CD longevity tips
I thought I'd share tips I've collected that pertain to preserving CD media. I presume these tips also apply to DVD media as well
First an article about the bad news:
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7751
"The tests showed that a number of CD-Rs had become completely unreadable while others could only be read back partially. Data that was recorded 20 months ago had become unreadable. These included discs of well known and lesser known manufacturers..."
Some tips I've gathered through the cough...cough ages:
1) Don't use an alcohol based pen like Sharpie. These pens eat into the CD plastic and will corrupt data. Use a pen specially formulated for CD writing I believe Maxell makes one and TEAC makes one. They are under $3. Hard to find in office supply stores but a good music instrument store (got mine at Sam Ash) should have them.
If you have no choice but to use a traditional marker, write only on the clear plastic inner ring.
2) Keep your CD out of direct light even room incandecent light. Light bleaches the dye. I keep my blanks in a dark closet (with my other secrets) and I keep my burned CDs in a dedicated CD file box.
3) Store your CDs flat! The dye is technically a liquid and will follow gravity over time thus corrupting data if it is stood on end.
4) Important data? Making secondary and even ternary backups? use different brands of CD. This gives you a better chance of long term survival in the event that one brand is inherently of poor quality.
5) From:
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums...3723#post133723
"I cannot remember where I read the full article, slashdot maybe, where they stated that disks burned at lower speeds lasted longer due to the amount of burn into the disc. Faster speeds mean that the laser is not concentrated on the same spot as long as at slower speeds so I would assume that has an effect on the depth of the pattern burned and over time shallow impressions would wear away.
It sounds pretty plausible to me."
I have not tried this one (#5) yet but I think I will.
First an article about the bad news:
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7751
"The tests showed that a number of CD-Rs had become completely unreadable while others could only be read back partially. Data that was recorded 20 months ago had become unreadable. These included discs of well known and lesser known manufacturers..."
Some tips I've gathered through the cough...cough ages:
1) Don't use an alcohol based pen like Sharpie. These pens eat into the CD plastic and will corrupt data. Use a pen specially formulated for CD writing I believe Maxell makes one and TEAC makes one. They are under $3. Hard to find in office supply stores but a good music instrument store (got mine at Sam Ash) should have them.
If you have no choice but to use a traditional marker, write only on the clear plastic inner ring.
2) Keep your CD out of direct light even room incandecent light. Light bleaches the dye. I keep my blanks in a dark closet (with my other secrets) and I keep my burned CDs in a dedicated CD file box.
3) Store your CDs flat! The dye is technically a liquid and will follow gravity over time thus corrupting data if it is stood on end.
4) Important data? Making secondary and even ternary backups? use different brands of CD. This gives you a better chance of long term survival in the event that one brand is inherently of poor quality.
5) From:
http://www.cybertechhelp.com/forums...3723#post133723
"I cannot remember where I read the full article, slashdot maybe, where they stated that disks burned at lower speeds lasted longer due to the amount of burn into the disc. Faster speeds mean that the laser is not concentrated on the same spot as long as at slower speeds so I would assume that has an effect on the depth of the pattern burned and over time shallow impressions would wear away.
It sounds pretty plausible to me."
I have not tried this one (#5) yet but I think I will.
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Comments
Hey, I think thats too far. Unless you want to keep your cd's for a few hundred years, you can keep them flat. It does not really matter.
Store your CD horizontal not vertical. CD dye is technically a liquid and overtime will follow gravity. This can corrupt the digital audio data on it. Okay it would take a very long time but why risk it?
Ya got me! I was trying to be too highbrow.
Oh yeah I forgot the most obvious:
Keep the CD away from excessive heat and moisture. This is another good reason to make a backup.
How is Imation? TDK?
I also recently actually read my Nero manual where they suggest burning audio cd's at slower speeds to avoid "audio jitter" if hearing noise on your audio burn. Now anyone in digital audio knows that jitter is when there is a slight inconsistancy in the converter clock. this causes the music to "smear" slightly making the sound a bit less "clear" especially in the highs. The term jitter here is used in terms of audio data corruption I presume. Emedia magazine as well as Surround Pro magazine have done studies on error correction with CDs and burners. Unlike data binary which if corrupted by one byte can make the software unuseable, audio binary can allow for a s**t load of mistakes and still work. However there is an overall degragation of the music. Last night I burned a studio reference CD at 8x on my Lite-On 48X drive which I'll check out today. I think I may burn at 4x if it works. I was burning at full speed. I'll have to make an A/B comparison. However, due to the common sense that slower burns should=deeper pit burns resulting in longer lasting CD-r's I would burn at the slower rate anyway. But...I have heard that some burners work better at faster rates than slower rates with each model having a "sweet spot".
It's never easy!
Make sure you have the latest firmware.
All firmware files are here:
http://www.liteonit.com.tw/ODD/english/english-load-firmware.htm#LTR
Here's a little 48kb utility (No install files) that tells you your CD drive info:
Piqued my own curiosity:
http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa5.htm
Do some CD-R recording speeds produce better results than others?
Recorder and media manufacturers carefully tune their products to operate with each other across a wide range of speeds. As a result, equally high quality CDs are created when recording at almost all speeds. However, 1x presents a minor exception. Generally speaking, the physics and chemistry involved in the CD recording process seem to produce more consistent and readable marks in CD-R discs at 2x and greater speeds.
Probably won't stop me either as I'm $krewed if that turns out to be true.
I personally adore Imation cds, never a problem with them. Hate Sony cdrs. Lite-On drives have treated me well (I'm on my second).
