Static charge on DVD media?

[redbolter]

I use blank dvds to record tv shows using dvd/hdd(internal hard disk drive) recorder hooked up (via daisy chain) to tv.

I am fortunate enough to live in a place which provides super-cheap basic cable to residents via coax and a 99cent/month, non-programmable, digital channel tuning box (DTA). The monthly price of renting the cable company's dvr would double my bill, so it has always made more financial sense for me to buy my own dvd/hdd recorder and record right to dvds for time-shift viewing, or transfer stuff off the hdd I haven't watched yet to dvds when the hdd gets full.

Of course, the 'financial sense' part only applies because I use the cheapest blank dvds I can find, buying in bulk, on sale. Buying jewel cases or even quality paper envelopes would push the price per recorded hour up enough so that I'd be better off with the higher cable bill and using their 'on demand' & dvr service. So for dvd storage/labeling (when I actually get around to it) I use the envelopes from junk mail. (If you cut a business-size envelope in half, and flip one half upside-down, you can use one half to cover the bottom of the dvd and the other to cover the top, layering them together, and the static/friction from the interleaving of the envelope sides makes it easy to protect the dvds from dust and light and scratching, and store them upright in a shallow bin that I can flip through.)

Remember, I'm not going for longevity of the dvds, only frugality. And part of the frugality is not gumming up the dvd recorder with dusty dvds. I feel like I probably BLOW on about half the dvds going in the recorder, because whether they are coming right from a new spindle or from an old envelope, especially in the dry (Wisconsin) winter, I usually feel like I can see dust on them. (Also, when you blow on the dvd, you can check for dye imperfections, scratches, etc.)

Am I wrong to think these dvds have gotten a static charge which attracts dust to them? Am I wrong to think that the static charge itself, not just the dust, is bad for the dvd recorder? Is there a good way to clear the charge from the dvd? From the recorder itself? Is the charge so minuscule that it's insignificant to the electronics?

[lordsmurf]

Interesting question.

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Originally Posted by redbolter

he monthly price of renting the cable company's dvr would double my bill, so it has always made more financial sense for me to buy my own dvd/hdd recorder and record right to dvds for time-shift viewing, or transfer stuff off the hdd I haven't watched yet to dvds when the hdd gets full.

I just want to archive/keep it, in case it's never shown on TV again. That happens.

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Of course, the 'financial sense' part only applies because I use the cheapest blank dvds I can find, buying in bulk, on sale.

Yeah, that's no good. I bet many are marginal or bad burns. See: http://www.digitalFAQ.com/reviews/dvd-media.htm

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I use the envelopes from junk mail.

That's probably not good, either. Most DVD sleeves are using a type of paper that won't scratch discs. 100 sleeves is about $4-5, online and even offline (Walmart, Frys, Microcenter). Many also release lots of dust.

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Remember, I'm not going for longevity of the dvds, only frugality.

I don't see the point if being too frugal wastes time on making something that won't work.

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And part of the frugality is not gumming up the dvd recorder with dusty dvds.

Dust is terrible for optical electronics.

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I feel like I probably BLOW on about half the dvds going in the recorder

Canned air (duster) = good. Spit-laden blowing = bad.

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Am I wrong to think these dvds have gotten a static charge which attracts dust to them?

Perhaps. But most dust is just being dust. Static or not, it's going to be there. The biggest issue is location and cheap storage. Some places are just dustier than others, too.

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Am I wrong to think that the static charge itself, not just the dust, is bad for the dvd recorder?

It is. This is what kills most DVD players and DVD recorders. Same for CD and Blu-ray. People always worry about disc longevity, but the real worry is actual reader/player longevity. What's the use of a 100-year burn if nothing can read it?

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Is there a good way to clear the charge from the dvd? From the recorder itself? Is the charge so minuscule that it's insignificant to the electronics?

It is tiny. The best defense is the canned air, in moderation, without spewing the liquid propellant.

FYI: The same issue affects digital cameras. Those are optical electronics as well.