Disc expiration dates debated

Would you like your digital-storage media to last 20 years, 25 years, 30 years, 35 years or 40 years?

If you're an organization or government agency, the U.S. government and an optical-disc industry group would like you to answer that question in a quick survey.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Government Information Preservation Working Group, or GIPWoG, is trying to develop a standard way of labeling CDs and DVDs for longevity. The optical disc has become the storage "medium of choice" for many government agencies and private-sector groups, GIPWoG notes, and users ought to have a clue as to how long information stored on such media might last.

"Both recordable CDs and DVDs can be very stable and robust," the working group says on its Web site. "But, as occurs with many successful technologies, a multitude of suppliers have entered the worldwide marketplace with varying degrees of product quality."

The practice of "lowest-bid procurement" could wind up exacerbating the quality problem, GIPWoG said.

GIPWoG is working with the DVD Association, an industry group, to nail down "a long-term, or archival, standard measurement for recordable CD and DVD media." The idea isn't to test how long discs will last, but to be able to establish whether or not a disc will last at least a certain number of years.

The survey urges respondents to be reasonable in naming their ideal optical-disc lifespan.

"One should consider the issues of digital obsolescence and migration," the survey says. "Is 100 years (or 'forever') really practical for typical long-term digital storage strategies? While you may need to preserve data for a particular length of time, is it really necessary to preserve that data on any particular technology or can it be migrated to newer technologies?"

Responses to the survey will be accepted through May 31.

[wazzledoozle]

Great idea

This would be useful, I would definitely pay for discs that are supposed to hold data for 100 years. Though there needs to be a very strict testing program..

[Greenbeanx]

Why?

Why would you need to pay for disc that have a 100 year life cycle? The article even asks if a long life would be a good idea since you can migrate data to other new mediums..there are few things in VHS 20 years ago that you would be able to migrate because of data corruption due to age..VHS only lasts for 10 years on tape..DVDs could have a long life but you would have migrated it to different mediums after a number of years..I think 20-30 years is a safe bet..
Now with digital tech it would be easilier to migrate existing data from DVD to future digital mediums

[TimeBomb]

I have a better idea

Optical discs suck. Let's find a technology that acutally works more than 40% of the time. And if you can actually write on it afterward, and not have to tip-toe while the media was being written to, all the better.

[grey_eminence]

100 Year Shelf Life For Atomicic Holographic Storage

Research shows ferroelectrics capable of holding
data for 100 years.

http://colossalstorage.net

Yeah, it's a real interesting "concept"

...but at this point, it looks like all it is. There is some supporting data, but it doesn't seem to be in production yet... hence, the note:

"Call our Venture Partner/Securities Attorney Representative"

I recall a lot of credence was being placed in NORSAM as a possible answer, but it's yet to hit the road running yet. www.norsam.com It seemed as if it would be a viable solution for certain industries, but it stalled.

Larry

[till]

I'd like something in the "forever" range (nt)

no text

Keep only the media?

It's all well to have a disc lasting 100 years. The problem is we will have to keep compatible drivers and softwares. A shorter life span and a consistent media transformation service would be muche more interesting

[R Me]

not applicable

While business may be prepared to migrate data and have access and means to the technology no one is mentioning the private personal use of CD/DVD's for storage of family heirlooms. What else can you call digital video,audio,pics,etc. that has no real monetary value but is held so close to the haert that all the money on pluto would not buy them.
I'm 49, my father is passed long ago and I only have a few old snapshots. How I would love to have some video or audio. Imagine someone showing their kid how grandpa looked and sounded but when you put the disk in its gone. nothing.

FOREVER or at least 200 years.

[PCCRomeo]

TDK CD's are the worst...

I have used every CD-R brand on the market and by the brand that is most likely to suffer from CD Rot is TDK. On the other hand, I have found Sony and Memorex to be the best.