p.1 #1 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
Not really photography-related outside of the Pelican case element but had a question about the proper way to store CD/DVD/Blu-Ray for long-term (e.g. months, years, etc.). Ideally, I would like to put it all (discs, cases, artwork, etc.) in a Pelican case with desiccant packs, in a NYC garage. I don't really plan on opening up the case often, if at all.
Would this storage solution suffice? I believe the humidity aspect of it would be solved with the sealed Pelican and desiccant, but unsure how it would be affected by the temperature fluctuations from the seasons.
p.1 #2 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
Low humidity is good. Temperature is critical to the degradation progress. There should be some accelerated aging data online, but keep it as cool as possible.
To be practical you should probably store the data on a newer media and/or modality if not on M-Disc.
p.1 #3 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
EB-1 wrote:
Low humidity is good, but temperature is critical to the degradation progress. There should be some accelerated aging data online, but keep it as cool as possible.
You should probably copy the data to a newer media/modality if not on M-Disc.
EBH
Initially, my plan was to rip my Blu-Ray and discard em. But contemplating ripping and then keeping it, for no other reason than to hoard haha
p.1 #5 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
EB-1 wrote:
Maybe I misunderstood, assuming they are your photos burned to disc?
Commercial media is more robust, but similar principles apply.
EBH
Nah, I am talking about actual commercial releases of Blu-Ray movies. Hence, why I mentioned not being really photography-related outside of the Pelican case haha
p.1 #6 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
Do the discs take up too much space to keep in a somewhat climate controlled environment? If so, one option could be to repack them in multi-disc jewel cases. Years ago I bought some that could hold around 8 in clip-in rigid plastic trays (rather than the soft plastic/pvc sleeve style booklets that could scratch media). Of course those jewel cases were around 1" thick, but still provided better storage density than single-disc jewel cases. There are also DVD cases that will accept large numbers of discs if you prefer that case format.
If you have a garage, does it mean you have a house with maybe a cellar/basement where you could store things? While cellars tend to be damp and potential mold factories, if you run a dehumidifier in that space, it should be able to keep things in the <50% range as long as you keep on top of it (like remember to drain the reservoir if you can't run a line directly to a drain). Air conditioning also helps if you operate it to keep a consistent temperature/humidity level. While we have AC, I also bought a dehumidifier that runs most of the day in the basement to keep that space more consistently dry. It definitely adds to the electrical bill but it's the tradeoff so we can actually store things there.
From quickly looking into this topic, the advice seems to be dark storage, consistent temperature and relatively low consistent humidity.
p.1 #7 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
As you said rip them to disk, make sure you have proper backup of your drive with occasional media checks and update the drives every 10 years or so. I have my raid array programmed to perform a monthly consistency check. I think it is fine to put the DVD in a pelican, I'm not sure if that will prolong the life or protect from bit-rot. The only way to know a file is good is to periodically read it, DVD in storage misses that part.
p.1 #8 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
Ming-Tzu wrote:
Nah, I am talking about actual commercial releases of Blu-Ray movies. Hence, why I mentioned not being really photography-related outside of the Pelican case haha
Keep the temperature as low as possible within CRT if you can. A NY garage would not be a great place unless it is actively cooled in the summer.
p.1 #9 · Pelican case + desiccant pack = ideal storage solution for disc media?
EB-1 wrote:
Keep the temperature as low as possible within CRT if you can. A NY garage would not be a great place unless it is actively cooled in the summer.
EBH
Thanks!
Yeah, I have since decided against it. Plus, I realized that I don't have a large enough collection to where I need to store in the garage. It all fits in one big banker's box, which I will hide deep in the closet somewhere.
