The ABCs of DVDs
Basic information for those of you with irreplaceable videos archived on DVD
Editor’s Note: Although this article focuses on DVD media storage, most of the same concepts apply to CD media, as well. Also, while cloud storage and other media are of course far more popular alternatives to DVDs, we’ll save that topic for another discussion.
Factoids: The first DVD players were introduced in Japan in November 1996. DVD players were first made available in the United States in March 1997. It took DVD players less than half the time it took VCRs to reach critical mass with U.S. consumers. Price drops for DVD players in 1999-2000 kick-started sales. By 2002, China had become the largest producer of DVD players, making 30 million players – over 70% of the world output.
It seems as though the DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) has been around forever! But in truth, it wasn’t until the turn-of-the-century in 2000 that DVD players had gained a presence in half of the homes in the US.
By the early 2000s, the DVD had definitely earned its place as the archive media standard to which we entrust our most precious recorded memories. So now that you’re trusting your family memories to DVD – and perhaps even still transferring cherished old VHS videos onto shiny new DVDs – can you really be sure they’re safely preserved for future generations to enjoy?
Well, that depends. Like most technology purchases, you got what you paid for when buying DVDs. Although you would never know just by looking at them, there are vast differences in the quality of DVD materials and construction and, thus, dependability. These differences are startling: the cheapest discs may only yield 3-5 years of service compared to 100 years or more for a high-quality archival DVDs. This creates a new “time capsule” challenge: Will your relatives 100 years in the future really be able to watch the memories you save today on DVD?
I guess a reality check is in order. It’s doubtful the DVDs we burned over the past 20 years will still be lovingly looked at a generation from now – or that anyone will even save them that long. It’s even more doubtful that working DVD players will exist by then. All you really need is for your DVDs to be readable when some unknown descendant decides to transfer your humble 2000-something video onto their own next-generation media. Hopefully that will happen sooner than later. Again, it goes back to the quality of the DVD you're depending on.
To avoid boring you with too much technical detail, here are the five main reasons for DVD failure:
Damage to or failure of the clear plastic seal
Fading of the reflective layer
Substandard organic dye
Shoddy manufacturing
Improper storage
In a nutshell, here is what this all means to you. In order for a DVD to work properly, the silver and aluminum alloys (shiny part) within the DVD must remain highly reflective. Contact with air will oxidize and rust the shiny part, making the disk unreadable. That makes the clear plastic seal surrounding this layer so important, and why gold archival DVDs were a good alternative – since gold does not oxidize. Many gold archival quality DVDs also have an extra layer of scratch protection that helps ensure longevity. Assuming that the protective seal and shiny layer are manufactured and sealed correctly, the next possible source of failure is the organic dye. When a DVD is burned, this is the layer that is actually manipulated by the laser, allowing only some parts to stay reflective. Basically, organic dyes are not all created equal and will fail much sooner on cheaper DVD media. Where these elements all depend on the integrity of the DVD manufacturer and your willingness to have paid more for quality, there is one factor that only you can control: storage.
If you decide to roll the dice with the longevity of your DVDs, here is my best advice regarding storage:
Store DVDs in a cool, dark, dry place – always out of direct sunlight
Avoid the possibility of large temperature swings where DVDs are stored
Store DVDs in plastic jewel cases, positioned vertically on-edge (not flat)
Never use a ballpoint pen to write on a DVD or on a paper label that’s affixed to the DVD. Always use a soft, non-invasive marker such as a Sharpie or simple felt-tip pen.
Some people in-the-know say these storage best-practices can increase the life of your DVDs by 200 – 300%. The final factors to consider are the brands and types of DVD media you used. Back in the day, brand names like Taiyo Yuden, Maxell, TDK, and Verbatim were good names.
When it comes to media type, there is some debate on whether DVD-R or DVD+R worked better overall. The key advantage of –R is better compatibility with older DVD players. The +R variety came later to the marketplace. DVD-RW or DVD+RW were not ideal for archiving, since these formats were designed to be altered or edited after burning.
If you are ready to transfer your DVD memories to a newer and safer alternative, we'd be happy to share our thoughts on the best options for you.
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