Millenniata - M-DISC, Write Once and Read Forever

After visiting one of our clients on the weekend he showed me about this new DVD technology which I was quite impressed to read about. I for one have suffered lose of DVD recording after only 5 years even though the manufactures mentioned the DVD is archival for 100 years. The question I have is how can a manufacturer put such a statement on their product when it has not been around for this length of time.

So here is a little information on the M-Disc, and after this information you may want to think about upgrading to this new technology especially since we work in an industry that requires archival material.

From the Millenniata website:

"You might feel like you’re making a “permanent” backup of your files when you copy them onto a DVD or backup to a computer hard-drive, but the truth is these devices suffer from natural decay and degradation.

Current DVD technology uses organic dyes and low laser power to make marks on the data layer of a standard recordable DVD. Over time, these marks become unreadable because organic dyes degrade when exposed to minimal levels of light, heat, and humidity. This means all the data you thought was safely stored could be lost because the discs you used have an average lifespan of only about 3 to 5 years! Why would you risk your data based on an average; hundreds of discs taken into account in that average were corrupt and unreadable after only a few months. With Millenniata, we don’t subject you to the possibility of losing your data. When we say write once and read forever, we mean it.

How does the M-DISC compare to other DVDs and optical drives?

Millenniata utilizes chemically stable and heat-resistant materials that are not used in any other DVD or optical disc! These materials cannot be overwritten, erased, or corrupted by natural processes. The normal laser energy employed to write DVDs or CDs cannot successfully write to the patented inorganic and synthetic materials used in the M-DISC

Data is stored on the M-DISC by physically altering the recording layer and creating permanent voids or holes. DVDs and other optical discs use organic dyes that break down over time, resulting in corrupt and unreadable data. These organic dyes are highly susceptible to temperature, humidity and even sunlight, starting to fade and decay the moment you record data.

Millenniata’s recording process utilizes higher temperatures and as much as 5 times more energy than any ordinary optical disc. This allows for permanent engraving on the M-DISC, what we refer to as pits. These pits are not affected by temperature, humidity and sunlight the same way dyes are, because the pits are permanent. This means when you burn data onto the M-DISC, it will last as long as you need it to."

For more information you can visit the Millenniata website here