It's almost a given that computer owners will also own a digital camera (or soon will). A camcorder too, digital or otherwise but ready to jack in to that computer just the same, for that's where one goes to edit and store those homespun memories in motion and stills.

From there, of course, such digital mementos can be shared with others via the web, file transfer, or email or burned to disc and sent snail mail. The downside to such technological wonderdom is that it could all be gone in a blink.

Funny, it takes almost no time to fill a hard drive with gigabytes of precious family events and activities as photos and video files, but even less time for that content to disappear after a couple of wrong mouse-clicks, one nasty virus or the sudden death of the hard drive itself.

Funnier still that innate in the medium of old school film photos was an archive or back up system in that you had both a photo and the original negative from whence is came, yet here in the digital age, duplicating for archival purposed is a practice easily negligent. Are we lazy or just oblivious?

In fact, according to a study by Harris Interactive, just 24% of us bother to burn copies of photos and digital video to blank CDs or DVDs. Weird, huh?

Tellingly, the portion of people that have actually lost precious data is, surprise, 24%. Though the modern idiom "back up, back up back up" can never be overused, it seems only people who have lost photos or video understand the importance of archiving their content.

Perhaps the 76% have perceived obsolescence issues. After all, there is a lot of discussion regarding next generation digital media like Blu-ray, HD-DVD, remote/virtual storage servers, so waiting for a more up-to-date storage medium is as good an exuse as any. But most experts agree that because of the low cost of today's DVD burners ($40-$50), the units will be used for years to come. In fact, anylists at ICD estimate that by 2010, less than 12% of the burners will use Blu-ray technology.

After all, this not a VHS or 8-track tape supersedence story; those died as much for the liabilities of the analog format as for clunky hardware. Digital is as primary as data gets. The change in storage media doesn't change the data, only how it is accessed. Take, for example, the 3.5 inch floppy, an essentially obsolete format as far as capacity goes, yet still viable today. Though computers made in the last couple of years don't always include a floppy drive -- they're redundant and impractical --, they certainly could.

Regardless, even if the current generation DVD format goes the way of the 8-track, the data stored thereon will remain perfectly relevant. Besides which, inexpensively and otherwise homemade video and photo CDs and DVDs will still play the next generation devices too, while standard CD/DVD reader/writers will be at least as common as the floppy.

And for most home photographers and videographers, capacities of such cheap media, CDs and DVDs, are still more than equal to typical home use tasks.

For example:

• A blank CD will hold dozens or hundreds of color photos (depending on resolution) or about 20 minutes of MPEG-2 (DVD quality) video


• A blank single layer DVD will hold thousands of color images or 120 minutes of theater quality video


• A blank DL (dual layer) DVD will about twice that.

Sure, Blu-ray and HD-DVD can hold 5 to 10 times that amount, but who records seven hours of the neighbor's daughter's dance recital? Well, recording in high definition will be the next big thing, making high-capacity discs and burners more vital, but that won't stop current CDs and DVDs from being useful, too.

Similarly, if you want to share photos and videos with friends and family, a couple of CD or DVD copies cost almost nothing to make, and you probably have the equipment to do so now and in the future -- or know someone who does. Additionally, almost everyone today owns at least one DVD player and probably a computer that will allow them to enjoy the photos, slide show or movie you send them.

And on top of all that, your CD and DVD backups can always be transferred to a larger capacity medium as easily as they were to make the first time. Nothing wrong with two back ups -- two is better, when you think about it... mayhap a little obsessive/compulsive.

Of course, writable CDs and DVD also suffer the misconception that both are prone to random failure, which is only partial true.

In basic terms, there are two "classes" of discs today: the goods ones and the rest of them; brand quality discs and no-name media. A decision between the two should be made not on cost, but rather the value of your content.

Along with low quality assurance standards and bulk-bin business models (among other things), the cheapest writeable media is produced with no protective coating over the recording layer. Quality discs from the likes of Pioneer, TDK, Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim(Verbatim image shown) are produced with protective layers. These layers provide protection against scratches, dust, scuffing and finger print damage.

DigitalFAQ.com (www.digitalfaq.com) has a great blank DVD guide rating the top brands as well as 2nd, 3rd, even 4th-rate manufacturers -- though it goes without saying that 2nd class and lower can be lumped into the "avoid" category if you're talking precious memories.

Meanwhile, quality branded media can have a data life of 100 years or more -- if handled and stored properly, of course.

Knowing that personal and family videos are precious and irreplaceable, brand manufactures think long term and include the slightly more expensive protective coatings so you won't hate the name later on and stop buying their products (meanwhile, it's hard to direct hate at a no-name). Case in point, Verbatim specifically developed a special "VideoGard" hard coated disc that is reportedly 40 times more resistant to scratch and scuff damage compared to discs with single or no protective layers.

Still, while today's name brand media manufacturers do everything possible to ensure burned content is protected, it can still be lost or destroyed if you don't treat your discs properly. You shouldn't put a toaster near the bathtub, either.

Fortunately, for the most part, the care procedures are pretty simple, common sensible. Don't just toss them in a shoebox -- those days are over.

Whether you've simply spent a few minutes uploading your photos/video to your computer or have painstakingly edited and fine-tuned the content, archiving the material to disc is the next step and handling said discs properly is the last and eternal one.

Generally:

• Don't bend and force discs out of the jewel case, doing so can crack the protective layer and oxidation will occur.
  
• Don't worry about minor scratches on the clear underside of the disc. The scratch has to be pretty deep to make your data unreadable.
  
• The label side of a disc is crucial to the reading process. That means using a ballpoint or sharp pen is a no-no. If you are going to mark on the disc use a felt marker.
  
• Store your discs in their jewel cases, shelved like your books, vertically.
  
• If you're hands are greasy from eating popcorn (or whatever) and you're going to handle a disc (as when swapping out DVD movies), wash your hands first. Alternately, wipe your hands vigorously on your pants or shirt before handling the discs and even then only touch the outer edges or the hub of the disc. Grease and oils = bad.
  
• Store discs so they aren't in direct sunlight and in a dry place of relatively constant temperature. Throwing them on the car dash or on the coffee table in front of the family room bay windows could have serious repercussions.
  
• Wipe them off periodically with a clean, dry cloth.

These days, good do-it-all CD/DVD player/burner combos are inexpensive while even the best brand name writable CD/DVD media is reasonably priced. Archiving and making disc copies of digital data, specifically of photos and video, is fast, simple, easy on the budget and, frankly, smart. For goodness sake, do it.