You should be proud of your movie collection. This is especially true if you built it in the age of streaming, which generally operates on the principle “you don’t actually own anything.” So how do you plan to preserve your film collection for posterity? Is it better to choose a DVD and/or Blu-Ray or a hard drive for storing movies?
Well, it’s tricky, and even asking opens a huge can of worms. Although many claims are made about DVDs lasting a century or two, their actual lifespan depends on a number of factors, some of which are beyond your control. Don’t worry, because your record collection can last quite a long time. Read-only (i.e. factory-pressed) DVD-ROMs are good for about ten to twenty years, for example. If you copy them to a DVD-R, they tend to have a lifespan similar to one to two decades. That said, these figures must be taken with a pinch of salt. Life expectancy is not an exact science, as some researchers claim that the longevity of a DVD-ROM is in the range of 20 to 100 years, while also claiming that DVD-R copies can technically last 100 to 200 years.
Despite the uncertainty, DVDs are in theory a safer bet than hard drives, since hard drives often die after four to seven years. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the calculations here aren’t accurate either. For example, one Reddit user claims to have 30-year-old hard drives that are still working, but he also claims that drives have failed after less than a year. Since digital storage is a fickle mistress, it is best to opt for multiple formats if you are truly concerned about preserving your collection.
Why stick to DVDs
The good old DVD is much more durable than you would expect from a piece of plastic. Naturally, the type of material used in manufacturing plays a role in overall lifespan. DVD-R discs that use cyanine or azo dye (these give off a blue or purple tint) and have a protective gold metal coating can last 50 to 100 years. Discs that use a silver alloy (the majority of DVD-Rs sold to the general public) in the protective layer are slightly less durable and, as mentioned, have a projected life of between 10 and 20 years, which is similar to factory pressed DVD-ROMs.
Figures announced by manufacturers can vary wildly, with the most optimistic expectations being in the recently mentioned 100-200 range. Another study using accelerated aging methods suggests that a DVD-R disc will last 30 years if stored at 50% humidity and 77°F.
But we’re talking about DVDs, not the Declaration of Independence. So, no need to drive yourself crazy dealing with the exact atmospheric conditions. Just put them in their case when you’re done watching, store them in a cool, dry place (avoid direct sunlight), and you’ll be fine.
Why choose a hard drive copy
In theory, a DVD can last longer than a hard drive for movie storage, but ripping a movie to MP4 or MKV format is also a good idea. Mechanical hard drives are still worth buying because they are relatively affordable for the storage space they offer, although their life expectancy can be poor. Your mileage will vary, of course. Keeping the hard drive could minimize the risk of mechanical failure, but as mechanical devices they could fail randomly. It’s not so scary if you have backups. Manufacturers quote the expected lifespan at between four and seven years, but many people report that some of their hard drives have lasted several decades without problems.
SSDs are a different beast. They may be more robust, as manufacturers claim they can last five to ten years, but unlike mechanical hard drives which store data magnetically (meaning the data is technically recoverable), more modern types store it as an electrical charge. As such, SSDs are unreliable for long-term storage because stored data degrades over time. You’ll also need to plug it in and use it periodically to refresh those power cells.
Ultimately, creating copies of your films is about making sure your favorites “stay alive,” figuratively speaking. This gives you built-in security if the originals go bad, and that’s what experts recommend you do. When storing something valuable, the rule of three copies (preferably on very different types of storage) saves you headaches, no matter how unlikely they may be.
