It'll still deteriorate over time. There's no way to prevent deterioration. All they're doing is trying to slow it as much as possible....which is really all they need to do. By the time the media deteriorates enough to become an issue, it will have been replaced by something better anyway. The same was true of CDs and DVDs for data storage.

agreed with these for me, well my own experience, for CD/DVD it depends on how you storage i have some kodak gold ultima cdrs that i used for backup like 15years ago, and it still readable when i check it like last year also for DVD, i know this not often thing you find on store, but TDK have UV+scratch,dust resistance (called DURABIS iirc, seems only marketed in japan) i believe it will last longer than standard quality dvdr... afaik TDK also using that tech on their BD-R i think material used on CD/DVD/BD take the main role on how long it will last, cheap un-brand cd/dvd wont last more than a year i think while HDD, while it seems more durable than CD/DVD but i think those mechanical parts can cause more issue, like from environment humidity, impact, etc

It'll still deteriorate over time. There's no way to prevent deterioration. All they're doing is trying to slow it as much as possible....which is really all they need to do. By the time the media deteriorates enough to become an issue, it will have been replaced by something better anyway. The same was true of CDs and DVDs for data storage.

http://www.verbatim.com/subcat/optical-media/dvd/archival-grade-gold-dvd-r/ http://www.verbatim.com/subcat/optical-media/cd/archival-grade-gold-cd-r/ These last 100 years, what now?

Currently using 1.5TB tapes for long-term archiving at work. @$240 a tape this may be a good long term alternative to the tapes that go straight over the sneaker net to the cave. Yes, literally a cave.

LTO5 1.5TB tapes average street price is in the $30 range .. on eBay you can buy for less than $15 each most of the times when buying 10 or more tapes.... If you are paying $240 for a single 1.5TB LTO5 tape then they are ripping you off.