Misc So I have a bunch of empty DVD-R discs. What should I do with them?

[Dust2dust]

Last week, while walking on the sidewalk in the early morning, I saw an abandoned spindle of 50 Verbatim DVD+R discs, brand new, never opened. The owner just decided to throw them away. I picked them up and brought them home, but then I wondered why this guy threw away those discs? I presume he didn't have any use for them anymore, and I can understand. I'm not sure myself if I'm gonna use them. In this age of streaming, there's no need to burn movies on DVDs anymore, and as for backup storage, 4.7 GB is tiny, compared to the TBs of data you have on a typical portable hard disk. How do you use writable DVD-R (or DVD+R) nowadays, guys? Are they of any use in 2024?

 

[SylverReZ]

Last week, while walking on the sidewalk in the early morning, I saw an abandoned spindle of 50 Verbatim DVD+R discs, brand new, never opened. The owner just decided to throw them away. I picked them up and brought them home, but then I wondered why this guy threw away those discs? I presume he didn't have any use for them anymore, and I can understand. I'm not sure myself if I'm gonna use them. In this age of streaming, there's no need to burn movies on DVDs anymore, and as for backup storage, 4.7 GB is tiny, compared to the TBs of data you have on a typical portable hard disk. How do you use writable DVD-R (or DVD+R) nowadays, guys? Are they of any use in 2024?

Use them for creating game backups for maybe chipped PS2 or 360?

 

[RAHelllord]

Yeah, PS2 or 360 game backups / exploit discs are about the only useful thing left for them, unless you think you can turn them into pretty home decor, or use as cheap frisbee.

Considering you found them outside I'd also check for moisture inside the packaging, if it's been raining recently some water might have gotten in and that would dramatically reduce their effective lifespan.

 

[Dust2dust]

Use them for creating game backups for maybe chipped PS2 or 360?

Thanks for the suggestions. But I don't have a 360, and for the PS2, I was using an internal hard disk (HD Loader and independence exploit, if I remember correctly). That was years ago.

Post automatically merged: Apr 20, 2024

Yeah, PS2 or 360 game backups / exploit discs are about the only useful thing left for them, unless you think you can turn them into pretty home decor, or use as cheap frisbee.

Considering you found them outside I'd also check for moisture inside the packaging, if it's been raining recently some water might have gotten in and that would dramatically reduce their effective lifespan.

They looked pretty dry, and the spindle was well shrink-wrapped, so probably not an issue, as much as the issue of what to do with them. I would probably just give them away if only I knew someone nearby who could use them.

 

[Jayinem]

Burn them

 

[Dothackjhe]

If not PS2 ROMs, I'd probably burn OS installers in those.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Make wall art out of them by microwaving them.

Or make shuriken.

 

[Dust2dust]

If not PS2 ROMs, I'd probably burn OS installers in those.

I was thinking it would be a good use, but in my past experiences, OS installers work much better with a USB stick. Oh well, old technology is old. At least I got them for cheap.

 

[N10A]

You can find old software and for creating dvd disc menus and make dvd bootlegs of things like youtube series. There's a few things I've considered doing that for because I think they deserve a physical version.
But I also still use dvds sometimes so that might just be a me thing.

 

[Magsor]

https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-Bubbles-With-DVD-Disk/

 

[eyeliner]

Microwave them!