I just installed an operating system using a DVD+RW, a technology from the late 90s [1], in 2018. Although I like history, I wasn’t just being ‘retro’ :wink:

Here are the reasons I can think of for using a DVD (or other form of 12 centimetre diametre optical disc) years after the USB memory stick and downloading everything got popular.

Why discs can still be useful

Discs can beat USB sticks for offline use because of these reasons:

  • Installers originally designed to run from optical discs are usually more reliable from disc than from USB sticks
  • For small data, discs are cheaper than USB sticks
  • It’s harder to modify stuff stored on the ‘-R’ type of disc (by mistake or by computer malware)

These properties are an advantage for the following:

Operating system installation

I found, especially for Linux distributions, that the CD or DVD install is more reliable. You don’t run the risk of the installer being dumb and attempting to install to the (writable) USB stick. Additionally, I find it easier to burn a disc than to format a USB stick correctly for a UEFI installer. That said, if you know a USB stick install option works properly for the operating system or software you’re installing, then use the USB because the installation will be faster. A DVD can be read at a rate of about 21 MB/s [2], while a (higher end) USB stick can operate at over 100 MB/s [3].

Sending small files with physical media

If you’re sending small files to someone with no Internet connection (or behind some strange policy that disallows them from using their Internet connection), and you don’t expect / want them to give you the media back, then discs might be the cheapest option. By ‘small’, I mean something that fits on one or two discs. We don’t want to repeat the era of ‘Please insert disc 6’!

Backup

Simiilar to the use case of transferring small files to others, you can also back up small files for yourself using optical discs. If your stuff will fit on a small set of discs, you can use the recordable ‘-R’ version (rather than the ‘-RW’, ‘-RAM’, or ‘-RE’) of the discs to make an archive.

I mention using the recordable version, because the rewritable versions don’t last as long. For example, I burned some DVD+R and DVD+RW discs back in 2006, and tried them earlier this year (2018, a dozen years later). The DVD+R still had the data, but my computer told me the DVD+RW discs were corrupted. I then ‘erased’ the DVD+RW disc from all that time ago, and I’m still using it today :) Since the discs are so cheap, using the recordable media prevents you from accidentally deleting your backups.

That said, just like any backup plan, you don’t want discs to be your only copy. They can degrade or get damaged!

Dealing with compromised computers

If you’re fixing / investigating a computer that you think is compromised (you think it has malware), then optical discs are a great way to move antivirus or forensic software to the compromised computer. Again, use the ‘-R’ type of disc or destroy the media when you’re done if you want to avoid spreading the malware. (It’s your choice if you’re paranoid enough to think the malware can fire lasers at a DVD-R in just the right way to infect it instead of just corrupting it.)

Conclusion: Optical discs still have their niche

Optical media past its prime right now, but it’s not completely dead yet. Discs are cheap sacrificial storage for sending small data one time, or for examining a compromised computer. There’s also operating system installers and programs that work better with discs just because they were designed when discs were in their prime.

References

[1]. LGR. (2017). The 1997 DVD-ROM Upgrade Experience [Video]. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amhqdbj0vpQ

[2]. iFixit. (2013). Optical Drive Performance. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from https://www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Optical_Drive_Performance

[3]. Kingston Technology. (2018). Personal drives, HyperX Savage. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from https://www.kingston.com/en/usb/personal_business/hxs3

[4]. Aseem Kishore. (2012). Difference between BD-R, BD-RE, DVD-R, DVD+R. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from https://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/difference-between-bd-r-bd-re-dvd-r-dvdr/