Are Cd-Rs on their way out?

[mrtunes]

I have been noticing in many stores that CD-Rs are not being stocked very much. Most notably is the FutureShop/BestBuy combo here in Toronto they both only carry 1 spindle of Memorex(I hate memorex cause they advertise on the hub), and then they have the expensive Sonys in the boxes. If you go down to College and Spadina(a big computer store market) many of the stores do not have CD-R spindles (Factory Direct and I think A-Plus also doesnt carry them)

What is going on? Even in the stores that still carry CD-Rs they tend to be more expensive than DVD-Rs. Are they eventually going to be wiped out of existence? The trend with ipods and flash rom players suggests that it could very well happen.

[kschang]

I certainly don't think so. I think the problem is there's little margin to carry them for retail stores. Computer stores usually have plenty, and you can even find media in Walgreens (pharmacies) nowadays, albeit not the cheap types. CD-R media is still cheaper than DVD media, at least in SF Bay Area, if we're talking same tier of stuff (i.e. name brand vs. generic).

Typical price for pack of 50 CD-R's here is about $10, $7.99 if on sale.

Typical price for pack of 50 DVD-R's here is about $30, maybe $20 if on sale.

[ROBERT BLACK]

I have been noticing in many stores that CD-Rs are not being stocked very much. Most notably is the FutureShop/BestBuy combo here in Toronto they both only carry 1 spindle of Memorex(I hate memorex cause they advertise on the hub), and then they have the expensive Sonys in the boxes. If you go down to College and Spadina(a big computer store market) many of the stores do not have CD-R spindles (Factory Direct and I think A-Plus also doesnt carry them)

What is going on? Even in the stores that still carry CD-Rs they tend to be more expensive than DVD-Rs. Are they eventually going to be wiped out of existence? The trend with ipods and flash rom players suggests that it could very well happen.

Most likely they sell out quickly. At College and Spadina you can still get a 100 spindle of OEM Ritek CDS for $18.99. But you have to be fast. Or go to the Pickering flea Market(Princo type 8 CDs for $9.99 a 50 spindle)

[whitejremiah]

there's still quite a bit of use for cdr, i dont think it's gonna die out anytime in the near future.......think about it, how many people use cdr in their cars, portable cd players, ect........(yes, i realize that mp3 players are slowly killing off portable cd players, but there's still a lot of people that havent jumped the gun yet) people also use cdr's for backing up computer games...at least 1:1 copies of most games, since the vast majority are still cd based.....i think until we start seeing car manufacturers putting dvd drives into cars as a mass standard (probably not for a VERY long time, if ever) we won't see the end of cdr's.......

[mrtunes]

Most likely they sell out quickly. At College and Spadina you can still get a 100 spindle of OEM Ritek CDS for $18.99. But you have to be fast. Or go to the Pickering flea Market(Princo type 8 CDs for $9.99 a 50 spindle)

Right well I got 50 Ridata CD-Rs at one of the stores for around 13 dollars. That's fine but go up to Staples and they're running for about $30 CDN for 50. They actually have selection though compared to futureshop and best buy which have no selection at all. i'd be curious to see what walmart has in store.

[waheed]

I dont think cdrs are on their way out just yet. They are still cheaper than dvdrs, have many uses like using in a car stereo, useful for saving small files under 700MB.

[lordsmurf]

Best Buy is not a gauge of the computer market. They do whatever they want, as we already know. They dabble in a bit of everything, and just in limited brands/models. It's all about profit, little to do with quality goods.

[Dubber]

It also looks as if the prices on CD-R media in Canada went up. I guess, higher prices and slim selection at major stores is how they are trying to discourage ppl from making their own audio discs. You know, it's still legal in Canada to copy friends' CDs and download MP3s and then burn them as audio CDs.

[piano632]

No media format is dead until Radio Shack says so!

Case in point: Radio Shack was selling 8-tracks and Betamax tapes well thru the 90's. I imagine they will have CD-R on their shelves till 2050.

What really astounds me is that 1.44MB floppy disks are still around.

[ROF]

The last CD-Rs I bought were 2-25packs at a dollar store over a year ago. They may be on the way out but you will still be able to find these recordables around for quite some time.

[mrtunes]

It also looks as if the prices on CD-R media in Canada went up. I guess, higher prices and slim selection at major stores is how they are trying to discourage ppl from making their own audio discs. You know, it's still legal in Canada to copy friends' CDs and download MP3s and then burn them as audio CDs.

