M-DISC

M-DISC, Write Once and Read Forever™

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.

The M-DISC undergoes a permanent physical change that does not fade or deteriorate. Typical DVDs and CDs use dyes that break down over time resulting in corrupt and lost data.

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

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 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.

The inorganic rock-like data layer is one of the unique features of the M-DISC setting it apart from DVDs and CDs. The voids and holes illustrated above do not degrade over time due to the natural processes that affect organic dyes used in all other optical discs.

How do we know?

The Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake tested the M-DISC against the best conventional archival discs on the market produced by Mitsubishi, Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden, Delkin and MAM-A. The conditions were based on the 85°C/85% relative humidity industry test standard, supplemented with full-spectrum sunlight. The Navy’s goal was to simulate conditions at sea or in combat, which experience has shown to be a disc killer. The conclusion? The M-DISC suffered no data degradation at all while discs from Mitsubishi, Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden, Delkin and MAM-A failed after the stress period.

The Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake has published these conclusions in the study, “Accelerated Life Cycle Comparison of Millenniata Archival DVD.” Conventional optical discs subjected to the same level of testing failed within 2 days while the M-DISC was not affected.

Once written, the M-DISC can be read or played on any quality DVD drive that supports the common DVD+R/RW format. Most DVD drives that were manufactured after 2005 and almost all Blu-ray or BD drives support this format. Find out more information on DVD+R formats by clicking here.