burning DVD...How Permanent is the Media?

[dzachau]

I have been transferring home movies to DVD to avoid losing family memories to the fragile VHS tapes over time. I was recently told that burning home movies from VHS tapes onto DVDs is not a permanent solution to avoiding losing the images over time. How permanent are home "burned" DVDs??

[Mister Flonk-Flonk]

Well it's a little early in the game yet for a real answer to that question, IMO.

[Bodyslide]

Taken from Lord Smurf's page:
http://www.digitalfaq.com/media/dvdmedia.htm

How long will my media last?
And it's a good question that nobody knows the answer to. Media makers love to make bold statements that their discs will guaranteed last for 50-150 years, but it's more marketing baloney than anything else. Dye based media will probably last several decades at minimum, due to the chemicals and structure of the media. Phase change media, as discussed above, may die before your burner does. Advanced aging tests have shown varying results, but all come to the conclusion that your DVD-R and DVD+R media will last for decades, maybe up to a century if you're lucky. Other evidence has even suggested that dye-based media will outlast pressed metal media! As usual, nothing lasts forever. Buy good media and store it properly to avoid problems in the future.