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

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.

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.

The article has to be talking about Anchor Bay early releases, which some discs didn't even last 5 years.

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. :lol:

Since all my 25 year old vhs tapes play fine, these guys are full of shit.

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.

I'd be more concerned about this happening to my data/home movie DVD-Rs than anything.

I too will kill myself if my DVD's start to not play anymore.

With DVD-Rs, you should be making new copies every few years.

Some sort of prophet of doom eh? If ever that happens, my world will crumble!

Well I wouldn't take that for granted - remember how they shot so much stuff back in the 80's on video instead of properly on film.

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.