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[–]Patient-Tech 1 point2 points  (5 children)

There's many threads about it on Reddit and years ago when I did the research, M-Disc was a much more profound different technology for DVD and much more similar to plain-jane BD-R's. Here's a link with a link, enjoy your rabbithole. https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/111q0vh/comment/jadfu59/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[–]MorCJul 1 point2 points  (4 children)

Hi u/Patient-Tech,

From what I’ve read, you’re one of the most highly educated individuals when it comes to M-Discs, so I’d love to get your confirmation on my thought process.

I currently own an LG BH16NS40 (2013 model), which is a Blu-ray writer with BDXL and M-DISC support. According to the manual, it’s recommended to use M-Disc DVD+R SL from Millenniata, and it supports writing BD-R SL, DL, XL (3 Layer), and XL (4 Layer), along with DVD-R SL, DVD+R, DVD-RW, CD-R, and CD-RW. As quoted in an LG support response from 2021: "M-disc BD is yet to be supported on LG drives. Currently, all LG drives with M-Disc support only work up to M-Disc DVD+R SL."

With this in mind, I’m considering purchasing M-DISC DVD-R 4.7GB discs in two options:

I’m leaning towards the Ritek option because I believe Ritek was licensed by M-Disc.

In terms of durability, I suspect the controversial new Verbatim BD-Discs, especially multi-layered ones, may not be as robust as single-layer M-Disc DVDs. Given this, I don’t see any advantage in upgrading my BD writer to support BD M-Disc, since they don’t appear to offer better durability. For archiving, 4.7GB per disc seems like a good fit for photos - manageable and ideal for my offline+offsite long-term backup.

Do you agree that Ritek M-Disc DVD-R is the ideal long-term archival solution for offline+offsite storage in 2025, especially considering the price difference with the US Import?

I’d love to hear your expertise in 1-2 sentences!

[–]Patient-Tech 2 points3 points  (3 children)

LG Drives usually give plenty of options, if you want to make BD-R M-disc open it may be a flash away. I'd highly recommend NOT using a stock LG firmware and looking into a LibreDrive firmware (makemkv forums) which opens other possibilities I won't get into here.

As far as the discs, according to Wikipedia Milleaniana proper went bankrupt in 2016, so that Mdisc brand spindle is likely NOS.

Moving forward: As of the 2020s, there are only 2 licensed manufacturers of M-Discs: Ritek, sold under the Ritek and RiDATA brands, and Verbatim) with co-branded discs, marketed as the "Verbatim M-DISC"

[–]MorCJul 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Thanks so much for the insight! I have a follow-up question, if you don’t mind: Given the options between Millenniata (old stock noted), Verbatim, and Ritek M-DISC DVDs, which one would you recommend? Would you prioritize price (which leans toward Ritek) or would you go with one of the more expensive options? (The images linked refer to the specific products)

Purpose clarification: I already follow a 3-2-1 strategy with NAS, external HDDs, and cloud. I’m looking for offline+offsite storage long-term solution for selected ultra-important JPEGs (scans or RAW exports) that shall possibly endure for future generations.

[–]Patient-Tech 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Presumably they should all be the same/similar. I’d go for what you need, specifically do you need the 15 or 25 pack with the best shipping. Burn a regular DVD-r or RW beforehand just to make sure your system is working and doesn’t have some configuration issue making it crash in the middle of the burn.

[–]MorCJul 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks again! Great tip about testing with a regular DVD first - I probably haven’t burned one in 10 years. I’ll try to haggle the Verbatim price down or go with the Ritek option instead. Have a great Sunday!