Archival life of CDs

PBurdett wrote on 6/19/2002, 8:56 AM

I am now in the (lifetime?) process of editing and burning a box full of home videos onto CD (SVCD). I am wondering how long a CD will last before it starts deteriorating and I will have to begin recopying the whole works onto new CDs. For that matter, how long will the videos last on the tapes.

Comments

Former user wrote on 6/19/2002, 9:05 AM

Here is a link with some info

http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/Media/Longevity.html

Dave T2

laz wrote on 6/19/2002, 9:06 AM

I think this may have been discussed before. If I recall it's about 1000 yrs for discs and 10 yrs for tapes.

Former user wrote on 6/19/2002, 9:11 AM

1000 years is a bit high for CD-R and CD-RW. One of the reports estimates around 70 to 100 years.

I have videotapes that are 22 years old that still play. The one consensus is longevity is based on how the media is stored.

Dave T2

miketree wrote on 6/19/2002, 9:21 AM

Well before the end of life of your media, you will be able to copy all of them onto a single new format disk, that will cost next to nothing. It's not that long since CD-R was expensive. By the end of the year (maybe a little longer) all new PCs will be sold with DVD-Writers as standard. By then they may have decided on a standard!!, ready for the next new format to be relased (50G on a disk the size of a bottle top).

ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :)

Tree

laz wrote on 6/19/2002, 9:34 AM

I'm not very knowledgable on DVD's. So there's not the same format for all DVDs? It was like that between VHS, Betamax and Philips at one time. And the least quality system won thro' ;o)
Some of my tapes are over 20 years. I always rewind my tapes to avoid stretch and luckily my offspring do the same.

Former user wrote on 6/19/2002, 9:45 AM

Another recommendation for tapes to extend their shelf life; Rotate them in position every once in a while. Seems strange until you think about it. A videotape is magnetic, so the little metal particles will constantly seek magnetic north. Supposedly rotating them will extend the quality of the signal.

On CD-R's, the biggest cuplrits seem to be light and heat.

BillyBoy wrote on 6/19/2002, 11:17 AM

Also you're suppose to store CD's and I'll assume DVD discs upright side by side, not flat on top of one another even if in jewel cases. Where I read that I can't remember, something to do with less likelyness of them getting out of round. Anyone do that?

Here's another question since I'm new to digital cameras. Is it a no-no to store a half used tape in the camera for any extended length of time, if so how long is too long and what is the life expendancy of DV tape and how best do you store that?