaming
someone, at least get your aim right.


Both of you. And he accused me of taking this off topic when you
should have been directing that accusation at you.

/shrug
As if I care to debate that point?


And again. Everything I said still applies. There may be no compelling
reason for you to back up, but the original poster was not looking for
you to try to convince them not to.

The original poster was looking for recommendations on the best way to
back up his collection. Odds are the OP doesn't have a fetish for
spending a year of his life backing stuff up onto blank dvds so its safe
to infer what he was *actually* trying to accomplish was finding the
best way to ensure continued access to his movies.


Wrong, wrong, and wrong. You certainly do a lot of assuming. You have
no idea how many DVs he has, how long it would take to back them up,
or whether or not he deems it worth it. What he said is that he was
looking for the best way to back his DVDs up. So until he gets the
answer he needs, it is wrong to assume it on his mind.

If he has one DVD its not worth doing.
If he has one thousand DVDs its not worth doing.


How do you reach this conclusion? The cost of the materials, disk +
case, for a DVD is about $1.10 for decent stuff if you buy on sale. If
you have a DVD burner anyway, for data, home movies, whatever, then it
is hardly expensive to back up a few DVDs that are more likely to be
damaged. The time it takes is minimal since you can start it and leave
or go to bed.

Yes. A few DVDs that are more likely to be damaged sure, absolutely, no
disagreement.

The OP indicates he plans to backup his entire collection... different
animal.


You said "If he has one DVD its not worth doing."

Oliver Costich wrote:


You said "If he has one DVD its not worth doing."

If he only has one dvd its not worth buying software to allow him to
back it up... it would be cheaper to just buy a 2nd copy.

Darren Harris wrote:

42 wrote in message news:[email protected]

Darren Harris wrote:



Yeah. And none of all that answers the original poster's question. The end...

'All of that' was intended to counter your accusation. You are proving
to be irrational if you think every post I make must directly answer the
OPs original question.

For what its worth ... your last several posts haven't answered the
original posters question either.


Because I've been too busy countering your irrational posts.

(And there was no "accusation").

I'm going to disagree... but I'm going to let it go too...

cheers,

42 wrote in message news:[email protected]
Darren Harris wrote:

42 wrote in message news:[email protected]

Darren Harris wrote:



Yeah. And none of all that answers the original poster's question. The end...

'All of that' was intended to counter your accusation. You are proving
to be irrational if you think every post I make must directly answer the
OPs original question.

For what its worth ... your last several posts haven't answered the
original posters question either.


Because I've been too busy countering your irrational posts.

(And there was no "accusation").

I'm going to disagree... but I'm going to let it go too...

Disagree. Those are the facts.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

On Thu, 20 May 2004 06:58:10 GMT, 42 wrote:

Oliver Costich wrote:


You said "If he has one DVD its not worth doing."

If he only has one dvd its not worth buying software to allow him to
back it up... it would be cheaper to just buy a 2nd copy.


Since the software is free, you've missed again.

Oliver Costich wrote:

Since the software is free,

Ooc, what free software did you have in mind?

you've missed again.

You're really nit-picking.

Hardware then.

And don't bother telling me he already has it. Nobody with one whole DVD
(the premise here) realistically has a DVD burner.

On Thu, 20 May 2004 17:24:33 GMT, 42 wrote:

Oliver Costich wrote:

Since the software is free,

Ooc, what free software did you have in mind?

DVDDecrypter, DVDShrink, DVDFab, and many more


you've missed again.

You're really nit-picking.

You were the one who tried to do a cost/benefit analysis.


Hardware then.

And don't bother telling me he already has it. Nobody with one whole DVD
(the premise here) realistically has a DVD burner.

He may have it for doing home video or of the TV. If not they are
about $80. At $80 for the burner and $1 a blank disk, the break even
point is about 6 DVDs, a far cry from your analysis.