CDs and DVDs are things of the past!

CDs and DVDs are things of the past!

It is said that ''The only constant thing is change''. Change has been instrumental for us to survive till now. Change manifested as adaptation which enabled us to survive. This adaptation, change, evolution, etc. is applicable to all the things in this universe. Even the inanimate rocks change. They weather and form sand and soil. No different are the inventions made by man. CDs and DVDs took the world by storm. They simply set a very high and great standard in all the fields where data is associated; be it storing data, video, music, etc. Soon they became omnipresent and were symbols of high quality. They replaced the VHS tapes and vinyl records. But as a rule - everything changes. People are moving towards many other options which are faster, better and portable like pen drives and other mass storage devices. So what will be the fate of CDs and DVDs? Will they go the way of VHS tapes and vinyl records? How fast will they decline? Or will they stay around for long time to come?

Yes they are archaic and won't stick around for long –

1. CDs and DVDs have limited storing capacity and with the increase in size of data, it is preferable to move towards higher storage devices.

2. Most of the cheap CDs and DVDs are writable only once. Thus its usage is limited. There is no erasing a wrongly written DVD. Flash drives and other newer options allow erasing data.

3. Rewritable CDs and DVDs are very costly as compared to newer options like the pen drives. Pen drives can be easily rewritten again and again.

4. One needs software to write or erase CDS and DVDs. The new alternatives host a plug and play feature which makes them much faster to setup and use.

5. The reading speed of DVDs and CDs is limited and slower as compared to other options. Flash drives, external hard disks, etc. are very fast.

6. They are fragile to use. Rough handling and scratches on the disc, render them useless very soon. Pen drives on other hand are robust and are not delicate like CDs/DVDs.

7. We can see how the audio cassette tapes and even the floppy disks have largely become obsolete. Nowadays even software are available online to download or on USB drives instead of CDs. This shows the trend. There has been a considerable increase in alternate options. To survive one must adapt. However, there has not been corresponding increase in CD/DVD storage capacity or reading and writing speeds. Very small changes took place. The DVDs were better versions of CDs and Blu-ray DVDs are trying to replace DVDs. But instead of Blu-ray DVDs people prefer pen drives and memory cards nowadays.

8. These fast developments definitely show that CDs and DVDs are on the decline and will very soon be obsolete. They won’t stick around for long.

No they still are useful and still have life in them –

1. They are known to have high shelf life if maintained properly. The quality of data written remains good for a long time. CD and DVD quality songs are still a standard to be reckoned with.

2. Once written, it is not easily possible to erase the data. So accidental erasing of important file is avoided. Newer options like pen drives are prone to this. There is chance of accidental erasing of the entire content in the pen drives.

3. The ease of use of newer options has also made it more prone to virus attacks. A DVD once written is very less prone to malfunction due to virus.

4. High storage capacity option is now available through the Blu-Ray disks.

5. It will take time for infrastructure to develop all over the world which will support media like pen drives, etc. on all the equipments. For e.g. DVDs are supported in computers as well as DVD players. However, the use of pen drives in TV has just started and will need lot of time to spread.

6. Even though people are opting for pen drives to store content, Blu-Ray remains a superior format attracting all of the top content producers. The HD viewing experience is simply the best with Blu-Ray. Most of the times, this Blu-Ray copy is used to convert to other formats which we access on our pen drives. Thus this Blu-Ray technology will keep the DVDs alive.

7. Also with DVDs, there is sense of protection from piracy. Using pen drives, etc. the level of protection comes one notch below that which is offered by CDs and DVDs.

8. The things which we experience on pen drives, etc. like movies and songs are specifically made for DVD. DVD quality is taken as standard everywhere by content producers.

9. More importantly CDs and DVDs provide a sense of ownership. The physical touch gives a satisfaction which the online copies do not give. Here it is like a collector's item whereas the online copy is just another file. Even a HD copy of a movie in a pen drive cannot replace the grandeur of a DVD.

Thus it’s difficult to predict a date for the demise of CDs and DVDs. However we must realize and accept that one day they will go away and become archaic. Better options are available and we should focus on how to personalize these options. CDs and DVDs gave a personal touch which is lacking in current alternatives. It’s similar to physical books versus the eBooks. Development of better technology in the sphere of CDs and DVDs can give them the much needed life to fight in this competitive world.