is it true that dvd-r media dies out after a year or two?

[5489]

i heard people on these forums talking about how their dvd-r media died out after a year. is this true? something about the dye of the cd corroding?

 

[5489]

bump

 

[oniq]

never heard it, try google?

 

[5489]

tried google, couldnt really find anything

 

[TommyVercetti]

I have heard the CD-R media also becomes unreadable after a while.

 

[SludgeFactory]

Originally posted by: 5489
tried google, couldnt really find anything

On a related note, I've tried to find info on the reliability of CD media in the past. I couldn't find anything of substance.

The tech sites don't have the equipment and test methods to perform real accelerated reliabilty testing on samples. So they really don't know. I'm sure the manufacturers have plenty of data, but they would never release that kind of information. Without real reliability data from anyone, let alone independent sources, it makes it impossible to have a definitive answer. You can look up the general characteristics of the different dye types, but the manufacturers all apparently have their own additives and as such you can't make generalizations on a piece of media just because of its dye type.

What I have read on some of those forums is that the higher the initial amount of errors on the disc, the greater the likelihood that data will become unreadable. So I use a brand of media that performs well with my drive, in terms of C1/C2 error, and has an overall good reputation for quality. I keep them in a climate-controlled environment and out of direct sunlight. I also prefer media with a nice thick coating on the top to provide some protection, so I typically favor branded over unbranded. Have had horrible luck with some of the el cheapo CompUSA CDRW media in that regard, the metallization has peeled on many of them.

I would think that the same holds true for DVD media. Without real reliability numbers to guide media selection, the above is all I know to do to try to maximize optical media life.

 

[5489]

Originally posted by: SludgeFactory

Originally posted by: 5489
tried google, couldnt really find anything

On a related note, I've tried to find info on the reliability of CD media in the past. I couldn't find anything of substance.

The tech sites don't have the equipment and test methods to perform real accelerated reliabilty testing on samples. So they really don't know. I'm sure the manufacturers have plenty of data, but they would never release that kind of information. Without real reliability data from anyone, let alone independent sources, it makes it impossible to have a definitive answer. You can look up the general characteristics of the different dye types, but the manufacturers all apparently have their own additives and as such you can't make generalizations on a piece of media just because of its dye type.

What I have read on some of those forums is that the higher the initial amount of errors on the disc, the greater the likelihood that data will become unreadable. So I use a brand of media that performs well with my drive, in terms of C1/C2 error, and has an overall good reputation for quality. I keep them in a climate-controlled environment and out of direct sunlight. I also prefer media with a nice thick coating on the top to provide some protection, so I typically favor branded over unbranded. Have had horrible luck with some of the el cheapo CompUSA CDRW media in that regard, the metallization has peeled on many of them.

I would think that the same holds true for DVD media. Without real reliability numbers to guide media selection, the above is all I know to do to try to maximize optical media life.

thanx for the great info!

does anyone have any brands to stay away from? or maybe i could just buy the more expensive brands. it would cost more, but help me in the long run?

 

[DaveSimmons]

You're probably thinking of that article linked on Ars (and elsewhere I assume) about many cheap CD-Rs showing read errors after two years, it was done by some tech magazine outside the US.

A year ago not many people here were burning DVD-Rs yet, and I can't recall seeing any threads on it in OT or GH.

 

[slackerinabox]

Yes, some do seem to self destruct... (Link to a thread of mine from a while ago)

 

[LethalWolfe]

cheap-omedia will die. I've heard people complain about dead DVDs that are about a year old. Of course they bought the uber-cheap no-name brand DVD blanks that were like 60 cents a disc. I have burned DVD media that is pushing 3 years old and have no problems what so ever.

You get what you pay for.


Lethal

 

[SludgeFactory]

Originally posted by: 5489
thanx for the great info!

does anyone have any brands to stay away from? or maybe i could just buy the more expensive brands. it would cost more, but help me in the long run?

I'm really not up on the DVD media. As per freedomsbeat's thread above, I know that Ritek has a good reputation right now in the DVD world, while Princo has had some grumblings. Taiyo Yuden would be good I suspect, but their DVD prices are way high right now. There's an extensive 4X media thread here (in Hot Deals I think) that has some opinions. Also consult dvdrhelp.

In the CDR world, Japanese manufacturers are at the top of the heap. Mitsui and Taiyo Yuden have excellent reputations. Mitsubishi is also good I think.
The majority of media seems to come out of Taiwan, and the consistency there varies widely. Right now, Ritek is well-thought-of in CDR circles, although just a short time ago it was regarded as crap. CMC is almost universally crapped on.

The relationship between media, drive brand, and burn speed is important. Varying those parameters can have a big effect on the errors on your burned disc. Most people want to stick with the drive they bought, so they just find media that works well with it. In my case, I have a LiteOn CD burner, and people say that LiteOn's like Taiyo Yuden. That's proven to be true in my case too, and that's primarily what I use. In general I stay away from uber-cheap media. LethalWolfe is right, the cheapies often cut corners and you're likely to get a lower quality product.

Again, this is all based on my research of CDR. I am assuming that it applies at least somewhat to DVD as well.

 

[kami]

I still have some of the very first CD-Rs I burned like 6-7 years ago and they still work fine.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: kami
I still have some of the very first CD-Rs I burned like 6-7 years ago and they still work fine.

4 years here, work fine.