How much heat can regular CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays stand

[Dave2002]

Today is likely to be one of the hottest days so far this year in the UK, with the next couple of days being hotter.

Do we have any idea of how temperature resilient CDs are? For examples, CDs left in a car player?

Actually I don't think I've ever had a problem with CDs left in car players, but the players themselves have gone wrong in hot weather.

I can understand that it's not a good idea to get anything too hot or cold, but is there a range of temperatures over which regular CDs are thought to be good e.g -10 deg C to +30 deg C?

Some CDs sold now are not pressed, so may be very much less resilient against heat - and also light.

OK - the good news is probably that most vinyl LPs and EPs would only be fit for plant pots if left out in heat and light today or on similarly very hot days, but modern discs?

[Sir Velo]

Do they not have CDs in Spain or Greece then?

[Dave2002]

Do they not have CDs in Spain or Greece then?

Probably they do have, but they may not leave them out in the garden to weather!

[Petrushka]

To the direct question, I've no idea but keeping CDs and DVDs out of direct sunlight seems to be the most common sense approach. LPs really suffer in heat, especially high humidity, so one more reason to never play an LP again.

I've bought CDs in Italy in the kind of July temperatures we can only dream of here and they survived the journey back home ok. I played one of them not too long ago and it sounds better than ever.

[Dave2002]

This site gives some recommended temperature ranges - https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub121/sec5.html

I've read elsewhere that CDs can be OK in ranges from around -5 C to up to about 55 C.
Light can be bad news, particularly for writable and rewritable discs.

Apparently one problem is rapid changes of heat, so if some discs get hot, let them cool slowly, and if they get too cold warm them slowly.
There can also be condensation problems, which shouldn't present major difficulties, but should be noticed before any disc is put into a player, and either left to dry off, or wiped off gently and carefully.

[jayne lee wilson]

To the direct question, I've no idea but keeping CDs and DVDs out of direct sunlight seems to be the most common sense approach. LPs really suffer in heat, especially high humidity, so one more reason to never play an LP again.

I've bought CDs in Italy in the kind of July temperatures we can only dream of here and they survived the journey back home ok. I played one of them not too long ago and it sounds better than ever.

(Groucho Marx voice) I've heard of Cryogenics, but this is ridiculous...

[Beef Oven!]

I've bought CDs in Italy in the kind of July temperatures we can only dream of here .......

Take a look out of your window, Petrushka.

[EdgeleyRob]

31 degrees today,cd in portable player fine.

ER,News at 10,Mahon.

[Anastasius]

I'm sure that if we search thoroughly enough we will find a forum of audiophiles having a spat as to the optimum temperature for playing a CD !

[Dave2002]

According to a radio programme yesterday, the temperatures in Iraq go to over 50 degrees C. Do CDs work OK there?

[Bryn]

According to a radio programme yesterday, the temperatures in Iraq go to over 50 degrees C. Do CDs work OK there?

Don't forget the 60 degrees C cited for southern Iraq.

[Ferretfancy]

I'm sure that if we search thoroughly enough we will find a forum of audiophiles having a spat as to the optimum temperature for playing a CD !

The English, though effete
Are impervious to heat

According to my old friend Blu Tack, CDs will survive excess heat better if a green felt tip is used to paint the inside of the centre hole. Go on! You know it works !

[oddoneout]

The references to LPs made me smile and took me back over 40 years when I worked in a record lending library. The best one I saw was a hapless soul who'd left his choice on the parcel shelf of his car, and was so embarrassed when he returned it. With his permission we put it on display as a warning, with a reminder that charges would be made to cover the cost of replacement....Some folks would try and claim that warping must have been present when they took the disc out, in which case they would be directed to the T&Cs re checking discs before borrowing, and then asked to pay.

[pastoralguy]

Ok, I know it's off topic, but I did lose a couple of cassette tapes which melted on the passenger set of my Ford Escort circa 1993.

[Petrushka]

According to a radio programme yesterday, the temperatures in Iraq go to over 50 degrees C. Do CDs work OK there?

I have a relative living in Bahrain where temperatures at this time of year rarely go below 50 degrees. He has a CD collection there and he's not mentioned any problems.