# is CD/DVD permanent storage?



## lovecraft (Jun 23, 2009)

I always save my movies, videos, mp3s, images and sometimes backups in cds and dvds thinking that this data is going to be safe specially that I treat my cds/dvds well keeping them unscratched. but I once heard from someone that the cd/dvd storage isn't save and permanent and that a time could come when I find my cds/dvds unreadable or the data vanished from them and that the safest way to keep data is to store them on another hard disk. so is that true, is it true that the cds/dvds aren't save and permanent storage even if keep them well?


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

No, nothing is permanent. CD/DVD's can fail from age, even if they are never used. Reliability is partially related to media quality, but even a quality media is not guaranteed.

If it's important, you should have more than one copy, preferably on more than one media type.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

No means of storage is permanent but I would say Hdd's are the best solution.
The media brand and means of storage are the most important factors for optical discs. I have movies on DVD (Verbatim) that are over 8 yrs. old and I haven't found any that won't play back correctly, yet.


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## lovecraft (Jun 23, 2009)

thanks a lot for your help, by the way is VHS better storage than CDs/DVDs? because I have VHSs that are more than 20 years old and they are still working.


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

Archiving of data, of whatever format, is constant problem in the digital age we live in - companies, governments and other stakeholders have been tearing their hair out over this one for a while now - as technology advances storage formats, and the hardware to open them (who has a computer with a floppy disk drive?) are being made obsolete so quickly it is hard to know how to archive this ever increasing flow of data. 

For home/consumer use VHS is getting risky - tapes get gummy, VHS players and/or their parts are hard to find in shops - for the consumer/home user I think making multiple copies is best - hard drive (internal & external), DVD, flash stick - and don't store them all in the same place - I have 2 external hard drives which I use to back up my data drive one of which is then stored at a relative's (who I visit each week anyways) house, the other I keep at my place. I used to do this with CD's and will no doubt have to move it all to whatever takes external HD's place sometime in the future - and possibly have to convert formats if current ones expire aggggghhhh!!


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## danraj0007 (Sep 9, 2010)

Well, the cd/dvd's have the ability to store large data based on the capacity of the disks. However, its not for sure that the disks will be sure to work forever as if there is a small scratch on the disks it might lead the disk to an unreadable. However, you can keep data or movies on disks for a while and then move the data from the disks to harddrives where you can make use of the inbuilt harddisk in system else purchase an external usb harddrive connect to usb port of notebook or desktop system and then make use of data whenever its necessary which will be safe. 

Comming to the VHS the tapes which consists of movies can be viewed in the VHS player however the VHS tapes are out of scope where you could not add additional movies into the VHS tapes which can be done in the dvd's or a harddrive on checking the space visiblity.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

More info here: http://www.audioholics.com/educatio.../cd-and-dvd-longevity-how-long-will-they-last and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_rot

As for VHS, while they are durable, they are not permanent. Also the quality is degraded each time the tape is used.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

lovecraft said:


> thanks a lot for your help, by the way is VHS better storage than CDs/DVDs? because I have VHSs that are more than 20 years old and they are still working.


CD/DVD is a much more reliable means of storage than VHS tape.


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