Re: [ARSCLIST] The ways CD's and DVD's can fail.

[Mike Richter <mrichter@xxxxxxx>]

Tom Fine wrote:
> Larry Miller, former Ampex electrical engineer/designer and one who has 
> sat on several networking protocol standards committees, has written 
> extensively on the Ampex list about error correction and the robustness 
> of error correction protocols. I believe it is unrealistic to expect too 
> low an error rate in burned dye media, but the error-correction has 
> proven very robust over time. Not to say a trashed disc is not a trashed 
> disc, but to say we should not make too much of tiny errors that are 
> easily corrected and accepted in the protocols just because we can 
> detect them.
>
> -- Tom Fine

I have little disagreement with what you offer, but do note that there 
appears to be strong correlation between substantial initial error rate 
and rapid degradation. I have guesses on the causes, but insufficient 
data to go further than to establish the rules for myself. In a similar 
vein, low initial error rates seem to correlate positively with easy 
readability. Again, one can speculate on the causes, but it may be 
enough simply to use reasonably minimized errors as a selection 
criterion for media - along with cost, availability and other factors.

At the least, I recommend to all that burning be limited to speeds near 
that which gives the fewest errors.

Mike
--
mrichter@xxxxxxx
http://www.mrichter.com/