Is the CD-R dead?

[Pootmatoot]

There are a couple of makers out there that still offer true archival CD and DVD writable discs. I don't believe they will be around for much longer (1-3 years) on the market. There are alternatives ranging from drives, to cloud and even thumb drives (though I don't trust those just yet).

Here is an old item (2013) but its worth a read... http://adterrasperaspera.com/blog/2006/10/30/how-to-choose-cddvd-archival-media/

The problem with other options is that for archival purposes (say at least a guaranteed 50 years) most other options don't work: obviously the cloud isn't an option (tech companies not only die, but are forgotten in that time frame), and virtually all mechanical/SDD/media storage have some sort magnetic element that isn't reliable over such long stretched.

As the link you gave suggests, a good, archival quality disk is the best option, outside of specialist options not available at retail.

 

[phrehdd]

The problem with other options is that for archival purposes (say at least a guaranteed 50 years) most other options don't work: obviously the cloud isn't an option (tech companies not only die, but are forgotten in that time frame), and virtually all mechanical/SDD/media storage have some sort magnetic element that isn't reliable over such long stretched.

As the link you gave suggests, a good, archival quality disk is the best option, outside of specialist options not available at retail.

Pootmatoot, your logic is sound but of course there are also many solutions. I mention those items because you may get years of secure holding of data and opt to change later. If I may, you might consider one type of storage for 1-10 years, then move to another as technology progresses and so on rather than one means and banking it remains secure/readable for 50 years. I am personally a fan of archival DVD but be aware that you will need reader for that disc in the future. The best option is to have the data (akin to disaster recovery) in more than one place and type of storage.

 

[Pootmatoot]

Pootmatoot, your logic is sound but of course there are also many solutions. I mention those items because you may get years of secure holding of data and opt to change later. If I may, you might consider one type of storage for 1-10 years, then move to another as technology progresses and so on rather than one means and banking it remains secure/readable for 50 years. I am personally a fan of archival DVD but be aware that you will need reader for that disc in the future. The best option is to have the data (akin to disaster recovery) in more than one place and type of storage.

The problem is, "change later" rarely happens.

Take a local library archiving local photos. There's every chance they'll be forgotten about until 2100, and outside of industrial options, there's not a lot that will likely survive that outside archival CDs/DVDs. Yes, reading equipment will be an issue, but that's a problem regardless over a long enough timeline, outside of metal etchings.

For longterm, it's best to act as if it will be totally and completely forgotten about. The BBC didn't intend to lose all the early Dr Who and thousands of other shows - there was even a 1960s plan for future transfer from magnetic tape, because they knew the retarding problems - but people come and go, and things are forgotten.

 

[obeygiant]

I wish I could still read my zip and jazz drives.

 

[dontwalkhand]

It still remains a cheap way to give someone a set of files such as court documents, paperwork, or even small pieces of software. No way am I going to spend $9 for a flash drive I would never see again to hand out to people.

 

[jweinraub]

In a world where Bluray is fighting for its life, not sure how DVD is still making it, I wonder is the CD-R still around?

You still can find it, but seriously, who uses it and for what?

Well I buy blank CD-Rs that are printable for production at work and DVD-R as well.

 

[Tech198]

In a world where Bluray is fighting for its life, not sure how DVD is still making it, I wonder is the CD-R still around?

You still can find it, but seriously, who uses it and for what?

long term storage but depends on how much data..

external hard drives will replace CD-R probably because u get much more storage for less elsewhere.

My long term storage is my NAS.... since I have over 2TB of data... I wouldn't even wanna attempt at backing that up to CD-R, let alone the number of discs i would need to use..

send media to people for archival proposes... pretty much all computers can read CD. even old ones.

 

[ErikGrim]

Yes, optical media is dead.

 

[0098386]

Same here; I buy them regularly. I have a home theatre and they look much better than the streaming services at 105"!

Gosh! I've only got a couple of 55"ers but even at those resolutions you can tell the difference.

 

[loby]

Yes, optical media is dead.

Just because Apple wanted it to be...? Maybe because the battle with Sony over Blu-ray rights some years ago.

I don't think it is necessarily dead, but it depends where you live in the world.

It would be interesting to see how many mac users still have an external Blu-ray/DVD/CD drive and how often they use it. I still use it a lot since most of my users/clients prefer it.

 

[maflynn]

I haven't used or burned a CD in years. Only my 2009 Mac Mini has an optical drive. I'd say the format is deader then a door nail

 

[Scepticalscribe]

There are a couple of makers out there that still offer true archival CD and DVD writable discs. I don't believe they will be around for much longer (1-3 years) on the market. There are alternatives ranging from drives, to cloud and even thumb drives (though I don't trust those just yet).

