Recorded CDs have a shorter 'lifespan' than tape times

Optical discs are not the most durable tool for storing digital content. Kurt Gerecke, an IBM physics expert in Germany, recommends that if you want to avoid copying a CD every few years, consumers should choose the tape.

' Unlike a very well-compressed original CD, many inexpensive CDs are currently sold in stores that last only 2 years. Some types with better quality can last for 5 years , 'Gerecke said. ' Storing a disc in a light, cool place is a good way to preserve it, but it doesn't really help extend the life of content like photos, movies or music stored on disk .'

The main cause of the problem is the "aging" of disc making materials. On the surface of optical discs are often used for recording such as CD-R and CD-W containing a layer of material that can be adjusted by heat (so-called burn) to store data. The degradation process of this material can lead to 'jump' data on the surface and so the laser cannot read the information on it.

According to Gerecke, it is difficult to distinguish high-quality recordable discs from low-quality discs because very few vendors mention the durability criteria when releasing the product.

In order to overcome the limitations of recorded CDs, Gerecke suggested that magnetic tape should be used because it has a lifespan of 30 to 100 years, depending on quality: ' Even consider degradation, they is still the superior storage tool '.

However, IBM experts also emphasized that no device exists forever. Therefore consumers and businesses need to plan to switch to new storage technologies. ' Companies need to constantly pay attention to more advanced storage techniques and strategically allow them to automatically switch to new technologies, especially those that are preserving a lot of important data ', Gerecke recommended.

Gerecke said the disk in the computer hard drive has the same limitations as the CD. The problem here is not the hard disk itself, but the buffer with its positioning function. If the hard drive uses inexpensive disk washers, the buffer will wear out faster than on expensive disks and as a result data status will be affected.