CDs Predesigned to Fail

Out of curiosity, does anyone here know of a CD that's designed to have a prespecified life, after which it rapidly destroys the data on it? I've heard they exist, but never seen one before.

Thanks for any help guys!!

TheBorg :-)

They tried with dvds.

www.youtube.com...

I think you're talking about Flexplay.
en.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: TheBorg

Everything is pre-designed to fail, it's called "engineered obsolescence" lol. CD's and DVD's though, do experience "bit-rot" after about 4-6 years.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: TheBorg

I don't think so. All my CD's that aren't scratched to # still play fine. Even the ones I burned # knows how long ago using old first generation CD burners.

a reply to: TheBorg

What’s a CD?

a reply to: TheBorg
Hmm, sounds like spy level stuff!
"This tape will self destruct in..."
Whatchoo up to, haha?

No they aren't.
I have had CD's since the early 90's that work just fine. And my Dad had some from the 80s.

a reply to: TheBorg

Circuit City had a line of products like that under the DIVX label in the mid to late 90's. I recall it being used for movies and that they had their employees pushing it hard - even harder than service plans - as they'd put a lot of their corporate eggs into that basket.

That said I cannot recall if they did the same with music CD's - though I feel like they maybe did with song singles as I seem to have a partial memory of it - but not a firm enough memory to recall if it was real or just something I thought at the time.

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle
a reply to: TheBorg

Everything is pre-designed to fail, it's called "engineered obsolescence" lol. CD's and DVD's though, do experience "bit-rot" after about 4-6 years.

Cheers - Dave

There is no such thing as "engineered obsolescence"
That started when the term MTBF started.
Folks thought that was some kind of big tech conspiracy .
It isn't

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle
CD's and DVD's though, do experience "bit-rot" after about 4-6 years.

Even more so in the case of home-recorded DVD's, as I'm in the middle of discovering while I work my way through a decayed collection.

a reply to: chris_stibrany

I had some cassettes from late 60's....play fine...

But the petroleum based tape gets brittle over years

I had to throw away a good chunk of my CD collection, because of this issue. I wanted to re-rip them as accurate copies recently and ran into big issues with errors. They do deteriorate over time, but I think it's because I chose to store them in stacks on spools that they may have deteriorated quicker than they might have in cases. That and the occasional scratches from use.

Nothing lasts forever. Everything decays over time. It's why I have backups of my backups of my backups of my backups, on external hard drives.

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle
a reply to: TheBorg

Everything is pre-designed to fail, it's called "engineered obsolescence" lol. CD's and DVD's though, do experience "bit-rot" after about 4-6 years.

Cheers - Dave

There is no such thing as "engineered obsolescence"
That started when the term MTBF started.
Folks thought that was some kind of big tech conspiracy .
It isn't

Actually, I believe you're wrong and I can say that from experience. I once designed a Variable Frequency Inverter than could handle up to 250+ hp. I used special International Rectifier hexfets, that under normal operating conditions (without molecular migration) would last roughly half the age of the earth. It was right in IR's specs and because they are so robust, I also used them in my Adiabatic Reactor and Tokamak I built under NRC contract. The point though is that my employer told me, concerning the VFI, that I had better find parts that would "wear out" in 3-4 years or the product couldn't be sold.

I also worked for GM in London in the Locomotive/Heavy Equipment Engineering (Terex Trucks) Plant, same thing, materials should last beyond the warranty, but not to make "a habit of it being too far past warranty." When I worked in building automation engineering, the engineered obsolescence was built in as it was more systems integration. Same thing when I worked in Analytical Instrumentation Engineering, the analytical instruments had an operational life. What was nice though was they never had to change the systems, just GC columns, filter elements and analyzers.

The only places that allowed me to use truly long lasting components were the NRC, SDI, DARPA, Armscor/PMP/Atlas (paramilitary), SADF/QMG (the Military) and CI. You'll note that they are all government research and/or military/intel. Any OEM supplier of products for commercial or individual sales requires that "replacement" issue to be fulfilled every 4-6 years, otherwise, they'll likely go broke. Just an observation from direct experience working in both areas.

Cheers - Dave

originally posted by: DISRAELI

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle
CD's and DVD's though, do experience "bit-rot" after about 4-6 years.

Even more so in the case of home-recorded DVD's, as I'm in the middle of discovering while I work my way through a decayed collection.

How can one erase history if it is written in the technology of indelible ink?

Cheers - Dave

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle

originally posted by: Gothmog

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle
a reply to: TheBorg

Everything is pre-designed to fail, it's called "engineered obsolescence" lol. CD's and DVD's though, do experience "bit-rot" after about 4-6 years.

Cheers - Dave

There is no such thing as "engineered obsolescence"
That started when the term MTBF started.
Folks thought that was some kind of big tech conspiracy .
It isn't

Actually, I believe you're wrong and I can say that from experience. I once designed a Variable Frequency Inverter than could handle up to 250+ hp. I used special International Rectifier hexfets, that under normal operating conditions (without molecular migration) would last roughly half the age of the earth. It was right in IR's specs and because they are so robust, I also used them in my Adiabatic Reactor and Tokamak I built under NRC contract. The point though is that my employer told me, concerning the VFI, that I had better find parts that would "wear out" in 3-4 years or the product couldn't be sold.

I also worked for GM in London in the Locomotive/Heavy Equipment Engineering (Terex Trucks) Plant, same thing, materials should last beyond the warranty, but not to make "a habit of it being too far past warranty." When I worked in building automation engineering, the engineered obsolescence was built in as it was more systems integration. Same thing when I worked in Analytical Instrumentation Engineering, the analytical instruments had an operational life. What was nice though was they never had to change the systems, just GC columns, filter elements and analyzers.

The only places that allowed me to use truly long lasting components were the NRC, SDI, DARPA, Armscor/PMP/Atlas (paramilitary), SADF/QMG (the Military) and CI. You'll note that they are all government research and/or military/intel. Any OEM supplier of products for commercial or individual sales requires that "replacement" issue to be fulfilled every 4-6 years, otherwise, they'll likely go broke. Just an observation from direct experience working in both areas.

Cheers - Dave

Well , I will not say where I work (and have for decades) , but there is nothing called "engineered obsolescence"
Again , that started as a "conspiracy theory" with SCSI drives (which were the first to have a MTBF)
That was debunked soon after the conspiracy theory started.

a reply to: underwerks

What’s a CD?

Aren't you a leftist? If we tell you we have to "kill you"

a reply to: Gothmog

There is no such thing as "engineered obsolescence"

I lost my hardcover copy of Vance Packard book that discussed this
en.wikipedia.org...

The Waste Makers is a 1960 book on consumerism by Vance Packard. It was bestselling when it was released.[clarification needed] The book argues that people in the United States consume a lot more than they should and are harmed by their consumption.

Reviews
One reviewer said that the book is an examination of how economic growth became thought to be a virtue.[4]

Another reviewer said that the book describes the manipulation of ordinary people by business interests.[5] The reviewer for Commentary noted that Packard had made harsh attacks on businessmen.[6]

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

How can one erase history if it is written in the technology of indelible ink?

This why I'll never save anything to some cloud. "Not under my control or my real estate" means anyone can manipulate it.