Issues of longevity of DVDR media

[feeras]

Hi,

I've read a few forum topics (in DVDRHelp and others) indicating that some DVDR media becomes unusable after being authored a few months earlier. That is, the DVDR's content fades after a few months. Is there any truth to this problem? and should I be avoiding any particular brand of media?

Also, anyone know whether this is a problem with DVDRW? I heard somewhere that DVDRW have a different layer to that of DVDR and should not be affected by the problem above. The TDK Armoured DVDRs are looking pretty tempting at the moment...

Cheers,
feeras

[poopyhead]

DVD-R/+R uses dyes in which the burners make small grooves and pits on...DVD-RW/+RW uses phase change technology that works differently from DVD-R/+R. Technically, the -RW/+RW are rated to last shorter (i.e 30 years vs. 100 years) because the RW discs are rewritten on so many times, while the R is recorded only once.

----------

big note, which others may disagree.... the price and brand of the media is not a perfect indicator of quality/longevity. in fact, a lot of the big brands outsource their media manufacturing to other cheaper brands, so the media may be made by this cheap manufacturer, but with a big name brand logo stamped on the top.

at least with CD-Rs, big name brand companies stamp their logos to media made from anywhere...hence, a commonly accepted good brand like TDK may have media "made in japan" (good stuff) and also media "made in taiwan" (not as good)...and i've heard "hecho in mexico" (i'll let you guess on this one). so, brand may not be everything. in fact, i've had many cheapo, generic, silver-topped, non-logo media last just as long as the more expensive ones (3+ years now). in fact, i've experienced the "made in japan" good stuff exhibit playback problems, while the same file burned on some cheapo media not. however, if you can get your hands on some decent quality, with reputable brand, media for a good price...by all means go for it. but, personally, paying $0.50 more for a better brand per disc isn't worth it when the cheaper ones have worked just as well in most circumstances.

--------------

issue of longevity....if you can take care of your media well....longevity shouldn't be too big of an issue.

after going through some threads, someone has pointed out that discs should be stored VERTICALLY to prevent warping....also, those cheap jewel cases may also cause damage to the disc because you need to put pressure on the inside ring of the disc to pop it out of the jewel case. these facts, along with no sunlight, dust, scratches, and good storage should increase longevity.

also, i'm assuming you're using the media for archival purposes...if you're going to be playing the discs continously for awhile, they may not last for very long, as the ambient temperature inside the dvd player may rise to the point of causing damage to the DVD.