Here is an old item (2013) but its worth a read... http://adterrasperaspera.com/blog/2006/10/30/how-to-choose-cddvd-archival-media/

Maybe in the west, but this technology is alive and well (and in demand) in other parts of the world.

And, I would expect a small niche market to continue to exist for a good while longer.
[doublepost=1481546946][/doublepost]

I haven't used or burned a CD in years. Only my 2009 Mac Mini has an optical drive. I'd say the format is deader then a door nail

Well, not everywhere and not for everyone - for a variety of reasons - as some of the responses on this thread have already made pretty clear.

 

[MacBH928]

Looks to me that the only people still using CD-R are those trying to playing music in their older cars. Don't think manufacturers will continue production for this super niche market.

any one know what is archival media? Its on here and its super expensive:
http://www.supermediastore.com/category/u/archival-cd-dvd-discs-media

They also have a place in business. We send monthly software updates on them.
And before you list twenty other ways we could do it, this customer has hundreds of workstations not connected to the internet.
National security and all that.

ok so why CD-R and not DVD-R?

 

[theluggage]

Just because Apple wanted it to be...?

There's a difference between "dead" (floppies), "not worth building-in as standard" (optical drives) and "only 'obsolete' in Apple's alternate reality" (USB-A ports, 3.5mm jacks...)

I still need an optical drive occasionally to access old stuff, but it mainly lives in the cupboard and I don't need more than one between my various computers, and I certainly don't need one "on the road". Round about the time Apple dropped optical drives, I'd swapped the optical drive in my MBP for a second HD anyway.

Still buying movies on blu-ray, occasionally, though - online prices for recent movies are still far to high for something that's usually locked to a particular streaming service.

I can see a niche for people who regularly need to distribute data physically and can't, for whatever reason, use the internet, but that's clearly a shrinking pool. If there were a lot of demand for that, I think we'd see more cheap 100-packs of 1-2GB USB sticks.

Not sure I'd trust any current media for archiving (even if your archival DVD-R lasts for 20 years, will they still be making the players?) Inconvenient truth: multi-terabyte digital archives aren't going to survive unless they're properly managed and migrated every 10 years or so.

My car doesn't have aux inputs, so I burn CDs for it.

Again - a good justification, but another rapidly shrinking niche: I think it was 15 years ago that I first bought a (cheap) MP3 car stereo with a USB socket. Faced with a choice of: 1 album per CD vs. ~10 albums per MP3-CD vs. hundreds of albums on a USB stick or bluetooth-connected phone, most people are gonna upgrade their car stereo.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Looks to me that the only people still using CD-R are those trying to playing music in their older cars. Don't think manufacturers will continue production for this super niche market.

any one know what is archival media? Its on here and its super expensive:
http://www.supermediastore.com/category/u/archival-cd-dvd-discs-media


ok so why CD-R and not DVD-R?

Well @Apple fanboy has already obsessed that his workplace uses it for transfer of data, or material in a security sensitive environment; and while cars do represent a use, others still play them in their computers.

I myself use a Superdrive, and some of the Windows machines still have internal drives.

And there is an age issue: While some middle aged or older people are indeed early, or enthusiastic adopters of new technology, they also continue to use the older forms. This is not just reluctance to change, but often a matter of standards, and pronounced personal preferences.

Music aficionados will readily inform you that the quality of downloaded music has not yet reached the same standard as music recorded on CDs; moreover, some of them (and here, I would also include myself) do not like the rentier model of music, and will not willingly support it. The older model, where once you bought the CD (or LP) you owned it, as long as you did not seek to make a profit from it, is far preferable.

 

[bigjnyc]

I do, but I prefer to use CD-RW, rather than CD-R. But I have used both, yes.

I buy CDs, - real ones, 'rip' them, 'burn' them, and I prepare playlists which I give to friends and relatives.

In fact, this very week, I bought several boxes of CD-RWs.

So, yes, to answer your question(s):

1) They still exist, although not everywhere.

2) Some of us still use them, shall continue to use them, and value the fact that they exist.

Aha! so you're the one that's still buying all those CD-RW's

 

[Apple fanboy]

Looks to me that the only people still using CD-R are those trying to playing music in their older cars. Don't think manufacturers will continue production for this super niche market.

any one know what is archival media? Its on here and its super expensive:
http://www.supermediastore.com/category/u/archival-cd-dvd-discs-media


ok so why CD-R and not DVD-R?

I believe it's in the customer specification.

