Which physical format will be playable the longest?

The old guy in that video was playing an intentional on-air gag on the younger guy. He dropped it intentionally to so the staff could see what the younger guy would do. The cylinder was blank and not valuable. Every wax cylinder isn't a priceless antique. Some are worth nothing more than paper weights.

Here's a 10 anniversary video by the TWiT crew where they talk about the episode where the guy drops the not very rare and not very valuable edison wax cylinder. Jump to the 2:02:00 mark in the video.

This Week in Tech episode 506 with Leo Laporte video: This Decade in TWiT | TWiT.TV

 

M-Disc...designed to last well over 500 years (They claim 1000 years in proper storage). They come in DVD and BluRay versions to store data. What will they play on in 500 years? That's the question.

 

Heat resistance will become a lot more important once we get to runaway global warming, like what happened to Venus.

 

"Dave 112" is correct.
however the M-Disc DVD is actually more robust than the Blu-ray version.

This is how all optical media should be manufactured.
Then maybe the overall price will come down some.....LOL

seriously though it will supposedly outlast all other media!

 

We need the talking rings from the 1960 Rod Taylor Time Machine movie.

They lasted for millions of years.

 

Digital.

 

Can you name a few ?

 

I don't have any.

There are collectors / aficionados who have them and the players, and play them... and new ones are being made.

Vulcan Records - New phonograph cylinder records

 

Ya this result makes sense. It's an interesting question though. I voted DVD because I thought the limitations of needing a Blu-Ray specific player is what could limit the medium in widespread accessibility, but I've always used DVDs myself anyways, and downloaded the blu ray discs I would acquire so I didn't have to get a whole PlayStation to play Blu Ray (box at the house didn't do Blu Ray)

 

before BD it was DVD...for most of us. : )

 

google it...they are out there!

 

well there won't be anyone to dispute the 500 years...that's funny.

 

A minstrel with a lute.

 

When the grid had gone dark and we’re all paying $1500 for a cup of soup, the question will be moot, so . . . DVD.

 

Yep. Regular CDs and DVDs are much more rugged than BluRay. I say this because very badly scratched regular ( not M-Disc) CDs and DVDs can be aggressively resurfaced to play like new while BluRay discs are much more delicate. I've seen DVDs and CDs that looked like trash but with an intact data layer be brought back to play like new. I've seen BluRays that had minor abrasions be made useless by the damage. BluRays can only endure a mild polishing because the data layer is more fragile.

 

Northing will survive WWIII....

 

All those formats will be playable long after my death.

 

There out there but I haven't heard of anyone using them, except for a demo.

 

there are plenty of collectors out there who enjoy playing them...I'm not one of them.

 

" Collectors " sure but do they enjoy this formate on a somewhat regular basis ?
Not what was told earlier is it ?

 

of course not but that doesn't make it less enjoyable...; )

 

Terry and Phil, Mona, Denise. There’s a few others as well.

 

This !

 

Maybe you're right, but if you look at it, even the big manufacturers continue to offer mid-range and high-end cd-players, and people still buy them. And this without adding the bluray players... as long as the format for sale continues there, there will still be devices to read them.

 

Right, they're still being made... and people still buy them.