How long do CD's last?

Factual Questions
1

Hello,

One of the main reasons I switched from cassette to CD in the early '90s was because the CD was suppossed to have a much longer lifespan - from 30 to 100+years, as opposed to the 5-20 years for tapes.

Recently, I have been noticing more and more skips on my CDs. I admit I probably don’t clean my CD player (a 200-disc changer) as often as I should, but it seems that there is actual wear on the discs that cannot be attributed to dust, and I know that I do not abuse the discs through harsh handling.

Was this lifespan correct? Was it only for stored CD’s, and the lifespan for regular use much shorter?

2

I have several from hte 80’s and they still work fine. Actually one w/ a slight scratch that would usally skip now works better w/ todays more advanced CD players

3

All of the short-term estimates we see giving CDs less than 20 years are taking wear & tear into account. I believe that CDs will outlive their owners if properly cared for. Even if the aluminum layer becomes exposed to the air, aluminum forms a very tough oxide coating which strongly bonds to
the surface of the metal preventing the surface from further exposure to oxygen and corrosion.

Even if CDs do eventually “decay” for whatever reason, it is much more likely that it is the years of handling that will render your CD unplayablebefore anything else. I take the precaution of backing up my most beloved Cds to MD, just in case.

It is common to speculate that CDs may some day give way to a better format, but I don’t see this happening in any time in the immediate future. Even thought it wasn’t meant for it, minidisc was an excellent candidate for this (MD was aimed at replacing cassettes). CDs are so easy and cheap to produce that aol sends out millions of them every year just for people to use as coasters, make mobiles for the baby room, christmas tree ornaments, etc.

I think the current hurdle is to develope a solid state storage medium for CD quality sound. That would mean we could get rid of all mechanical parts involved in spinning a disc, tracking a laser, etc. Songs would never skip during playback, and the CD would move on into the world of the 8 track & the dodo.

I don’t know how far along they are with this- but at about 8.8 Mb/minute of audio, that’s one hell of a memory chip needed to hold Dark Side of the Moon. If sound purists could ever tolerate ATRAC or any other form of compression, that 8.8Mb/min figure would come way down.

The objective lens on laser pickups gets dirty so easily in recent models of CD player - especially the changers because of the high degree of [dust/dirt] accessibility to the optical head. And don’t be folled into thinking that you can give the unit a thorough cleaning with one of those cleaning discs. Sometimes that works but many times I have removed much more buildup from a laser lens than a cleaning disc couldn’t even touch. This is especially true if the unit lives in a smoker’s house.

If you still think your CD is “deteriorating”, ask a friend in the service industry if you have one. We can place the disc into a reference player & measure the disc’s signal output & see if it is below standard.

BTW, the chupacabra is still a myth, no? I haven’t heard much about him lately.

4

Kodak Has some facts on their products. Another article on prolonging a cds life expectancy.

Most of the articles I have found list 50+ years for a cds life expectancy. I would assume that the cd was under optimal conditions. Unlike my cds which undergo rigorous testing by sliding in and out of my overhead carrying case in my truck, withstanding temeratures of -60 below to 110 degrees, and being ground in the dirt on my floor boards in a drunken rage of being pissed off at an ex (with her favorite song on said cd).

Some of the articles say that the plastic will eventually break down allowing the oxidation of the metals in the cd. I think its more likely any of my cds would end up lost in a friends car.

5

100 years El_chupacabra, but much less for the player I might add. As a matter of fact, a skip is either a misaligned player or a dirty laser.