Can Electromagnetic fields from my CRT monitor, or Computer, the tower and what is in it, cause damage to a CD, or DVD +R, or RW, if it is left near a computer in a case for a long period of time?
If I have placed this in the wrong section I am sorry, I looked through the other sections and thought this would be the best place to get information.
Thanks 
As far as I know they are not susceptible to magnetic fields, like floppy discs. Even X-ray machines such as those used for airport security have no effect on storebought DVDs or on DVDs that you have recorded (R, RW, or RAM format).
Thanks for the reply!!
Does this also apply to CDs?
Thanks.
Would be the same for CD’s - however keeping them next to a CRT or your Tower could be a hot spot - and DVD’s and CD’s that you have burnt yourself may not like the heat!!
Thanks for the info.
So, CRT monitors, or the computer Tower do not give off electromagnetic fields, I know Tv’s do and desk top fans and I should avoid leaving dvd’s or Cd’s near these devices; I also heard that leaving a dvd ontop of your DVD player could erase parts of the dvd, or cd?
Do you think that memory sticks will replace CDs or DVDs for storage purposes, aren’t they allot more durable; but the only problem with them now is the price. The problem I find with DVDs for storage, like tiff formatt photos is that when you open it it takes so long for the pictures to appear, is there a way to speed up thids process??
Thanks again for the quick reply.
Nope - CRT’s are just the same as TV’s and give off electromagnetic fields. Baiscally all a CRT is, is an electron gun at one end that fires electrons that strike a phosphor dot at the other - it uses an electomagnetic field to scan the beam left to right and top to bottom to build the picture. DVD and CD are not magnetic media and magnetic fields should not cause any damage to them. However, CRT’s also generate a lot of heat and heat will damage optical medai that you have created yourself.
Thank you very much, you have both been very helpfull!!!
take care.
I would suggest that with a CRT monitor only, other frequency light could be emitted from the phosphor pixels, other than visible spetrum which may in fact expose the dye on the discs.
I wouldn’t store discs in front (aka 180deg from the screens plane) of a CRT monitor.
Beside/behind in fine, minus the hot spots as mentioned above.
But going back to the original question, magnetic fields should not affect the DVD/DVDR/W or CD/CD-R/W media.
The only electromagnetic field capable of erasing a CD is the one inside a microwave oven, but don’t try it at home !
A strong enough magnetic field can damage just about anything - but computers, CRTs, and DVD players don’t create fields like that if they’re behaving properly.
A burned CD-R or DVD-/+R is susceptible to a fairly common type of radiation though - infrared, or heat, radiation. Intense heat (>120ºF) can cause the dye of burned CDs and DVDs to break down relatively quickly. That’s the only sensible cause I can think of to explain how a DVD that sits on top of the DVD player would be damaged by radiation. So, feel the top of your DVD player with your hand. If you can’t rest your hand there comfortably, you’ll want to keep DVDs and CDs off of it and see if there’s something you can do to improve ventilation around the player.
It’s always a good idea to keep CDs and DVDs away from heat and sunlight. And if you happen to notice metal objects flying across the room towards your appliances, you might have a magnetic field problem…
Been there, done that, at a friends home. Would definately recommend it. Very cool.
That could just be completely normal Para-normal activity and completely unrelated to magnetic fields.
It’s important to differentiate the two.
Or even the most terrible thing ever - a p*ssed off wife, because you have been sat on back side in front of the computer for hours - that can also result in various sharp matallic objects flying across the room!!
So, feel the top of your DVD player with your hand. If you can’t rest your hand there comfortably, you’ll want to keep DVDs and CDs off of it
and that’s where everybody sits them! DuH!
Thanks for opening my eyes!