Why do you copy movies and games ?????

A question to all in this forum , why do you make backups of your games and movies? I ask because if the factory pressed disks are of better and higher quality, than these factory DVDs should out last all current members on this forum even if you are 16 years old now...So if they get scratched they have repair kits for them. I got involved in this to save my 8mm home movies, but the more I find out about it I wonder if its any better than the magnetic tape that it is on now, as most 8mm tapes go back to 1985 and they still play fine. Will my DVDs play that well in 20 years ? No body here can answer that question...yet...Thanks...

 

Burned CDs Last 5 years Max -- Use Tape?
Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday January 10, @11:16AM
from the been-there-before dept.
Data Storage
Lam1969 writes "Computerworld has interviewed Kurt Gerecke, an IBM storage expert and physicist who claims burned CDs only have a two to five-year lifespan, depending on the quality of the CD. From the article: "The problem is material degradation. Optical discs commonly used for burning, such as CD-R and CD-RW, have a recording surface consisting of a layer of dye that can be modified by heat to store data. The degradation process can result in the data 'shifting' on the surface and thus becoming unreadable to the laser beam." Gerecke recommends magnetic tapes to store pictures, videos and songs."

Storage expert warns of short life span for burned CDs
And don't count on hard disk drives for long-term storage, either

News Story by John Blau

JANUARY 10, 2006 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Although opinions vary on how to preserve data on digital storage media, such as optical CDs and DVDs, Kurt Gerecke, a physicist and storage expert at IBM Deutschland GmbH, takes this view: If you want to avoid having to burn new CDs every few years, use magnetic tapes to store all your pictures, videos and songs for a lifetime.

"Unlike pressed original CDs, burned CDs have a relatively short life span of between two to five years, depending on the quality of the CD," Gerecke said in an interview this week. "There are a few things you can do to extend the life of a burned CD, like keeping the disc in a cool, dark space, but not a whole lot more."

The problem is material degradation. Optical discs commonly used for burning, such as CD-R and CD-RW, have a recording surface consisting of a layer of dye that can be modified by heat to store data. The degradation process can result in the data "shifting" on the surface and thus becoming unreadable to the laser beam.

"Many of the cheap burnable CDs available at discount stores have a life span of around two years," Gerecke said. "Some of the better-quality discs offer a longer life span, of a maximum of five years."

Distinguishing high-quality burnable CDs from low-quality discs is difficult, he said, because few vendors use life span as a selling point.

Hard-drive disks also have their limitations, according to Gerecke. The problem with hard drives, he said, is not so much the disk itself as it is the disk bearing, which has a positioning function similar to a ball bearing. "If the hard drive uses an inexpensive disk bearing, that bearing will wear out faster than a more expensive one," he said. His recommendation: a hard-drive disk with 7,200 revolutions per minute.

To overcome the preservation limitations of burnable CDs, Gerecke suggests using magnetic tapes, which, he claims, can have a life span of 30 to 100 years, depending on their quality. "Even if magnetic tapes are also subject to degradation, they're still the superior storage media," he said.

But he's quick to point out that no storage medium lasts forever and, consequently, consumers and business alike need to have a plan for migrating to new storage technologies.

"Companies, in particular, need to be constantly looking at new storage technologies and have an archiving strategy that allows them to automatically migrate to new technologies," he said. "Otherwise, they're going to wind up in a dead end. And for those sitting on terabytes of crucial data, that could be a colossal problem."
http://computerworld.com/hardwaretopics/storage/story/0,10801,107607,00.html

 

Thanks Ireland... I have seen and read that link and that was 1 of the reasons Im second guessing the longevity of burned DVDs.... But the real question is why others here copy their movies and games.Are you saving the originals for posterity? hoping they will go up in value? afraid you will wear them out? have alot of spare time?..you could probably play a factory DVD everyday for the next 20 years and it will still be fine... Since I asked the question I also gave you my reasons why Im making copies on DVDs...Thanks

 

most make copys to use so they can save the original,the original movie disks scratch very easy,try to get a replacement from the movie studios for free...also if its a children move or game..
as ye know children tend to mess up the disks..
my grandchildren have a ton of games and movies..you should see some of the disks after they are done with them..

so that is why we make a back up.

 

@dilligaf9,

Why do we back up?

2 words.
[bold]
Small Children [/bold]
Scratches, breakage, losing them in the Mini-van, etc. As far as longevity,
I have several burned CD's from 2000 which have resided in my car for those 6 years, still play fine.. even the dreaded CMC MAG ones!

 

I'm sorry, but I am going to speak for most of us on this forum whom are HONEST! Nobody care how long they last especially if that are only payin a 3rd or 4th to rent the movies then copy them!

We copy Movies because we can! Because it's free! Because we don't HAVE to buy for what we can rent and copy for sometimes a 4th of the price! AND IF WE WERE IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES, WE WOULD SELL THEM FOR A PROFIT!

I like most would like to backup what I would purchase, but let's get real to make a backup of every DVD or CD that you buy is unreal! If you buy 500 DVD's were would you store them if you keep the cases as well, then on top of that have 500 backups. Anyone who tells you this are fibbing to say the least. I mean who has the room for it! I on the other hand have 4 CD/DVD binders that hold 1000 DVD's. Let's get real, How many of us will watch the same movie (500 of them) so much that we scratch them! Are we playing frisbee with them or what? Do you go out and make backups of you book Library, and those books will be handle more than your CD's or DVD's!!!!!!

Nobody on this forum cares about the longevity of their DVD's. WHY? Because they can go rent and make a copy anytime they want!

Honest Ron

PS. I think experts would say anything to prevent the public from copying what they can. I say forget the experts and copy away!

 

holleyron...Speak for yourself old son...I have a passion for certain kinds of movies which I buy no matter the cost..I never watch the original only back it up... I watch the backups,and get a buzz out of the fact I have the original in pristine condition...So as mentioned,speak for yourself.

 

I am going to agree with holleyron and take it one step further to add:

A lot of people make copies to pass along (read:sell) to others. If you rent the movie make yourself and a few friends a copy you've already paid for your rental membership.


I'm not sure why its so hush-hush to say it, and why people try to pretend they arent making copies of movies they didnt purchase but were rented. Its right along the lines of people acting like they dont get cracks for certain software. (nero,clone, etc)

 

Whatever cooks your bacon I guess....But isn`t piracy illegal in the USA. UK,Australia...so on.so on?????

 

Eh, possibly because it is illegal, and you face a maximum sentence of upto 10 years in jail and an unlimited fine?

-Mike

 

Not speaking about it isnt going to keep you out of jail. Notice I said why is it hush-hush to "SAY IT". I didnt say everyone needs to post and brag that they "DO IT".


edit to add:

With programs like this selling at retail US stores

That advertise on the box to "backup your dvd movies" - - -why then is it hush hush to say, yes i backup MY movies??

 

Nine times out of ten, those programs are in a country who don't care about backing up DVDs, or, the program does not come with an embedded DVD Ripper, much like CloneDVD/2 which does not backup movies without them being on the PC, if they are "protected" with CSS, then they wont accept it..

-Mike