How Long Do Discs Live?

Anyone who’s rented the latest action-thriller from Blockbuster knows that DVDs are fragile objects. Who wants to drive back to the store? Or worse, have to mail it back to Netflix?

Unlike the floppy discs, which protect the data covered disc with a retractable “door”, DVDs and CDs only use a thin reflective layer of polycarbonate. So how long should we expect them to work?

Well, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Government Information Preservation Working Group (gotta love their acronym, GIPWoG) is debating how to label the longevity of discs. Any info would be helpful, but they should really work on a better way to protect the data inside of the disc. Titanium comes to mind.

Making with built-in expiration is just plain wrong.