CD-R for long-term storage

[J. Clarke]

Hello, John:

No "habit" involved...I merely did a quick Google search, and picked
one of the results. Besides, did "TheFreeDictionary" say anything wrong,
concerning DVD-RAM?

Yes, it did. It asserted that it combined features of magneto-optical and
phase-change technology. That is not true, it is pure phase-change. As
such its long term stability will be no better and no worse than the
phase-change technology used in any other type of field-recordable DVD.

For further information, please look up this article, on Google Groups
<http://groups.google.com>:

"RADAR 24 & DVD-RAM Technology/Future" (2002-03-24 16:32:42 PST)

What of it? Anybody can post a message on USENET. That doesn't make that
message accurate in any particular.

Among other things he asserts that DVD-RAM is "cost reduced
magneto-optical", and then goes on to state that it is a purely
phase-change medium, which comes across as Newspeak (war is peace, love is
hate, phase change is magneto-optical)--phase-change is _not_
magneto-optical and DVD-RAM is not magneto-optical, cost reduced or
otherwise.

Panasonic "makes the hardware," also. So what? Has either company
implied that DVD-RAM is somehow deficient?

Has Panasonic stated that (a) DVD-RAM is magneto-optical or that (b) DVD-RAM
has longevity comparable to magneto-optical? If so, where?

On the contrary, Panasonic has always pushed DVD-RAM, to supplement its
sagging MOD business!

So what? The fact that Panasonic "pushes" some particular product does not
mean that that product has the same feature set or capabilities as some
other product.

Really? Well, then, are you aware that "packet writing" software -
required by DVD-R and DVD-RW, alike, in order give them "random access"
capabilities - tends to be rather flaky, at times?

Which has what relevance? The issue was longevity of storage--there is no
need to use packet-writing software to write to DVD-R or DVD-RW. Now, do
you have any evidence to present that demonstrates that DVD-RAM does in
fact possess greater longevity than DVD+/-R/RW?

"Test results?" I'm not running a laboratory, here!

If you haven't seen any test results then what makes you so sure of your
assertion? Or is it just the usual uninformed USENET opinion?

Nonetheless, the fact there's an abundance of "el cheapo" DVD-RW/DVD+RW
"brands" in existence, would lead one to doubt the average quality of
such media.
So?

Don't see quite the same situation, regarding DVD-RAM, do you? (Check
"Price Watch" <http://www.pricewatch.com>, if you need convincing.)

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what point you think you're making here.
If you are saying that DVD-RAM is more reliable because there is no
"crap-grade" media available for it then just say that. That, if correct,
is the only _valid_ point you have raised so far with regard to the
longevity of DVD-RAM.

And you have still not demonstrated convincingly that it is comparable to
magneto-optical in that regard. Not that I expect you to.

 

[J. Clarke]

Hello, Alexander:

Which is "25 to 100 years," from what I've read. Pretty good, no?

So you admit that the longevity is the same as for DVD-RW? Doesn't that
make DVD-RW also "on a par with your precious MOD"? If so then you've just
defeated your own argument.

Further, that prediction is from accelerated aging studies, which are valid
only if they accurately reflect the factors that lead to failure. Since
DVDs have not been around for 100 years, the designers of such studies are
necessarily guessing at what they have to test, and their guesses may or
may not be accurate. The same concern applies for MOD, however MOD has
been available as a commercial product longer than phase-change optical, so
its failure modes may be slightly better understood.