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More reports-How many corrupted CD-R's with time?

Answered another post where member reported that some of his CD-R's srated to go bad after just 3 to 4 years and thought I could get some more feedback posts.Imagine that favorite LP or tape collection that you expected to get 20 years or more out of start to go bad.Some of the Cd's I bought in 1983 still play though articles said doom and gloom ahead do to oxidation etc.But Red Book CD's use a thin plastic wafer punched with it's pits and a sprayed aluminum that has help up pretty well.But their is obvious difference where with recorded CD's you are essentialy melting a chrystaline metal (re-recordables overwrite simply increase laser temperature to erase previous data).Want to know if has happened with others.Some have said it is dependent on the brand of CD-R's used,the type of dye etc but I am not so sure.The RIAA will juimp with glee if CVD-R's carp out while I and others will weep.Until corprate data needed to stay intact will I think the problem (if it exists extensively) will change things and I am not sure Blue Ray or HD CDR's will address the problem because not enough time has elaspsed before they lose those files.Reports?Thoughts?
Chazzbo
chazzbo

Showing 2 responses by ketchup

ketchup
692 posts
 
I have been burning cdrs for 6 years now. All of my audio cdrs have been burned at 8x and data cdrs were usually burned at whatever their maximum write speed was.

Several hundred audio cdrs were burned on generic junk discs (like CMC Magnetics). These junk discs were only used when I knew I had an archived copy on a better disc or if it wasn't a really beloved recording/performance. 1500 - 2000 other audio cdrs were burned on either Taiyo Yuden or Mitsui discs, both of which are my favorites. The 1000 - 1500 data cdrs that I have burned were primarily Taiyo Yuden and Mitsuis also.

My audio cdrs are regularly abused by extreme heat and cold and very high humidity in the car (between below freezing and up to 120 degrees F). I am happy to say that I have not had any failures of either audio or data cdrs yet.

I think the things you really need to worry about is how you physically treat your discs. Don't use sleeves of any kind. Use jewel cases. You don't want ANYTHING to touch either side of the disc repeatedly. Never put adhesive labels on your discs and don't write on them. Write only on the center hub. This is what I have done and it has worked for me.

I would like to pass my music collection on to younger family members when I can no longer enjoy it for whatever reasons. Unfortunately 6 years is not a lot of time. Who knows what shape they will be in in 60 years or so.
ketchup
692 posts
 
Zaiksman,
Your comments have made me realize that I was not completely clear in my earlier post. I don't believe that the sleeve itself that can damage the cd but the dust and dirt that gets in the sleeve. Dust and dirt also gets in jewel cases but because the cd never touches the case there isn't a possibility of scuffing the cd.

As for the stick on labels that can be put on cds, I have only heard of other accounts of labels "lifting" or crinkling over time and pulling the reflective layer off of the top of the cd. This is arguably the most important layer to protect. The bottom of the cd can take light scratches, but if the reflective surface gets scratched or damaged (like from old, dried out wrinkly labels) the cd is pretty much done. As I said earlier, I have never seen this first hand but that's because I have never put a stick on label onto one of my cds! I was also turned off by labels because I thought they could very easily imbalance the disc if not put on perfectly centered which is very possible.
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