It's possible that there are high levies in Canada now for blank CDs so less profit margin for the big stores. Looking at the prices of CDs down in pockets like which I've mentioned above I don't think those small stores buy blank media with levies attached - I could be wrong but they make them very cheap.

Did you know if you're a musician using Cd-Rs for your own work you can file returns to get the levies you paid back? Not sure if the same goes for filmmakers.

[nwrigley]

What really astounds me is that 1.44MB floppy disks are still around.

For boot discs and flashing your motherboards firmware, floppy disks can stilly be neccessary (unfortunately). Man, it's so rare that I'm working with a file that would fit on a signle floppy disk these days. You can't even fit most PDFs on one.

[bits]

Everything is on its way out!

[ROBERT BLACK]

.

It's possible that there are high levies in Canada now for blank CDs so less profit margin for the big stores. Looking at the prices of CDs down in pockets like which I've mentioned above I don't think those small stores buy blank media with levies attached - I could be wrong but they make them very cheap.
.

CD media has indeed gone up. But only at the chain stores. Who are obligated to pay the levies. The small independent stores all seem to sell a lot of OEM brands cheaply. (Could be a loophole?) Ritek and Princo CDs mainly. They stay away from Retail branded product almost entirely.

[slacker]

Now that home media centers use hard drives for storage and car stereos come with SD card slots, why bother with CDs? Those WERE the only two reasons to burn a CD. Right? Home and Auto?

[Super Warrior]

What really astounds me is that 1.44MB floppy disks are still around.

Agreed. They were neat while they lasted, but other than saving tiny text files for college students in english class, floppys are pretty much useless.

I believe many computers sold nowadays do not even include a floppy drive unless you ask for one, and even then it'll be external USB.

My new Dell laptop i got recently, did not have a floppy drive either. Can't say i miss it one bit though.

[oldfart13]

I dont think cdrs are on their way out just yet. They are still cheaper than dvdrs, have many uses like using in a car stereo, useful for saving small files under 700MB.

Wal-Mart Canada 50 spool of Sony CD-R is $29.95. A 50 spool of DVD+ or - R is $24.50! DVD blanks have been getting cheaper and cheaper as asian companies have been ramping up production over the past 3 years. Also, there may be a levy on blank CD-Rs in Canada (and elsewhere) that isn't coming into play with DVD blanks. I do love those Made in Japan Sony Taiyo Yuden +Rs that Wally World sells. Yum!

[MOVIEGEEK]

What really astounds me is that 1.44MB floppy disks are still around.

For boot discs and flashing your motherboards firmware, floppy disks can stilly be neccessary (unfortunately)

Yeah I still use a floppy to format and install WinMe.
As for CD's fading away in retail stores:every store I've been to lately here in the US has a decent selection.A previous poster might have the answer:the profit on CD's are slim,the wholesale cost is $.22USD a piece.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Also, there may be a levy on blank CD-Rs in Canada (and elsewhere) that isn't coming into play with DVD blanks.

Yep,$.21CAD per CD:
http://neil.eton.ca/copylevy.shtml

[mrtunes]

Wal-Mart Canada 50 spool of Sony CD-R is $29.95. A 50 spool of DVD+ or - R is $24.50!

Thanks for clearing that up for me. It's basically the same story in Staples. I think I saw some CD-R 50s going for upwards of $35-$40 there.

[mrtunes]

What really astounds me is that 1.44MB floppy disks are still around.

This is an interesting issue definitely. I was working a sound edit on a film a year ago and the director gave us a floppy disk with the EDL(edit decision list). We laughed! None of the computers around us had floppy drives, so I had to run home and put it on my PC which had one and then burned that tiny file to a CD-R.

I think a lot of business people will have the need for floppy drives for years to come as they may have archives of work on floppies. Suprisingly I still see them in stores too, and I think it's some sort of tradition a lot of people have with using them for small files. You know a minidisc type drive would make more sense - they hold 1 gig and dont cost very much money at all.

I think even if CD-Rs do find their way out they'll still be selling the players to accomodate everyone who has so much music and work on these discs.

[kschang]

What really astounds me is that 1.44MB floppy disks are still around.

Mainly because they are cheap, and they hold documents just fine, and the enclosed format make them quite durable unlike CD's which gets scratched easily without any jewelcases or envelopes/sleeves.