Me too. I only got this tip like a month ago(grumble)
What I've read in addition to what I've herad:
Hand Writing
By far the quickest and least expensive way to label a disc is to simply write on its top surface. Using a soft fiber or felt-tipped permanent marker is preferable but be aware that the solvents in some types of inks can migrate through the disc surface and potentially damage the reflective and dye layers beneath. The part of the disc least vulnerable to injury is the center clamping or hub area. Beware ballpoint pens or other sharp writing instruments as they may deform the disc substrate and delaminate the disc layers thereby causing information to become unreadable. Some discs are specially coated to accommodate handwritten labels and even some special markers are available and intended for such use.
More here:
http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa11.htm
I have some DVD-RW's and they have this white Plastic Covering on the top of the cd's. Dont you think that should be fine to use my SHarpie?
Please answer both questions guys
I would venture to say that the layer you speak of is a good buffer but I can't say from experience. As far as Sharpie goes I think they are the defacto standard for permenant markers. Their reputation of quality and good price are second to none. But that said, dose it not make sense that they really adhere to the surface that they are written to by going deeper into the surface than traditional ink? I would never use a Sharpie or Sharpie imitator for writing on media. I have some Cds that died on me and they all were written with Sharpie. Since I've been following my own advice, no problms but it is too early to tell.
If the rough layer is not an actual second layer of material, I would not use a Sharpie.
This is only my opinion:)
http://www.prosoundreview.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=542#post542
I wanted to share it with Icontic
Mass produced CDs are stamped from a glass master which creates physical "pits" in the plastic. CD-Rs are made by digital data being burned into a thin layer of dye using a laser.
Taking Care Of Your CD-R/RW
1] Always handle your CD by grasping its outer edges, center hole or center hub clamping area to avoid fingerprints. Avoid flexing the disc and do not eat, drink or smoke near it.
2] CDs should be stored in jewel cases instead of paper/cardboard sleeves because there is no contact to the CDs surfaces providing better protection against scratches, dust, and humidity changes.
3] Keep the CD away from excessive heat and moisture. This is another good reason to make a backup.
4] Keep your CD out of direct light even room incandecent light. Over time sun light can "bleach" the dye on the CD and corrupt the digital audio data on it.
5] CDs should be cleaned using a soft dry lint-free cloth or eye glass lens tissue. Wipe from the center toward the outside edge of the CD. Do not wipe the disc using circular motions. Stubborn fingerprints and stains can be removed by using a soft dry lint-free cloth moistened lightly with commercially available CD cleaning fluid.
6] Store your CD horizontal not vertical. CD dye is technically a liquid and overtime will follow gravity. This can corrupt the digital audio data on it. Okay it would take a very long time but why risk it?
When making your CD copy:
1] Burn at a slow speed but avoid 1x and 2x(*). Slower burning time insures a CD with deeper embedded data pits (lasts longer) and near zero transfer jitter (better sound). Faster speeds mean that the laser is not concentrated on the same spot as long. I burn at 4x~8x and get good results.
2] Do not write on your CD with an alcohol based marker which will eat into the CD plastic overtime. There are special non-alcohol markers made by TDK and Maxell formulated for writing on CDs. They can be found online or at musical instrument dealers. If you must use an alcohol based marker, write on the inner clear plastic ring of your CD-R. Note: Our CDs are signed/numbered with a special non-alcohol based marker(+)
3] Making secondary and even ternary backups? Use different brands of CD. This gives you a better chance of long term survival in the event that one brand is inherently of poor quality materials.
4] Update/install optimal ASPI layer using ForceASPI 1.7:
http://aspi.radified.com/
5] Is yor CD burner firmware up to date? Among other fixes, firmware updates are important to resolve compatability issues with some brands of CD-R/RW blanks. Go to the website of your CD burner manufactuer and see waht the latest firmware revision is for your model. Follow all instructions carefully.
At the bottom of this guide I've supplied a free little 48kb utility for download (No install files) that tells you your CD drive info including firmware revision. Very handy.
(*)Do some CD-R recording speeds produce better results than others?
"Recorder and media manufacturers carefully tune their products to operate with each other across a wide range of speeds. As a result, equally high quality CDs are created when recording at almost all speeds. However, 1x presents a minor exception. Generally speaking, the physics and chemistry involved in the CD recording process seem to produce more consistent and readable marks in CD-R discs at 2x and greater speeds."
More here-> http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa.htm
(+)Hand Writing
"By far the quickest and least expensive way to label a disc is to simply write on its top surface. Using a soft fiber or felt-tipped permanent marker is preferable but be aware that the solvents in some types of inks can migrate through the disc surface and potentially damage the reflective and dye layers beneath. The part of the disc least vulnerable to injury is the center clamping or hub area. Beware ballpoint pens or other sharp writing instruments as they may deform the disc substrate and delaminate the disc layers thereby causing information to become unreadable. Some discs are specially coated to accommodate handwritten labels and even some special markers are available and intended for such use."
More here-> http://www.osta.org/technology/cdqa.htm
After finally thinking my drive was at fault, I took it back to the distributor and he swapped it with a brand new one. Installed it, but got the same results. Called the technical support, and he asked me if I had the DMA enabled for the drive............Was there any documentation on that? Can't remember if there even was an installation manual.
Well, sure enough, its okay, and all the disks that I had tested before, test okay now at 48X
Sigh........
Same subject. Has anyone ever used DMA on a CD-R with noticable improvement of any kind? I've only heard CD-R + DMA = PAIN!
Hey Dan!
I'll add your Imation endorsement to my (mental) tally. I really like Phillips as well and I got a stack of 100 I'm going through now. Are you using the TDK for music and/or data? I haven't tried them yet since I usually buy my CDs on a rebate deal from Staples and they wind up being free or $.05 a piece.
I am using Phillips DVD+R's and they are pretty good too, but these are 2.4x disks.