Released by Which?:
Memories for life? - Just how durable are recordable DVDs?
Just like CDs, recordable and re-writable DVDs are expected to store important information forever. In reality, scratching due to poor storage and exposure to extremes of heat and light mean they might not last as long as expected, says Computing Which?
In tests of 18 brands of blank DVDs , Computing Which? found the overall durability of all the discs to be disappointing, with only three of the 18 discs achieving an above average score.
Of the remaining 15, eight scored below average when it came to scratch resistance and a further seven scored poor for exposure to sunlight – bad news for anyone using DVDs to back up important files or archive home movies of the kids, for example.
The tests results were not all bad news, with seven of the discs performing well when exposed to sunlight and 14 faired well under extreme temperatures. All discs achieved an average or above average score for coping with household spillages.
Jessica Ross, editor of Computing Which? said:
Ideally, we’d all keep our DVDs safely tucked up in their cases, but the reality is most of us leave them unprotected around the home and office or in the car where they’re prone to damage by scratching or exposure to heat and light. All this makes it important for DVD’s to be resilient to this kind of everyday wear and tear.
However, Computing Which? tests showed that, like CDs, recordable and re-writable DVDs won’t necessarily keep those cherished memories safe forever.
www.computingwhich.co.uk
