While there are some discs that do degrade, this is highly dependent on the formulations used in the sublimate dyes. Some are far more stable and long lasting than others. Speed of the recording also plays a big part in recording longevity. The faster the recording speed, the shorter the exposure time is for laser reaction and the less time the dye has to react properly or completely.
Yes, but not at a predicable rate. The above stated variations play a huge role in when and how fast degradation will happen. M-Disc formulations however, are not governed by the same limitations. Any M-Disc recordings should last 1000years or more.
I've always used Archival media. Says 100 years, but I'll give it 25. So far movies I've burned from 15 years ago are fine, even with scratches. I like the Verbatim media.
Don't forget, the DVD burners of the time were garbage. But, you couldn't expect too much at $15.00 a pop. Four out of five drive trays failed to open after a couple of months. I took to drilling out the holes to fit a miniature screwdriver, so I didn't have to keep buying paperclips.
I run everything a half speed. 8x for single layer DVD, 4x for dual. CDs get run at 24x, or whatever speed near that the disk will allow.
Wow, petabyte optical discs sound like a game changer! Storing hundreds of terabytes on a single disc is incredible. I wonder how this will impact cloud storage in the long run.Forward-looking: As consumers increasingly turn toward digital distribution and data center operators try various storage methods, optical discs haven't stopped evolving. A recently published paper explains how manufacturers could make DVD-like discs that hold the equivalent of hundreds or thousands of Blu-rays.
Researchers at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology have developed an optical disc with a capacity of over a petabit of data, equivalent to well over 100 terabytes. Although the technology is primarily proposed for enterprise use, it could potentially become accessible to consumers after overcoming significant obstacles.
The scientists were able to significantly increase the capacity of an optical disc by implementing a 3D planar recording architecture. The technology uses a highly transparent, uniform photoresist film doped with aggregation-induced emission dye and stimulated by femtosecond lasers.
Related reading: Anatomy of a Storage Drive: Optical Drives
This allows hundreds of layers to be packed one micrometer apart on a disc with the same thickness as a DVD or Blu-ray. The most advanced Blu-ray discs support up to four layers, typically carrying around 100 gigabytes of data. By comparison, the researchers claim that their new format can record 100 layers on both sides of the disc for a capacity totaling 1.6 petabits, or around 200 terabytes.
Stacking many petabit discs together could reduce exabit data centers to a fraction of their current typical size. Consolidating servers would also drastically lower heat and energy consumption. Additionally, utilizing extreme-capacity optical discs simplifies data migration and minimizes the need for it. Another potential advantage is longevity – the researchers claim the petabit discs can last 50 to 100 years.
Although the new medium could be made compatible with current optical disc technology, the researchers haven't yet developed a fast, affordable drive for it. If one emerges, the new discs could store data comparable to dozens of hard drives, 2,000 PlayStation 5 game discs, or a similar number of 4K Blu-ray discs.
Thinking beyond media playback, the developers suggest that petabit discs could allow individuals or families to own data centers, storing all of their important information on one drive at home instead of multiple devices and cloud servers.
Other novel methods of mass storage are also under investigation. In 2021, researchers from the University of Southampton proposed a "5D" method of stowing data on glass discs. Using an energy-efficient laser, the technology could pack 500TB onto a DVD-sized disc, but improvements in read and write speed are necessary.
https://www.techspot.com/news/101974-dvd-like-optical-disc-could-store-16-petabits.html
If you're having problems like what you have just described, you're doing something wrong.
I would be greatly happy with discs that can hold 500GB or so.
No more fragile than memory cards, hard drives, SSD's, etc., etc...
You can't scratch an SSD...
Yes, you can and it's just as easy. Seriously with that? Anything can be damaged if you're careless. If you're a bumbling enough to scratch an optical disc, you shouldn't be trusted with technology anyway.
If you are scratching anything that stores data you are doing something horribly wrong and you shouldn't be allowed near these things.
