How Do I Store my DVD Collection?

Q: How can I store my DVD collection? I assume the original case is probably the best option but I have hundreds of movies and they are taking over my home.

A: When storing your DVD collection, you want to:

1. Protect the discs from scratches. Polycarbonate, the material used to make optical discs, is very strong. If it gets too many scratches or nicks on its surface, however, the DVD player’s laser won’t be able to focus on the data beneath the polycarbonate, rendering it unreadable.
2. Protect your DVDs from warping and bending. Store your discs vertically (like a book). Prolonged horizontal storage can warp the disc, which means it wouldn’t spin properly in the drive.

What is the Acidity of Your CD Sleeves?

Q: Are your CD sleeves acid-free? I'm specifically wondering about DSP32FC (Polypropylene), IPCGW1/WHT (Tyvek) and UNCDPRO (Univenture Polypropylene).


A: Usually when people ask about the acidity/alkalinity of a product it's because they are interested in the product's archival properties. (Because of the use of acid-free papers in archiving documents.) So, I'm going to gear my answers toward archival applications. 

How Do I Archive My CD-Rs and DVD-Rs?

Q: What's the best way to store DVD (Taiyo Yuden premium) discs? We're in the middle of a large project in which we're digitizing and archiving 3/4", M-2 and BetaCam tapes from the 1970s.

A: You've already taken an important first step by purchasing quality discs from a trusted distributor. Disc quality is the single biggest influence on the longevity of your data. (For more information on disc quality, read Not all DVD-Rs, CD-Rs Are Created Equal and Your CD-R and DVD-R Questions Answered, both of which are great primers on this topic.)

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