h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This evening I read that a CD should keep for up to 80 years in ideal conditions (ideal being that it never got played or removed from its case, but that's not the point at the moment)

Recently, on the other hand, I read that the quality and durability of the data on a CD or a DVD started to deteriorate after only three to five years.

Which one is nearest the truth?

Who has got the oldest CD on hootoo? When did you buy it, how do you treat it and, while we're on the subject, what is it?

How long do you reckon CD's and DVD's keep?

And what's the lifespan of a video or sound tape recording?

Traveller in Time good idea
"Oldest Compact Disk will be more then 20 years. Will have to go looking for it to find it, no problems playing some years ago.

The metal film inside the polycarbonate layers will oxidise. With 'cheap' disks this can be fatal in just a few years, more 'expensive' apparently last longer.

Magnetic recordings are discharged, the field becomes homogene and the information is lost. Another degradation of tapes is the glue failing, I have had old tape recordings producing a dust cloud of magnetic particles coming off when they were played after less then a decade. "

As to shop bought pre recorded CDs mine must be no far off when they first started to be produced, so yonks old, but have not noticed any problems.
The real problems are one would imagine not so much with pre-recorded shop bought DVDs but recordable ones. I have had problems with re-recordable DVDs only around 4 years old and they started jamming machine, a new one, and losing recordings. I now make a spare copy of original for rarer TV recordings as recordable DVDs are now so cheap. My re cordable discs that went faulty are Philips DVD+RW and would be interested if others have had same probs with Phillips discs.
Ironically, today I was talking about re-recordable 100 year Gold Archive CD/DVDs that were tested and will last up to 300 years, in tests anyway. Thet are sold by Delkin Devices aparantly. There are supposed to contain a small amount of gold to protect them.

My first cassette album still works, my first CD album became unplayable some time ago from the wear at being played in a PC and portable CD player.

I think the first CD I ever bought was "Today's the Day" by Sean Maguire. Quite embarassing, but I was young and didn't know any better. Worryingly, I recently saw that it's been covered by a Busted-a-like Brit pop-rock band I'd never heard of.
I haven't actually listened to it since about 2 weeks after I got it, and although I later spilt a bit of plastic-dissolving glue on the case, it should be okay in theory. Unfortunately, it's about 200 miles away at my parents' house so I can't go test it.

I remember Dire Straits 'Brothers in Arms' promoted the CD revolution (May 1985), and Live Aid pushed them into the spotlight too. I bought my copy of the CD much later, but does anyone have an original pressing, and does it work?

Mine would be *about* 1990-ish, a copy of Kraftwerks 'The Mix' (bought at the same time as my wonderful Pioneer stereo system).

The system is long since defunct, but The 'Werk are still going strong, last time I tried.

I may have cd's older than that, as I have a lot of second hand stuff, but I couldn't tell you what they were. But I've had no problem playing any of them.

I would hazard a guess that the format with the greatest longevity would be vinyl LP's.

With all the usual caveats about not playing them too much or storing them in an environment with excess heat, i can't think why the physical bumps in the plastic grooves should ever degrade. Plastic breaks down eventually, but we're talking hundreds of years. Just a pity that there was never a domestic vinyl recorder produced...

Hmm, the 'it's great as long as you never use it' argumengt in favour of vinyl has never really convinced me...

Well, yes it does make owning stuff rather pointless if it's never used for its intended purpose, but I would think that in the case of vinyl, the avoidance of *excess* playing would be all that's necessary to keep the recordings more or less in tact.

It's true that you are wearing the information in the grooves down every time you play, but to be honest almost all my records sound the way they did before i played them a few hundred times... just a few extra crackles and pops. (they were always returned to their sleeves aftre playing and cleaned with a brush occasionally). Still better than losing the whole recording.

>but to be honest almost all my records sound the way they did before i played them a few hundred times<

...no, they don't. The degradation begins the moment the stylus touches the plastic. It was always reckoned that a true 'afficonado' could tell the difference after less than a dozen plays.

"It was always reckoned that a true 'afficonado' could tell the difference after less than a dozen plays."

Yes Blues, but you'll always find someone who claims "it's different, it isn't as good" - or some such old b*ll*cks just to try to look like they know what they're talking about. It usually doesn't mean a thing. (Please note, this doesn't include the 1 in a million or so who actually can make out a real difference, instead of an imagined one )

Traveller in Time unsure if you can hear the degradation in vinyl records
"I am sure they do loose information. Compare a vinyl record with the CD counterpart and you will hear the difference.

Problem with vinyl is it degrades gradually all over, where CDs will skip parts instead of sounding them bad. "

I recently got rid of a load of CD singles as I never played them anymore, but I'm now listening to Comic Relief's 1989 offical soundtrack - 'Help' by Lananeeneenoonoo and Bananarama and it sounds fine.

Ben Elton's 'Motorvation' from 1988 is also playing with no problems.

I don't think I had any earlier than these, as I didn't get my first CD player until June 1988. I remember because I couldn't wait to be 18 to get credit to buy the hifi unit (which lasted 20 years before I finally gave in and chucked it all out).

As for how I treat the CDs, they've been knocking about under the bed in an old drawer for at least three years, before that I think they were on a shelf, but it's likey they were actually under the bed for the five years before that as well.

Oh sorry to be a bloody nusiance, but a previous Ben Elton 'album' -Motormouth from 1987 - I have on vinyl, so definitely they must be my oldest CDs.

Have a cd from The Smurfs with stories on it from around 1986 or 7, doesn't work anymore. I tried to play it for my little cousin and it was a big disapointment, no scratches, but it keep replaying the first five seconds over and over again

the first two CDs I bought were Eric Clapton - August and Genesis - Invisible Touch in 1987 (I think - whenever they came out which was around then, could have been 1986)

I only regularly play the Clapton one, and it's fine. I don't care if the Genesis one goes wobbly.

I bought Love by Aztec Camera and The Best Of OMD (can't remember who that's by ) when I bought my new CD-playing, turntable-topped stereo system in 1988. Both are fine.

The stereo got ditched in unfortunate circumstances in 2003. It was still working, though. Now I have no means of playing those few bits of vinyl I still possess.

RF

my turntable will be prized from my cold, dead fingers

but some of my CDs will have gone by then.