A basic guide to archiving your irreplaceable videos on DVD
Editor’s Note: Although this article focuses on DVD media storage, most of the same concepts apply to CD media, as well.
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 has taken 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.
In recent years, the DVD has definitely earned its place as the archive media standard to which we entrust our most precious recorded memories. Today, when you attend a graduation, wedding or bridal shower, religious celebration, sporting event, music recital or a party – would you be more likely to record it on VHS or DVD? Yes, I thought so – DVD wins!
So now that you’re trusting special events to DVD – and perhaps even 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 today, you get what you pay 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 DVD. And some manufacturers are touting archival DVDs that will last 300 years! Gulp. This creates a new “time capsule” challenge: Will your relatives centuries in the future really want to watch the memories you save today?
I guess a reality check is in order. It’s doubtful the DVDs we burn today will still be lovingly looked at three or four generations from now – or that anyone will even save them that long. It’s even more doubtful that DVD players won’t have evolved into something quite different by then. But it’s good to know the technology has become so stable that your DVDs could be viewable that far down the road. All you really need is for your DVDs to be viable when some unknown descendant decides to transfer your humble 2000-something video onto their own next-generation media. I believe this could happen within the next century.
The bottom line is that you should never shop for archival DVDs based on price. 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 are growing in popularity – 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 pay more for quality, there is one factor that only you can control: storage.
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 or Sharpie to write on a DVD or on a paper label that’s affixed to the DVD – ever!
Sharpie makes a special marker for marking on DVDs and CDs that doesn’t doesn’t have the chemicals that can deteriorate plastic that are in a normal Sharpie.
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 on the market today.
On websites that continually rate DVD and CD quality, brand names like Taiyo Yuden, Maxell, TDK, and Verbatim keep emerging near the top. Most video industry professionals would agree, however, that Taiyo Yuden makes the most reliable recording media today.
When it comes to media type, there is some debate on whether DVD-R or DVD+R works better overall. The key advantage of –R is better compatibility with older DVD players. The +R variety is newer to the marketplace. Definitely stay away from DVD-RW or DVD+RW for archiving, since these formats are designed to be altered or edited after burning.
Many customers ask me how Blu-Ray discs fit into the media equation. Until Blu-Ray costs come down, there is probably no strong reason to consider them unless you’re archiving such huge amounts of data that standard DVDs are no longer practical. Blu-Ray may make more sense in the not too distant future, but as Alton Brown says: “That’s for another show”!
I welcome your questions on DVDs, since there are so many factors to consider before purchasing. Email, call or stop by and we’ll talk!
