Media preservation

Even prints from commercial photo labs will start to fade in a matter of years if not processed properly and stored in cool, dry environments.

Polyester sleeves, acid-free folders, and pH buffered document boxes are common supportive protective enclosures whose selection must match the media's chemical and physical properties.

[3] Conventional CDs and DVDs have finite shelf-life due to natural degradation of the dye; the newer M-DISC uses inorganic material technology to produce molded DVDs and Blu-Rays (up to 3-layer 100GB BDXL) with a claimed lifespan of 100-1000 years if stored correctly with most BD & BDXL rated read/writers enabling the higher power mode for the M-Disc format after 2011.

[5] Improvements in media storage and migrations to new recording technologies can make certain formats obsolete within their respective lifespan.

Audio and video tapes require specific care and handling to ensure that the recorded information will be preserved.

Severe binder can cause the magnetic material to fall off or sheds from the base, leaving a pile of dust and clear backing.

This weakens the affected tape's readability, leading to reduced sound clarity and volume or picture hue and contrast.

Along with the actual media being degraded over the years, the machines that are available to play back or reproduce the audio sources are becoming archaic themselves.

Even if the medium is vaulted and archived correctly, the mechanical properties of the machines have deteriorated to the point that they could do more harm than good to the tape being played.

That way, even if the digital platform manufacturer goes out of business or no longer supports their product, the files can still be played on any common computer.