Article concerning DVD degradation
12-27-07, 11:14 AM
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Article concerning DVD degradation
There was an interesting article (link beneath article) about digital storage and I found this paragraph particularly eye catching. The article was linked from the IMDB homepage.
"To begin with, the hardware and storage media — magnetic tapes, disks, whatever — on which a film is encoded are much less enduring than good old film. If not operated occasionally, a hard drive will freeze up in as little as two years. Similarly, DVDs tend to degrade: according to the report, only half of a collection of disks can be expected to last for 15 years, not a reassuring prospect to those who think about centuries. Digital audiotape, it was discovered, tends to hit a “brick wall” when it degrades. While conventional tape becomes scratchy, the digital variety becomes unreadable."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/bu...JIacYG+g1h2CJA
"To begin with, the hardware and storage media — magnetic tapes, disks, whatever — on which a film is encoded are much less enduring than good old film. If not operated occasionally, a hard drive will freeze up in as little as two years. Similarly, DVDs tend to degrade: according to the report, only half of a collection of disks can be expected to last for 15 years, not a reassuring prospect to those who think about centuries. Digital audiotape, it was discovered, tends to hit a “brick wall” when it degrades. While conventional tape becomes scratchy, the digital variety becomes unreadable."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/bu...JIacYG+g1h2CJA
12-27-07, 12:51 PM
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If this happens I'm gonna kill myself... Finally, I thought, they invented something that will last if not forever then longer than my lifetime, and I won't have to worry about it. But on the other hand if DVD content dies, we can still keep the fancy boxes etc. while films itself will be on some micro-chips.
12-27-07, 03:06 PM
#5
Considering how many studios re-issue titles in two and three and four and five-disc editions, combined with how many times yours truly and other DVD collectors will upgrade in 15 years...I'm not worried. 
12-27-07, 04:25 PM
#7
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I've read this kind of article on every format I've ever owned, and it's never happened. I have a broadcast of "Videodrome" I taped off cable in 1985 that plays as well as the day I recorded it. Take care of your media, and your media will take care of you.
12-27-07, 04:33 PM
#10
With DVD-Rs, you should be making new copies every few years.
12-28-07, 05:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Peep
I'm wondering if the article is talking about DVD-Rs, since most of the studios wouldn't be "pressing" their archival content onto disc.
Though I guess they didn't so much think of preserving them forever, shooting straight to video was a cost-cutting move as they didn't have to create a telecine for TV broacast...or something.
