How long do DVD discs last? Do they deteriorate over time?

[bingaloman]

Hello, I am looking to backup an important video from a VHS and transfer it to a DVD.

I was wondering, if I were to burn the file to a DVD, and keep it in a protected case and store it away, how long would the disc last and still be working?

Meaning that once I burn it, I won't be watching it often and just have it stored away.

So pretty much my main question is, if I leave a DVD in a case without watching it for a long time, will it deteriorate? I know VHS can deteriorate over time even if we don't watch them, and so I was wondering is this the same for DVD?

Thank you!

 

[rwoody]

In theory, the discs were designed to hold data for around 100 years. But that would only hold true if the disc was sealed away from all elements. (air, light, moisture, etc) If the disc is subjected to these elements continuously, a mere 2 years can be expected. They also make sure to throw out the disclaimer that "your mileage may vary" which basically means there's no concrete answer. The best you can do is create the disc, then make a copy or two for backups, then store them away from as much exposure as possible. Finally, I would check them every few years and recreate new copies to ensure there is no degredation over time.
http://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/cd-and-dvd-longevity-how-long-will-they-last

 

[JQB45]

I have a copy of the game Odium on a CD from the late 90's that still works and DVD's from 2003 that still work.

 

[rwoody]

I have a copy of the game Odium on a CD from the late 90's that still works and DVD's from 2003 that still work.

Yeah, most people keep their discs in some form of case and they last for years. Whether it's a jewel case, or some form of CD/DVD binder. Doing so keeps them out of direct sunlight and away from most forms of air and moisture. About the only time I would be worried about a disc that's stored away is if it's in a humid climate with no air circulation.

 

[djdubbler]

That would depend, given the storage method and factors like temp of storage area, humidity, etc. Brand and quality of the disc used matters too. Ideally, if they are stored in a dark climate controlled environment (not in a storage unit/shed out in the elements you can probably get anywhere from 5-10 or even up to 20 years of shelf life with a good quality recordable disc. I just did a large transfer of old home videos from VHS and Video 8 tapes to DVD as the tapes were aging over the 20 year mark and I needed to get them onto a new format fast. I used Verbatim Archival Grade DVD-R discs for recording which should have a pretty good lifespan as they have a gold plated reflective layer as opposed to conventional discs which helps resist oxidation, AZO dye, and a scratch resistant coating. After I recorded my DVDs, I ripped them onto my hard drive, transferred the files to my external hard drive and also backed up to my cloud storage. Storing the discs away in a safe place. If i want to play them back my PC will play the VOB files directly in Power DVD so I don't have to touch the discs, and even if at some point something DID happen to the discs, I have a back up on my PC, external HDD, and on the cloud to pull from.

 

[bingaloman]

Thanks everyone!

 

[jsmithepa]

For archival optical quality, if your data is THAT important, M-DISC.

 

[JQB45]

For archival optical quality, if your data is THAT important, M-DISC.

What makes M-DISC special?

 

[rwoody]

For archival optical quality, if your data is THAT important, M-DISC.

What makes M-DISC special?

Here is the explanation from Wiki:

M-DISC's design is intended to provide greater archival media longevity.[1] Millenniata claims that properly stored M-DISC recordings will last 1000 years.[2] While the exact properties of M-DISC are a trade secret,[3] the patents protecting the M-DISC technology assert that the data layer is a "glassy carbon" and that the material is substantially inert to oxidation and has a melting point between 200° and 1000 °C.[4][5]

A stress test of the media was performed by the United States Department of Defense, proving at the very least that M-Disc DVDs and Blu-rays are more durable than conventional DVDs and Blu-rays. "The discs were subject to the following test conditions in the environmental chamber: 85°C, 85% relative humidity (conditions specified in ECMA-379) and full spectrum light".[6][7]

Conventional DVD-R and BD-R LTH (Low To High) use recording layers of organic dye and separate reflective layers.[8] Standard (HTL) BD-R and BD-R/DL typically use inorganic data layers, but continue using a reflective layer. M-DISC uses a single inorganic recording layer, which is substantially inert to oxygen, but requires a higher-powered laser. M-DISC does not require the reflective layer. Thus, both the M-DISC and inorganic BD-R physically alter the recording layer, burning a permanent hole in the material. Besides physical damage, failure of the reflective layer, followed closely by degradation of the data layer, are the primary failure modes of all optically recordable disks.

Recorded discs are readable in conventional drives. Available recording capacities are similar to other optical media from 4.7GB DVD-R to 25GB, 50GB BD-R and 100GB BD-XL.

LG Electronics, ASUS and Lite-On [9] produce drives which can record M-DISC media. Ritek produces M-DISC Blu-ray disc media, sold under the Imation, Ritek and M-DISC brands. Verbatim produces co-branded discs, marketed as the "Verbatim M-Disc"

 

[The Original Ralph]

there are more than a few university lab analysis results on disc longevity - as others above have pointed out temperature, light exposure, humidity etc are all contributing factors

but quality of the disc is also critical - iirc, verbatim with their "AZO" coating had the highest storage life, and i believe in normal useage, ie not "vault" storage, 10 years is a realistic expectation

fwiw