How long do DVDRs last? Everybody likes to believe the DVDRs we write our videos on last in access of 20 years or more. If you are one of those people, I suggest you read on for your own sake. If you run a business, I urge you to take this even more seriously. DVDs are read by a laser beam and logically that means nothing touches the disc which means there should never be any wear and tear in playing them unless you scratch, smash, bend or break them. There are generally two main types of written DVDs. Ones which are pressed and the other written with your own DVD writer on your PC. The pressed kinds are the ones you would probably find when you walk into a DVD shop and buy a movie on. This are said to last longer than the ones you write on with your home DVD writer. Pressed disc do not have anything etch on the surface where you easily identify. The written DVDs Many disc manufacturers have made claims that their dye based DVD-Rs or a DVD+Rs will last anything from 20-150 years about as long as CD-Rs discs. Generally PHTHALOCYANINE and AZO are more stable and last longer, 100 years or more, compared to 20 or 30 years for lower quality dyes. DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW have a shorter life expectancy and their longevity can be greatly reduced by being poorly pressed. All DVDs that are poorly pressed may fail or even end up with errors which will render the disc unreadable. I can also say that I have use cheap DVDs that I have purchased in the past and today there are ones who would not even play at all.
	All I can say is that the life span of a written disc depends upon a number of factors including such things as the intrinsic properties of the materials used in the disc¡¯s construction, the quality of its manufacture, how well it is recorded and the way it has been handled and stored. As a result, the life span of a recorded disc is extremely difficult to estimate reliably. However, to calculate disc life spans within some practical timeframe blank media manufacturers conduct accelerated age testing by subjecting samples of their discs to environments much beyond those experienced under normal storage conditions. Generally speaking, these tests only consider the effects of varying temperature and humidity. Results are then used to predict how long a disc will remain readable under more normal storage conditions. Questionable testing and measurement procedures can seriously impact upon and compromise these estimates so keep in mind that unlike prerecorded (pressed) CD and CD-R discs there are currently no international standards for conducting writable DVD accelerated testing. Writable DVDs and CDs may appear similar, but their construction and underlying design differ significantly so what applies to the one does not necessarily apply to the other. As with CD-R and CD-RW discs media manufacturers have performed their own lifetime evaluations using a variety of homegrown tests and mathematical modeling techniques. Generally speaking, manufacturers claim life spans ranging from 30 to 100 years for DVD-R and DVD+R discs and up to 30 years for DVD-RW, DVD+RW and DVD-RAM. Be aware, however, that disc producers, manufacturing methods and materials change over time as do applications and cost imperatives. Consequently, those concerned with disc longevity should consult their media manufacturer for more particular information of which however i am sure they will not hand out liberally. One thing is sure ¡ª nothing lasts forever and technologies inevitably change. Ultimately, since writable DVDs embody digital information, contents may be transferred to future storage systems as becomes necessary to preserve whatever has been stored on the discs.  Article by Derek Yeo Aka VideoCobra