Proposal: Disc Deterioration Data Thread

vbimport
#1

hey everyone.
There have been quite a few threads in several forums concerning disc deterioration over time. I have a proposal that we can discuss. Why not compile some data to record this phenomena. Have a ‘results’ thread where people post old scans versus new scans. This thread would be to discuss the exact parameters of this venture. Then maybe a mod or whoever :bow: can choose the proper details and thread location.

I would say some rules should be:

  1. must have the original scan(or scan .txt)can be any scan program
  2. must be able to scan in the same drive, at same speed as original scan
  3. must be (6 months, 9 months, 1 year) old
  4. can be any drive/media/burn speed/scan program as long as it is xxx old.

some problems is that scanning drives change(usually for the worse) or die, scanning programs evolve, etc. I would think that we would want to be as scientific and controlled as possible, yet be able to accumulate enough data to draw some fair conclusions. This certainly could be an ongoing thing…saving scans of today and then rescanning in a 1/2/5 years from now.

Once we create a template for submition requirements, then let the posting begin :slight_smile: .Maybe a sub-forum could be created, with a thread for each manufacturer or MID or +R/-R or something similar, if this gets too much to handle in just one thread. I guess ‘grow-as-needed’ would be the best way to handle that.

unfortunately for me, I used to save all scans, but dumped them a couple months ago when cleaning up…I remember the moment…“oh, I’ll never need these…” :a . My oldest currently saved scan is from March2005. I stopped saving scans in June2005(the BenQ burns were boringly consistent and great :bigsmile: ) , but i have about 250. But I did record the scan numbers with a ‘sharpie’ on each disc I burnt from a year ago+ up until now(part of my backup process), so I can compare personally, but that isn’t very scientific.

Anyways, lets talk about it :iagree:

#2

Count me in. :iagree:

I’ don’t have the time at the moment to discuss the modalities, but I keep all my scans since I discovered PI/PO(PIF) testing, and I watch my collection closely…

Back soon with some more time to talk about modalities :slight_smile:

#3

Sounds like a plan! You’ve hit the major points and problems. I’ve saved lots of scans and do write the “scan numbers” on each disc, but with prices as they are, I don’t have any of the drives I’ve used last year.

#4

That’s the major problem. Software is not, drives are. Software only reports what the drive reports…

So we’ll be confronted with drives longevity if we want accurate results.

BUT do we really need accurate results? I don’t think so. As long as the future drive used for scanning is a reasonably good scanner, it’s possible with some comparisons with freshly written media to judge of degradation of older media. It’s not about the actual numbers, but more “is this one-year old disc to be considered now as good, bad, mediocre…?” “Was it good, bad or mediocre when it was freshly burnt”?

#5

Good point, a quasi subjective measurement may have more long term usefulness than an absolute number.

Will the scans and our judgement of them actually lead to changes in buying habits, if the older media is no longer available? Last year I was crazy about RicohJPN01, go find me some more. This year MCC003 started off great; now it’s getting scarce etc.

I think what we’ll wind up with is sort of an early warning system about scanning/re-burning certain media.

#6

I find that no disc I have actually goes longer than 9 months without any part of the disc becoming “dangerous”. Even RICOHJPNR01 - but burners are getting better, and the ones were burnt wid 1633s drives which were crap on the jitter. On one hand, high jitter usually means shorter lifetimes.!

#7

Nine months - that’s pretty sad! :sad: I was just using RicohJPN as a “talking point”, I didn’t mean that is was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

#8

Yep - I am very disspointed too - had all my digital photos archived on 50 and also my home videos on 50 too - and we’re getting yellow/reddy spots in cd-speed

#9

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