Longevity of DVD-R and CD-R (Was MagTapes)

[Teo Zenios]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Leonard" <trixter at oldskool.org>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 1:24 AM
Subject: Re: Longevity of DVD-R and CD-R (Was MagTapes)


> Dwight K. Elvey wrote:
> >  It sounds like the only way to deal with this is to store
> > disk in an innert environment. N2 or argon are reasonable
> > options. Only expose the disk to UV and O2 when actually
> > used to recover data. They should last for 1000's of years
> > this way.
>
> Am I the only one here who has never had a problem with CDR and DVD-R
media?  I
> burned my very first CD in 1995 and I can still read it.  I keep all my
CDs in
> closed CD folders in a dry environment.  I keep wondering if people who
have
> CDRs that exhibit "bitrot" have them in a humid environment, exposed to
direct
> light or something.
> -- 
> Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org)
http://www.oldskool.org/
> Want to help an ambitious games project?
http://www.mobygames.com/
> Or check out some trippy MindCandy at
http://www.mindcandydvd.com/

I think the only CDR's I had go bad were one I got careless in during use
(leaving them out where the cats can scratch them).  My first burner was a
$1000+ HP 4020i way back in the middle 90's and CDs burned during that time
still read fine ($6-7 a cd back then too).

I used to get crazy with Stick-it-Right labels on the cd's (have the gold
color under the paper). I keep most of the older CDs in CD audio books, but
the one burned in 2000+ are usually just stacked in the spindles they came
in (most with paper labels some without).