CDs and Game Discs are Starting to Rot Way Before Estimated Life-Span – Get Your Fridge Ready
Almost 35 years ago, executives from Sony, Phillips, and Polygram came together at a German factory trying to get their hands on the first CD. Now some of these first compact discs that were produced are starting to deteriorate thanks to what is known as “disc rot“. What that means is that CDs and DVDs are starting to have oxidization on their reflective layer. It was previously thought that only discs with faulty dyes or adhesives would fall victim, but now disc rot is taking over even the well made discs that are barely 20 years old.
This doesn’t mean that all CDs, DVDs, or even game discs will rot, though. The United States’ Library of Congress did a large-scale study back in 2009 showing that some discs will last all the way into the 28th century! The average lifespan of a CD? 776 years, but there were some that wouldn’t last 25 years. Those other discs are the same one’s that are starting to rot now. Don’t panic just yet! The study also showed the best way to keep them safe, and it’s to keep them in … the fridge? They concluded that 41 degrees F, the average refrigerator temperature, and 30 percent humidity is the best environment for your CDs to last for up to 500 years!
You should start transferring your data to something more reliable while you have the chance. Back in 2006 Kurt Gerecke who is a physicist and storage expert at IBM Deutschland GmbH said that we should use magnetic tapes to store all our pictures, videos and songs to last a lifetime. As for your old Metal Gear Solid and Resident Evil game discs… you better clear some space in that fridge!
Have you experienced any disk rot with any older CDs? Let us know about it in the comment section below and make sure to follow DFTG on Twitter and Disqus! Want to hear about some other great games coming out that won’t rot any time soon? Check out these articles below!
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