Expanding a DVD/CD Lifetime

Usually, ppl made backup by storing the data into a DVD or CD. The DVD/CD themselves have some limited lifetimes in fact. Do you remember the last time you found some collection of old songs on some pile of stuffs which you hadn't touch for several years? Then you tried to play the CD/DVD, and what did the player's screen said? "No disc", or "Please insert a disc".

If you read this article on CD Freak, you'll be surprised by the fact that a CD-R only survive between 2-5 years depend on:

• The quality of the CD: cheap CDs degradate faster
• How they're stored

To lengthen CDs lifetime what you can do is:

• Store them in a cold and dark place
• Store them vertically, because horizontal storing give to much pressure to the disc surface

Well I think the same rules apply for DVD.

There is nothing in this world that is eternal. The same rule apply for there is no storage medium which last forever.  However, banking industry prefer storing backup with magnetic drives because they last longer. Remember that you found some old tapes in on some pile of stuffs which "your parents" hadn't touch for several decades? Then you tried to play the tapes and it works despite of some distortions.