In recent years, consumers have seen the quality of available media files increase substantially. High-definition video and images allow users to view and record media with unprecedented detail and clarity. However, in order to achieve this greater level of detail, image and video files must pack in more information, resulting in larger file sizes that take up more space on hard drives. As a result, consumers who maintain a large collection of personal photos or home videos may be in danger of running out of storage space as their acquisitions grow.

SSD presents a high-level option
The hot product in the data storage world right is the solid state drive. Many businesses and users with high-level computing needs have leveraged these tools for their ability to reduce the amount of time needed to read and write data. However, SSDs may not be the most practical solution for the vast majority of consumers right now. The first thing a prospective SSD purchaser will probably notice is the devices’ steep price tag. As industry expert Currie Munce noted in Forbes, the flash memory that SSD technology operates on can be anywhere from 3 to 30 times more expensive than hard drives with storage capacities above 100 gigabytes.

Although the prices of NAND flash memory have dropped in recent years, that does not necessarily mean the trend will continue. According to ZDNet contributor Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, a member of the data storage community stated that SSD vendors that attempt to undercut the price of flash memory will inevitably go under, leaving behind those providers that maintain the price of their products in line with market costs.

More practical data storage solutions
Instead of investing in SSD technology, many consumers may want to consider alternative data archiving solutions. For instance, Blu-ray disc-based media backups can offer a storage option that can be scaled up or down depending on a user’s needs. If the capacity of a disc has been reached, another one can simply be inserted to continue the archiving process unabated. This can be especially useful for consumers who want to store and share their videos, photos and music, as these files can be easily copied onto a disc using a Blu-ray burner and shared with family and friends. They are also secure, as prized documents and files are not all stored in a single device with sensitive internal parts that are susceptible to damage. Blu-ray archiving devices provide a more practical solution to consumer data storage needs.