While searching for print media I came across this site:
http://www.imagescience.com.au/CD_DVD/cddvdHome.html
How good this brand of media is I cannot vouch for as i havn't used them
before.
In terms of DVD being a reliable long term storage I would never rely on
them especially from experience. A company I work for routinely backs all
images after a photoshoot and then again after they been worked on into
DVDs. A situation arose where all the previous years work become
inaccessable/corrupted on the file server and were forced to using the DVDs
to restore the files. Only problem is many of them had tiny scratches, a few
looked like the dye had deteriorated and several files were permanently lost
on a number of Discs. Since then they have resulted to using high capacity
external drives.

If you go the DVD route then I would recommend you try to source DVDs
from two unique OEMs (not just the same OEM with different branding).
That way if you run into a bad batch there is less chance of losing
your data, as you have a duplicate on the other brand of DVD. For extra
redundancy duplicate the lot again and store one set of brand A and
brand B onsite, the other set offsite.

I've been thinking about using HDs myself, as they will be less bulky
than a stack of DVDs. I expect my collection of digital photographs
will approach 500Gb by the end of this year so managing 200+ DVDs
(including duplicates) would be difficult. I would use at least two HDs
with identical content stored at different locations, and choose a
maximum reliable lifetime before they're unconditionally replaced. The
data would also be stored on my main PC for further redundancy.

I've heard that Taiyo Yuden are meant to be the ducks guts in DVD-R's. This
bunch flog them:

http://www.jpldisplays.com.au

I've only been using them for a few months, so couldn't really say whether
the claims of superior quality are justified.

from:
<http://www.dvd-recordable.org/Article1325-mode=thread-order0-threshold0.pht
ml>

A new DVD defect management study, conducted by Media Sciences, and
sponsored by the RAM Promotion Group (RAMPRG), reveals that DVD-RAM drives
provide the most robust, drive-based defect management among currently
available recordable DVD formats. An optional protective cartridge offers
even greater protection and reliability for DVD-RAM.

..but hard drives are cheaper

or test the media  with kprobe:
from http://www.cdrlabs.com/kprobe/index.php
(2.1Mb download)
allows you to test dvd's by looking at the errors on the disks.

the outcomes and experiences have been listed here:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdmedia
princo AND TDK DVD's (and others) scored a GOOD rating, interestingly there
are substantially more user comments, most very good, on Princo than the
nest nearest commented upon brand..  297 V 74 comments

seems that the reviewers also get to state how many disks they've burned
too - some of the reviewers have burnt a mere  _single_  disk on which
they've based their reports - the Princo brigade however all seem to have
burnt 25, 100, 50 etc .

I think the *best* way to resolve this is to check the error count on the
various disks available and then treat the results as a guide*.  As is
stated there, compatibility is NOT a good guide to reliability, only the
error count gives a true indication of fallibility.

*as with film, every batch is different and because one review says their
lot tested good doesn't mean the batch I buy tomorrow are also going to be
as good

and http://www.dvdinfopro.com/

DVDINFOProT by Nic Wilson is a DVD information program written in Visual
C++ for Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, NT, 2000, XP.The program provides
information & tools for

DVD-R/RW
DVD+R/RW burners
DVD+R DL (Double Layer) burners
DVD-ROM players.
It also provides information on CD players & burners.

"I get a lot of emails asking me how I produce my media test graphs and
where do I find the drives and media information.
Well the answer is DVDInfoPro produced by Nic Wilson
This program provides me with all the drive information, media information
and also produces all the graphs & charts I need to carry out my reviews.
"

http://www.dvd-recordable.org/wwwimgs/media/flash/dvdinfopro/dvdinfoproadver
t.zip
Free Version with embedded adverts 1.59meg.

www.DVDrecordable.org - another good site for reviews on optical media and
drives

hope this helps

k

I saw a full review of dvd blank media in PC user.
a point to note was that it was their second full review.... in that
time many had changed their standards.

If I recalll correctly they raved about TDK the first time round, but
found they had changed their supplier, and the second round of tests
turned to crap for TDK.

the moral of the story.... burn many, print lots on proper phtoo
paper... non of this dye-sub crap (kodak kiosks)

kosh

In article
<davidmor-A3280F.00564505012007@eth00.pnews.internode.on.net>,

A photographer friend mentioned that he is using "armour plated" DVDs
which are apparently toughened so that they don't suffer so much from
physical damage. I saw some "scratch resistant" DVDs in OfficeWorks
yesterday, made by Imation and TDK. Wonder if they are the same ones?

He is also looking at using DVDs made with gold as this is less prone to
corrosion than the aluminium on most DVDs.

Cheers

David