When the average document goes into the 100K range, THEN floppies will truly die. Since an average floppy won't hold more than a couple of them.

Most of my 3.5" floppies still work even after 10+ years.

[rkr1958]

When the average document goes into the 100K range, THEN floppies will truly die. Since an average floppy won't hold more than a couple of them.

My floppies with hold almost 14 of these average documents.

[SilverBlade]

Now that home media centers use hard drives for storage and car stereos come with SD card slots, why bother with CDs? Those WERE the only two reasons to burn a CD. Right? Home and Auto?

Point me in the direction of a car stereo with SD slot from a good brand (JVC, Panasonic, Pioneer..etc) and that is sold in Canada. So far, I haven't even seen a USB car stereo in Canada.

[vitualis]

When the average document goes into the 100K range, THEN floppies will truly die. Since an average floppy won't hold more than a couple of them.

My floppies with hold almost 14 of these average documents.

Yes, floppies hold around 1.4 MB kschang...

Realistically, floppies are probably still suitable for most documents except PowerPoint. However, they are SLOOOWWW and putting your disc in a malfunctioning floppy drive can ruin your day.

Ever since I started using my USB memory key, I've also changed the way I use "portable" media as well and I tend to carry a LOT more than just a handful of documents.

Regards.

[Ai Haibara]

Yes, floppies hold around 1.4 MB kschang...

A slight bit more, with some tricks. But didn't they have a 3" floppy that supposedly held a lot more, at some point? I remember seeing the drives for sale at Best Buy, some years ago, but that's about it. It'd no doubt require extra drivers, anyway, and I don't know how well the disks would hold up to repeated writing (not that my regular 3" disks hold up that well ) or time.

I'd rather use a USB flash drive, now, too. If only I could get Win98 to recognize them...

[mrtunes]

I remember them coming out with those superdrive devices or whatever they were called. I think they didnt take off cause the whole floppy culture was based around every computer having the same drive and i think by that point most people didnt care to leap into that new hardware since CD-Rs were hitting the market hard.

[vitualis]

Yes, floppies hold around 1.4 MB kschang...

A slight bit more, with some tricks. But didn't they have a 3" floppy that supposedly held a lot more, at some point? I remember seeing the drives for sale at Best Buy, some years ago, but that's about it. It'd no doubt require extra drivers, anyway, and I don't know how well the disks would hold up to repeated writing (not that my regular 3" disks hold up that well ) or time.

I'd rather use a USB flash drive, now, too. If only I could get Win98 to recognize them...

I used to have a clever little program for DOS that could format a floppy all the way up to almost 2 MB capacity (real 2 MB). Furthermore, if you put the disc in the floppy drive on boot, it would load a TSR so that it could be read on any computer.

For slightly less capacity (and much better compatibility) you can still format floppies with WinImage and get around 1.7 MB capacity. These floppies work in essentially all Windows PCs (except for Win NT 4 perhaps) and have slightly faster read and write times as well.

Regards.

[vitualis]

I remember them coming out with those superdrive devices or whatever they were called. I think they didnt take off cause the whole floppy culture was based around every computer having the same drive and i think by that point most people didnt care to leap into that new hardware since CD-Rs were hitting the market hard.

The LS-120 or "Superdisk".

It was thoroughly trounced by ZIP.

Interestingly enough, the 1.44 MB floppy has outlived both...

Regards.

[Ai Haibara]

I used to have a clever little program for DOS that could format a floppy all the way up to almost 2 MB capacity (real 2 MB). Furthermore, if you put the disc in the floppy drive on boot, it would load a TSR so that it could be read on any computer.

For slightly less capacity (and much better compatibility) you can still format floppies with WinImage and get around 1.7 MB capacity. These floppies work in essentially all Windows PCs (except for Win NT 4 perhaps) and have slightly faster read and write times as well.

Regards.

Yeah, I remember doing that in an effort to try to get as much disk space as I could manage, when 1.44 disks were the only way I could move something off a hard drive. Microsoft even used a version of the method on anything they offered on floppy, around Win9X's time. I don't know if they still do that, though.

The LS-120 or "Superdisk".

It was thoroughly trounced by ZIP.

Interestingly enough, the 1.44 MB floppy has outlived both...

Probably because 1.44 disks are a standard that have been around for a long, long time... and perhaps AOL helped make sure everyone had a large supply of them at home. :P