[SOLVED] Longterm storage drives read/write DVD

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I didn't refer to DVD discs I referred to optical DVD drives
Buy it.
Leave it in the original box and antistatic bag.
Put it on the shelf.

In a decade or so, it will probably still work. Probably.
The caps on the PCB may or may not dry out. You won't know until you power it up.
Thee is no magic for this.

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Very broad question.

For the most part Optical DVD's will not be damaged due to disuse.

Damage will be from just natural, albeit slow, degradation over time.

That amount of time was usually very generously "estimated" via ideal conditions and circumstances.

Often dependent on the brand and the technology at the time the optical DVDs were produced.

And the original quality of the DVD drives: material, thickness etc. does indeed matter.

Storage conditions also matter: heat, humidity. Perhaps the optical DVD might deform over time if pressed by weight or left in some bent/flexed (even slightly) manner.

Many products were provided with some instructions regarding storage, etc.. Reality being lots of fine print and caveats. No guarantees.

That is why multiple copies and backups are used for long term,archival backups.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

There may be other thoughts, comments, and suggestions. I have no problem with that.
 

RealBeast

Titan
Moderator
How is long-term storage and Optical DVD Drives done? is it possible to store them without damaging them due to disuse?
Longer than you will be around if you use high quality disks and store them in optimal conditions.

One authoritative source says, "Among the manufacturers that have done testing, there is consensus that, under recommended storage conditions, CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R discs should have a life expectancy of 100 to 200 years or more; CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM discs should have a life expectancy of 25 years or more." CITE. This would assume storage in a temperature controlled dark safety deposit box or the like.

The larger problem will be how long we have computer devices to read the data.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Some years ago, I digitized a bunch of movies on DVD.
Maybe 100(?)

5 years after, I got about a 50% success rate in viewing the whole thing. Some worked, some failed.
All stored in plastic sleeves in binders, in typical household environmental conditions.

On DVD you burn at home, the layer of "ink" that holds the data can degrade. Sometimes, you can even see the layers de-laminate a bit.
And do NOT use paper based labels. Over time, the paper will absorb moisture from the environment, and warp the DVD just a teeny bit. Enough to cause itt to fail to read at some point on the disk.

There are archival DVD, but pricey.

If you're looking for "write once, set it on the shelf for a decade or two", I would not trust any single copy, on any data storage device.

And DVD would be far down on my list of "long term media", unless it were the expensive "archive" ones.
 

cloudff7ps1

Reputable
Sep 3, 2020
279
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4,685
I didn't refer to DVD discs I referred to optical DVD drives

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USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I didn't refer to DVD discs I referred to optical DVD drives
Buy it.
Leave it in the original box and antistatic bag.
Put it on the shelf.

In a decade or so, it will probably still work. Probably.
The caps on the PCB may or may not dry out. You won't know until you power it up.
Thee is no magic for this.

 
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