What is optical media? 

Optical media is family of digital data storage media that includes CDs, DVDs, and now even Blu-Ray discs. The reason it’s called optical media is because the data is stored digitally and read by an optical laser. Optical media has become the preferred method of mass storage, particularly of audio and video data. 

Why use optical media? 

Optical media is significantly more space efficient than magnetic tape media. A single CD holds the same amount of data as 500 floppy diskettes. Now with the additional improvements of DVD, dual layer discs, HD DVD, and Blu-Ray discs, digital information storage is vastly more efficient using optical media technology. Also, optical media has a longer shelf life than magnetic tape media. A CD will last an estimated 7 times longer than magnetic tape media, which can easily become degraded. 

Why is it taking some companies so long to switch to optical media? 

For many years, businesses still liked to archive their old data on tape because they had the equipment to do so, they were accustomed to it, and found it easy to duplicate. This is however not the case anymore as it’s increasingly easy and affordable to duplicate blank CDs and DVDs.  

Do you need to convert your old data to optical media? 

Do you have old audio cassettes, VHS, or other tapes that you want to convert to optical media? We can help! We have helped many individuals and businesses clean up their archives and switch to up to date formats.  In addition, if you have a great amount of data to organize such as graphics, audio, video, and other files, we can help set up a digital asset management system for you that is contoured to your needs.