DVD Rot is Rubbish
My favorite storage media is DVD-ROM. The new Dual Layer effectively doubles the storage capacity from 4.7 to 8.5 G per disk. Verbatim is the only company currently producing DL DVDs (and only as +R), but more manufacturers are stepping into play and the costs will be coming down.
Unlike CD-ROMs, the recording media for a DVD is actually sandwiched between two protective layers. CD-ROMs put the recording media on top of the protective layer, and then some sort of label on the surface. Scratch the CD label and the media is damaged, forever.
About the only problem with DVDs, is that by flexing the disk, delamination can occur on cheaply made products. Delamination is when the protective layer separates from the center recording media.
Some people insist that "DVD Rot" is a threat to its long-term storage capacity (about a hundred years). I haven't seen this problem with DVDs, only with early CDs. However, Andy Marken has a summary article in Computer Technology Review (not on-line, yet) in which he insists that because enough improvements have been made in manufacturing over the last five years, DVD rot is a non-issue. NIST is apparently looking into testing standards to verify manufacturers claims concerning DVD rot.
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