 

[Clix Pix]

Some years ago I replaced the head unit in my car with one which did have an aux port, but in the back of the device, and the cable has the old 30-pin connector on it, as does my 5G iPod. I know I could buy an adapter to use with my iPhone but have never bothered since I rarely take the iPod out to the car with me. I find it's less dangerous for me to stick a CD in and listen to an entire album than it is to be tinkering with the iPod and trying to find something in particular that I want to listen to..... Sometimes on long trips, though, it's fun to just hit the "random" button and listen to a variety of music while driving. I don't like to keep the iPod in the car in extremely hot or extremely cold weather, though, which somewhat limits it.

Undoubtedly my next car will have one or more aux ports which will be easier to use than the current one.....

 

[phrehdd]

Maybe in the west, but this technology is alive and well (and in demand) in other parts of the world.

And, I would expect a small niche market to continue to exist for a good while longer.
[doublepost=1481546946][/doublepost]

Well, not everywhere and not for everyone - for a variety of reasons - as some of the responses on this thread have already made pretty clear.

I didn't say that CD or DVD would be dead but "Archival" quality CD and DVD writable discs may not be offered anymore as people are migrating to other formats. I believe, as said, that CDs and DVDs will be around in many parts of the world for years to come (though in my estimates the archival product line will drop out).

 

[0388631]

I use dual-layer BluRay for large storage. Why not rely on my large home NAS? The data is more critical and I can lock it in a large safe. Why not use a flashdrive? Because they die. SSDs aren't susceptible to magnets, but they do experience data loss if they go long periods without power. This may come as a surprise for some here, but long term storage or cold storage, to be accurate, relies on tape technology. One that's incredibly antiquated but still being worked on. 6 TB of continuous sustained write speeds of 300 MB/s for capacities up to 6 TB. The next generation, LTO 8 is due and it's going to be a few more years until continuous sustained backup rates of over 1 GB/s will be achieved. Consumer prices aren't bad, large orders on small business or even enterprise level are fairly cheap.

There is an argument for streaming. However, when it was introduced, BluRay was for 1080p film. Fair enough, commercial discs ranged from 25-50 GB or more depending on the film. To stream that same film, you use a fraction of that total amount. What you see is not the same quality you'd achieve from disc. Streaming is a convenience option, it is not the same thing as the disc. When 4K becomes more common, the results will be more apparent unless new compression techniques reduce issues with video quality. You're looking at an estimated stream rate of 20-30 GB/hour according to Netflix, and that from what I recall is based on HEVC.

 

[ErikGrim]

I don't think it is necessarily dead, but it depends where you live in the world.

Different parts of the world are in differing stages of death, but that doesn't mean that optical media has a future of any kind.

 

[MechaSpanky]

I wish I could still read my zip and jazz drives.

obeygiant,

Maybe check out ebay. I'm sure that you can find some who has a drive or two up for sale and probably cheap too. I was doing some cleaning recently as I just moved back to my house after a long absence (10 years) and I found an old box of Zip Drives and Zip disks (mostly 100 MB but some 200 MB too) that I had stored away a long time ago. I had two or three drives but they were all SCSI but thankfully I found a USB Zip drive later on! Jazz drives and disks, in my opinion, were horribly unreliable. I never had good luck with them but Zip disks were bullet proof. I handled thousands of Zip disks and I never had one fail but out of the 50 or so Jazz disks that I used, at least three quarters of them went bad, and quickly. I moved on to CD-R's and then to DVD's and then to Flash drives but I still miss the old Zip drives sometimes! I hope that you find a drive! Do you remember the old Syquest disks, I haven't seen them for years!

Mecha

 

[Badagri]

I haven't used or burned a CD in years. Only my 2009 Mac Mini has an optical drive. I'd say the format is deader then a door nail

Is it? What about all those music CD's people purchase? Xbox 360/PS3/Xbox One and PS4 consoles? Even PC games still get printed to disc.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Different parts of the world are in differing stages of death, but that doesn't mean that optical media has a future of any kind.

Well, I actually do believe that it has a future, but very much a niche future, as several have pointed out already here.

 

[maflynn]

Is it? What about all those music CD's people purchase? Xbox 360/PS3/Xbox One and PS4 consoles? Even PC games still get printed to disc.

Ahh, but that's not the question, the OP asked:

I wonder is the CD-R still around?

As for optical disks in general, game consoles are pushing towards digital downloads, and while they still offer optical disks, its their preference to get everyone to embrace downloads. Music CDs are dropping off, and the writing is on the wall for them as well

As for CD-R, more and more computers have dropped the the optical disk and there's really less and less of a need. So again I think the format is dead (or virtually dead).