How long does a CD-R last?

[dArKeR]

Photos, movies and other data stored on recordable compact discs may not be as safe as consumers believe, according to a Dutch computer magazine.

Manufacturers typically claim recordable CDs will last at least 10 years under normal conditions. But in a study published in PC-Active's September edition, three out of 31 recordable CD brands tested in the Netherlands had serious errors less than two years after they were recorded.

"People take for granted that because it's digital data, it will not break. They don't believe it will go bad," magazine editor Wammes Witkop said. "But we've realized, the only guarantee is that it will break. The question is when."

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030904.gtcdsept4/BNStory/Technology/

[RC]

1. A lot depends on how well people take care of them.

Way too many people mistreat CD by stacking and shuffling them like playing cards. That does a real number on the clear side that the laser needs to read. With proper handling you can expect at least 50 to 75 years.

[Atlant]

2. You're thinking of stamped CDs. Recordable CD-Rs are a different situation

> With proper handling you can expect at least 50 to 75 years.

What you said is probably true of stamped CDs; although no one
knows for sure yet, accelerated life tests seem to support your
opinion; the key is how quickly the metalization layer (usually,
aluminium but occasionally gold) corrodes and becomes less
reflective.

It's probably also true for CD-RW. There, the data is stored by
driving the metal layer into either the crystalline (more reflective)
or amorphous (less reflective) state. Again, corrosion of the metal-
ization layer is the dominant factor on lifetime.

But CD-Rs are much different. There, we're talking about data that
was stored by chemically modifying ("burning" +/-) organic dyes and
different brands of CD-R blanks use different dye systems. It's a
topic of quite some debate which dye systems will be stable for
how long and, right now, I'd say the jury is out on the question.

Atlant

[FDR2004]

3. I'm not sure

Some of the CD-Rs I have used are cheaply made. The coating for one of them flaked off in less than a year. And I have always been very meticulous on the handling of my CDs ever since I got my first CD in the 80s.

FDR2004

[electricmonk]

4. One reason I'll never give up film photography.

100 plus years from now my black and white prints and negatives will still be here as long as they are properly stored in that time frame. 20 years from now even if the cd itself is still readable who knows what the standards will be and if any computers will be compatable with the old cd. Digital has it's place and uses but sometimes nothing beats analog whether it's silver based film or vinyl records.