I'm currently still storing everything on DVD but it is starting to become troublesome:
- burning errors occur sometimes when you put everything on DVD
- despite the fact that i check for reading mistakes right after burning, it happens that certain files are no longer readable after a certain amount of time
- DVD's and cases all cost money and i'm starting to run short on storing space
- A series never completely fits on 1 DVD so you have to spread it over another DVD, leaving space open which makes it difficult to manage

So I'm thinking of buying a external HD to store all my anime and manga. But, the downside of this is that when the HDD crashes, everything is lost. How do you guys try to prevent this from happening since you can't always see this coming?
Do you buy a 2nd external to back up the first one? If so, do you use a program to create backups?

Id recomend you build a cheap PC (basic equipment such as a plain case, mobo, avg cpu and cooling system, etc) and get a pair (or more) of high quality, high capacity hard drives. Get a program that will automatticlly back up your choosen files to this computer (usually you can find one on the web for free or cheap) and you will at least have a degree of redundency. If you buy smart you can build it for around 500 bones (IE newegg is your friend for something like this). All that you would have to do is just keep it on the family network via a router and can access it from any other computer in your house.

thx for the advice.
1) do you have an example of a program that automatically backs up files? What do you use?
2) If you work via a router and a backup computer, won't it take long to transfer files from my computer to the backup?

1. I dont use one personally (though my dad does, it came with his external harddrive so the software IS out there). I would take a look at this list though: http://download.cnet.com/windows/backup-software/

2. on occasion ive had to move large files from my laptop to my desktop and vice versia and the transfer time isnt all that long, obviously it depends on the file size and your inital transfer will likely be the longest you have to deal with. (A 176 mb file took about a minute and ten seconds to transfer)

In terms of streaming the videos, a quick check with a 176 mb video file took about four or five seconds from double clicking to the video starting up.

What I would recomend is visit some tech savy forums like maxpc.com and the like, let them know what you want it for and let them know you are on a budget. Often times you can get lucky and someone will tell you what components you need.

I think having an extra hard drive is easiest. All media storage like DVD, CD's will indeed lose their contents some day, this is a big problem and it's inevitable .This also applies to hard-drives, so you won't really be safe if you buy one or two new hard-drives and store it there instead. In my option hard-drives could even be less safe.

I store my anime on an external drive and burn yet another copy on DVD. It's a bit tedious but I like to be safe.

Its really a problem with everything short of using stone. CDs last for awhile (depending on the quality, how often they are used, etc). As you pointed out Harddrives will fail eventually but really in terms of space their the best option. Having two or three harddrives, set up so they dont spin up often (or ideally, only turn them on when you need to access the files in question) is your best option. The name of the game is having enough copies so that if the primary and or secondary go down you still have a back up.

I think hard-drives are the best option.
I bought a new PC (together with an external hard-drive to store my anime on) and the HD is RAID-configured. Meaning, if 1 HD fails, the 2nd one just takes over and i can work like nothing has happened. I just need to replace the busted HD and everything can continue.

For my external HD, i noticed that there also exists a RAID-version. In a few years time, RAID-configuration might become more standard to compensate for the "short" lifetime HD have.

$500? That's expensive for a fileserver, unless you've filled it with $350~450 worth of (SAS/SATA) TB HDDs. You don't need new hardware for a fileserver, buying used (server) hardware is cheaper and usually far more effective (You get HDDs with the hardware).

Be sure to run a fileserver in RAID5/6 if you have the hardware to do it (Get a hardware RAID card instead of software RAID, saves CPU cycles).

Don't run windows on a fileserver, it takes took much space and gives you too little control over your system. Linux takes up less space and you have far better control, plus thousand of tutorials explaining how to set-up fileservers.

Yeah I was figuring new equipment and what not including the HDDs. As I said though if he wanted to go this route he would want to talk to some more tech savy individuals on the best course of action available to him.