The Proof Of The Pudding: CD-Rs Five Years On

The CD-Rs in question were Data-Life-Plus media from Verbatim. They were recorded at the end of '90s with music and were then used in a variety of places: in Hi-Fi units and in a car CD player. Naturally, they were subjected to wide swings in temperature, from about -10°C to 50°C - in a car, you get the whole range.

We decided not to test the images stored on another disc, this one made by Princo. The label is completely discolored - despite being kept properly in a CD stand out of direct sunlight. Only the inner area of both CD-Rs are legible today.

Visible discoloration indicates the detachment of various layers - a normal ageing process or shoddy workmanship? In this case, it is the first, since we really put the Verbatim medium the test.