U.S. Navy DVD Study

I still have my concerns about the longevity of DVDs (see Recordable DVD recommendations); however, I also recognize the need to preserve video and other memories on optical discs. No system for storing digital files is without problems, and relying solely on an external hard drive or similar system is not a good strategy. For this reason, I generally recommend storing important video and other files on CDs or DVDs.

A recently released study, which lists specific manufacturers, provides some guidance on using DVD to preserve digital files. In this study on Accelerated Life Cycle Comparison of Millenniata Archival DVD, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division found that the Millenniata discs performed best under accelerated aging conditions. Millenniata discs, which are not compatible with standard DVD recorders, were readable, even after relatively harsh test conditions.

The study also found that Taiyo Yuden gold discs performed well, when compared to other similar discs. Delkin and MAM-A gold DVDs had relatively poor initial recording quality, while Mitsubishi and Verbatim gold DVDs performed poorly under accelerated aging tests.

Millenniata DVDs are currently available only from their manufacturer, while Taiyo Yuden gold DVDs are available from various suppliers. To locate these DVDs, search for Taiyo Yuden Gold DVD on Google or another search engine.

The complete report is available – Download ChinaLakeMillenniataTestReport.

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