Gold Archive CDs & DVDs

Why use a gold DVD or CD? Gold CDs and DVDs deliver a much longer life than standard CDs which have a silver reflective layer. Using gold as the reflective layer stops the metal from oxidizing over time. By using the gold reflective layer a CD can have a shelf life of over 300 years and a DVD can last over 100.

Of course the gold is just part of the equation. Using the right recording dye is just as important, as the dye must resist reacting to office and sun light, but react well to the light on the laser. A recordable disc uses an organic dye to create the pits to hold the data, where a normal CD-ROM has the pits pressed during the manufacturing process. A quality dye will create pits very similar to a pressed pit, making the disc more readable in more drives in the field.

The plastic, or polycarbonate, plays a key role as well. On CD the size of the disc must be standardized in order to fit in the most drives. On a DVD, the bonding agent between the discs must be resistant to breakdown from humidity changes and impact.

Media Supply carries Mitsui/MAM-A Gold CD-R and DVD-R, as well as the new Verbatim gold CD-R and DVD-R.

Mitsui/MAM-A developed the use of gold discs for archival purposes, perfecting the combination of gold reflective layer with premium dye. They have been the standard for archive and pro-audio users for over 10 years. Verbatim is new on the scene, with product developed by their parent company Mitsubishi Chemical. The Verbatim gold is slightly different; it combines a gold and silver reflective layer, combining the longevity of the gold with the higher reflectivity of the silver.

Mitsui/MAM-A is the standard for archival CD-R and DVD-R, featuring a 300 year archival CD life and a 100+ year DVD life. Mitsui/MAM-A gold archive CD and archive DVD feature Mitsui Chemical's exclusive dye materials, when combined with a gold reflective layer, make for a disc that is resistant to light and heat.

MAM-A/Mitsui has tested their Gold reflective layer CD-Rs with their Mitsui dye, to withstand the full spectrum of light, same as the sun, for 100 continuous hours without damage.
Using data from tests like these, industry standard guidelines predict that MAM Gold CD-R will last greater than 100 years! (In fact, if you extend the data, MAM-A predicts a lifetime of up to 300 years before failing at the Orange Book limit of 220 CPS)