Drives are still a solid method of backup, especially in RAID configurations (true RAID, with redundancy, not that "RAID 0" crap). I'd suggest that a good 500GB or 1TB drive, in a RAID pair, is an excellent archival solution, for use in an archival policy.
Archival policy means the full method of backups, from timing your backups, to the locations where you store them, to the various redundant medias in use.
Good DVD-R + Good DVD+R + Good hard drives makes for a good setup, for use in your archival policy.
Eventually, flashable solid-state should prove just as reliable as magnetic or optical media. However, for now, it's still best used as temporary space only. Many SSD drives are notorious for data loss, all the way from $1K+ computer drives, down to the $10 thumb drives and camera memory sticks/cards.
Hard drives probably have just as much legwork, in terms of testing the drives for quality. Those scans just take time. Drives come with added baggage of defragging.
I would say there are
more and
different options from DVD, not better.
This is most definitely the right place for this topic.