Jun 23 - The Unfortunate Return of Self-Destructing DVDs
The self-destructing DVD is trying to make a comeback and the idea is just as bad as it was a few years ago when David Tynan of PC World rated it one of the worst tech products of all time. Amazingly enough, a German Firm is rolling out the technology again with the same premise and the same problems: The adhesive reacts with oxygen when a consumer unseals the package, starting a chemical reaction that renders the disk unreadable after 48 hours, after which the disk is thrown away.
Earlier attempts to market this product have failed due partially to vocal opposition from environmental groups including CAW:
Self-destruct DVDs are not a new idea. In 2003 Flexplay, an Atlanta, Georgia technology company, introduced disposable DVDs using its own self-destruct technology, dubbed ED-D. This was met with fierce criticism from environmental groups, who slammed the notion of throwaway DVDs.
The idea that you build obsolescence directly into an otherwise durable product is wasteful and irresponsible. Beyond images of landfills piling up with spent disks, the problem with this is the idea that you are mining precious virgin resources to create a product that is essentially permanent, yet only has an effective lifespan of hours. Furthermore, consumers can already avoid the "inconvenience" of returning a rental to the store through on-demand and digital download services that are already cheaper and more convenient.