Having worked with laserdiscs and experienced “laser rot” or delamination, and having seen CDs fail due to case off-gassing or other issues, I decided to worry less about digital long-term ownership and just enjoy content.
Rarely ever had an issue with a CD, and I have thousands. But there are some that have gone bad, which can also be traced back to a particular manufacturer in the early '90s. The WB DVD issue is real and only seems to affect dual-layered discs—something that CDs don't have (except for SACD).
I have a tone of music and movies and no devices to play them back on. Now I have to wonder that my hording was just hoarding and not collecting like I mumble to my wife?
Some early 2000s Disney/Buena Vista and Miramax DVDs are also similarly impacted; they're completely unplayable because players don't even recognize them. Never seen Disney acknowledge this.
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https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-hidden-phenomenon-that-could-ruin-your-old-discs/
https://youtu.be/uuKOkaZJb6Q?si=nVLUXkdeXoHn2lFl