Burning DVD's and CD's

[bigballz]

I read that after 2-5 years, unlike purchased dvds/cds, home burnt ones will begin to lose quality. Can anyone confirm this?

[testaaja]

Not that I have noticed. My 5 years back cds are still running good. What I've read is that it becomes hard to read the cheapest cds after something like 40-50 years. Gold plated IIRC 100?

[send_the_msg]

if you keep them in a good environment they should be fine for quite a while, however i don't think it is recommended to use optical discs for long term storage.

[fatherofmany]

The life expectancy of optical media varies depending on the quality of the disc, the burner, and the method used to store (temperature, humidity, airflow, etc).

If you're going to store data long term on optical media (not recommended for critical data), there are a few steps you can take to mitigate your risk.

- Use high quality hardware.
- Use high quality media
- Run CRC checks to ensure validity of data after burning
- Store in a cool, well ventilated area
- Reburn the discs every few years if needed

[Meech]

They will never "lose quality" -- they are digital.

The media itself may degrade over time, but they will never lose quality.