long-term study of archival nature of CD-R and CD-RW

independent.co.uk published a fascinating story on the real lifespan of CD-R discs. Even under ideal conditions, many discs had data errors after just two years. The article recommends CD-RW as a more stable recording medium, as CD-Rs use dies that fade over time, but CD-RWs work by changing the characteristics of a metal layer in the disc.