Well, I back up my important things to CD/DVD/webmail storage, but with something like mp3s or tv episodes, I think I would find it just as easy to re-download as to dig out the DVDs, so it's kind of pointless.

...and I know, but it seems like the drives they sell to go in computers are more durable. Maybe you're right and it's something about the strain put on them by USB access. Or maybe they just put crap drives in the external enclosures.