Recordable optical media longevity

[Anorakus]

In the Canon vs. Nikon thread I got sidetracked into talking about the longevity of recordable CDs and DVDs, which seem to have a reputation for self-destructing after an unreasonably short time..

Since switching to digital from film, I've been backing up on to CDs and (more recently) DVDs, as well as keeping my RAW files on an external hard disk for ease of access.

After someone mentioned the problem with longevity, I tried copying from the first CD I created (about 2½ yrs old) and the first DVD (just over a year old)..

The good news is that both work fine

I've been using Verbatim 'Azo' CD-Rs and DVD+Rs. The +R variant is supposed to have better error correction properties than -R. All discs have been kept stored vertically in CD wallets.

I've seen expensive archival grade DVDs, but they seem to be available only in the -R version for some reason.

There's a lot to be said in favour of optical media storage - it's cheap, takes up little space and will be supported probably for ever - so I'm heartened by these results. I'll go on checking my discs every 6 months or so.

Anyone got any good/bad experiences to share?

A.

 

[MisterE]

In my earlier computer days [the 90s] when hard drives were of smaller capacity and expensive I backed up my stuff on to CD. After less than a year I had need to retrieve something off one of the discs. It was unreadable, as were the rest of them - about 20 - and all of the same brand. They were Samsung so not a cheap no-name brand. Since then I've always made two copies on to different brands.

I think today's DVDs are more resilient but I still use two different brands and two or more hard drives. When you've lost stuff due to disc/hard drive failure as I have you tend to make sure it doesn't happen again. Blu Ray is looking to be promising - at a price.

 

[cowasaki]

Arkady lost years of irreplaceable work due to knackered CDs/DVDs, I have lost some work the same way. They are not really up to the archiving of work. I find multiple hard drives to be far more resilient. I now keep home backups at work PLUS on my server and back my server up to my Mac Pro.

 

[Little John]

I have loads of old CDr that still work but I have some that don't I think its the way they are stored , the ones that work have been stored in cd folders so in the dark the ones that failed were in cd tubs on spindles or in individual cd jewel cases.

With the size and price of hard drives now I just back everything up to a hard drive and stick it back in a drawer till next time. doesn't even need to be an external drive I have a kit to connect hard drives to a usb port and make it a usb drive. Its a great way is useing all those older hard drives that I have taken out and replaced over the years.

 

[madhouse]

I don't back up to cd's as they are liable to degradation over the years, I've some from the mid-nineties that were only useful as coasters so got binned - lesson learned. I backup to HD now but you need to be careful how you treat them and they're not immune to faliure either.

 

[neil_g]

the problem with DVD is the laminating.. over time the glue can breakdown and cause moisture to ingress which destroys the ability to read the media.

blu-ray is supposed to be better as it has a different contruction process. however who knows as degredation testing is artificially accelerated which may distort the results..