How reliable is the data stored on bare DVD-RAM discs ?
Ordinary levels of dust and fingerprints can be wiped off the disc with a cleaning kit and do not affect the data quality. Minor scratches will not affect data. DVD-RAM drives incorporate extensive defect management and error correction capabilities which are much more powerful than any solutions implemented up to now. These added capabilities are significantly more capable of recovering data than previous solutions. Obviously, the data has more protection in the cartridge or in the bare disc case. But with careful, intelligent handling, data can be read from the media hundreds of times for at least the next 30 years.
