Re: Playing PS2 games from a BD-R part 2...
Posted by LaSamourai on .
The study you cited specifically notes it depends on the TYPE of BD-R. It also notes that it's finding is a generalized average, not a universal truth of all BD-R discs. Trust me, I've used them before, I'm well aware of which ones (really it's more like which BRANDS) follow quality tech specs comparable to the longevity of commercially manufactured Blu-Rays (and I'm also aware of which ones are crap).
That study is correct in noting it varies a lot from BD-R type to BD-R type, but given there are certain BD-R brands comparable in longevity and quality to commercial disc manufacturers -- and given not all BD-Rs are alike (BD-REs are the really problematic ones) -- the notion that "BDs are more prone to disc rot than CDs and DVDs" doesn't hold up under corroborated data science. This study also leaves out a LOT of details, and fails to specify whether it's talking about LTH or HTL/MABL discs (the difference really does matter with BD-Rs, as the disc rot and scratch issues tend to be LTH/non-MABL ones) and doesn't really give specifics as far as its testing standards or sources to determine this. I find that last part really important, especially since data scientists have produced several studies with advance aging tests and material analysis largely running in direct opposition to these alleged findings.
Also... this study specifically notes at the end that BD technology has evolved (as in this "data rot" problem was true TEN YEARS AGO, but the technology has improved significantly since they were first manufactured). Even early commercial Blu-Rays had this issue before it was fixed it, and the manufacturing technology has evolved to the point that's no longer a major issue on newly made HTL discs. The above study also specifically notes at the end if you buy BD-Rs manufactured "after x date" they likely won't have this problem.
That study is correct in noting it varies a lot from BD-R type to BD-R type, but given there are certain BD-R brands comparable in longevity and quality to commercial disc manufacturers -- and given not all BD-Rs are alike (BD-REs are the really problematic ones) -- the notion that "BDs are more prone to disc rot than CDs and DVDs" doesn't hold up under corroborated data science. This study also leaves out a LOT of details, and fails to specify whether it's talking about LTH or HTL/MABL discs (the difference really does matter with BD-Rs, as the disc rot and scratch issues tend to be LTH/non-MABL ones) and doesn't really give specifics as far as its testing standards or sources to determine this. I find that last part really important, especially since data scientists have produced several studies with advance aging tests and material analysis largely running in direct opposition to these alleged findings.
Also... this study specifically notes at the end that BD technology has evolved (as in this "data rot" problem was true TEN YEARS AGO, but the technology has improved significantly since they were first manufactured). Even early commercial Blu-Rays had this issue before it was fixed it, and the manufacturing technology has evolved to the point that's no longer a major issue on newly made HTL discs. The above study also specifically notes at the end if you buy BD-Rs manufactured "after x date" they likely won't have this problem.
If you're asking "can I store games on Blu-ray and then load them from the drive into a PC/Mac/Android emulator", then the answer is yes. You could plug any USB BD drive into any PC, Mac, or Android device and it will show up as a standard external storage drive.
However, I would be skeptical of the suitability of BD-Rs for long-term data storage. The risk of scratches is mitigated through proper storage and handling. The real concern would be degradation of the discs over time (disc rot), which BD-Rs are much more prone to compared to CD-Rs and DVD-Rs.
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/longevity-recordable-cds-dvds.html
High quality DVD-Rs have twice the longevity or more than the highest quality BD-Rs while still being large enough to store a PS2 game.
If you're going to be running these games on an emulator anyway, then personally I would just go with network storage. Hard disks won't rot over time, and while SSDs can degrade if they go unused, as long as you power them on on a regular basis the cells won't lose their charge. A NAS server is, in my view, the best solution for local digital media storage. It also has the added benefit of being able to alert you to data loss or corruption if it occurs, whereas an optical disc might rot without you knowing until you go to use it.
However, I would be skeptical of the suitability of BD-Rs for long-term data storage. The risk of scratches is mitigated through proper storage and handling. The real concern would be degradation of the discs over time (disc rot), which BD-Rs are much more prone to compared to CD-Rs and DVD-Rs.
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/longevity-recordable-cds-dvds.html
High quality DVD-Rs have twice the longevity or more than the highest quality BD-Rs while still being large enough to store a PS2 game.
If you're going to be running these games on an emulator anyway, then personally I would just go with network storage. Hard disks won't rot over time, and while SSDs can degrade if they go unused, as long as you power them on on a regular basis the cells won't lose their charge. A NAS server is, in my view, the best solution for local digital media storage. It also has the added benefit of being able to alert you to data loss or corruption if it occurs, whereas an optical disc might rot without you knowing until you go to use it.