CDs not so indestructable after all ...

[shooraijin]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4908081/

Eeeek.

What blew my mind more was that the label is actually the more vulnerable side to this kind of degradation (naturally, of course, a scratch in the data side will make a disk less playable, but not to this extent). Fortunately, even my oldest discs seem to still be intact.

[cbwing0]

Data loss may be a fairly significant problem in the near future. Since so much information is stored on CDs, DVDs, and computer hard drives (which also degrade with time), large amount of information could be lost if steps are not taken to prevent this.

The average lifespan of a book is 500 years. The average lifespan if a computer hard drive is 50 years. The average lifespan of a CD-R is 5-10 years. Scary, no?

[Bobtheduck]

... That's really scary... I hope they make a more longlasting medium someday... That's really scary... Then again, it's just things... Eventually things won't mean anything to us. Even things as close to our hearts as our music...

[shooraijin]

> The average lifespan of a CD-R is 5-10 years.

Well, the thing that's scariest is that this article alleges even "professionally mastered" commercial discs have a lifespan much shorter than previously thought.

On the other hand, virtually all of my 5.25" floppies are still in good repair, some of them nearly 20 years old, so I guess there's hope with good care. Nevertheless, some of the allegations about CD and DVD manufacture just seem as if the workmanship were wholly shoddy.

[Kisa]

On a bunny trail here . . .
Did you know that putting a CD in a microwave will make it spark and put spider web type designs all over the data side of it??
My bro and some friends tried this with some old messed up CDs and it was weird! But the designs look cool!
^_^'

[shooraijin]

They just added a postscript to the article:

"Additionally, most leading CD media manufacturers recommend not giving media to BelldandyMewMew, as she will microwave them and further diminish their lifespan."

Well, I could have sworn it was in there, anyway.

[Kisa]

[quote="shooraijin"]They just added a postscript to the article:

"Additionally, most leading CD media manufacturers recommend not giving media to BelldandyMewMew, as she will microwave them and further diminish their lifespan."

Well, I could have sworn it was in there, anyway. ]



Hehehe, aww man you caught me! lol
No it was my brother not me! I promise!
^_^

[Straylight]

This lends fuel to the whole vinyl versus CD debate as well. If I put a record and a CD in a cellar for 200 years, I expect that the record would still play. Dunno about the CD though.

Another thing is that a degraded CD will skip and interrupt the song, whilst with the record you just get pops and crackles. I suppose if you play your music to death then you have a problem, but if you want it to last a long time vinyl is better.

[ShiroiHikari]

They do need to come up with something more long-lasting. .__. CDs are wonderful but I'd like my music to have a long life, thank you very much o_O

[Locke]

This lends fuel to the whole vinyl versus CD debate as well. If I put a record and a CD in a cellar for 200 years, I expect that the record would still play. Dunno about the CD though.

i use a vinyl/CD-R cd hybrids!

these things are awsome, the cover side is vinyl and the data side is CD-R