Kodak EasyShare ONE Release Note

KODAK Ultima Lifetime Discussion

The KODAK Ultima CD-R disc is fundamentally the same
as the Gold Ultima CD-R media except the reflective layer material
is changed. The Ultima disc incorporates an alloy containing 24
karat gold which has been selected to provide maximum
performance, as well as improved stability relative to pure silver.
Media recording and playback performance is comparable to Gold
Ultima, and in fact, enhanced compatibility has been found with
the Ultima CD-R.

Ultima Stability

The CD-R industry has been offering customers the option
of purchasing media with a silver reflective layer in place of the
traditional gold layer. This has been done for a number of reasons
including increased reflectivity of the reflective layer, a disc
appearance similar to CD-ROM, and reduced manufacturing costs.
Customers are aware that everyday silver-based products (jewelry,
silverware, coins etc.) can oxidize and tarnish over time. For this
reason, there has been some skepticism about the stability of the
new silver-based CD-R discs. Kodak has shared these concerns,
and has opted not to offer a 100% silver-based CD-R product. We
have found that by using a stable gold alloy, the lifetime of the CD-
R media can be significantly enhanced.
The data life of storage media is a key consideration of
customers. It is also one of the most difficult parameters to
measure, and consequently one of the most misunderstood and
misleading parameters to be reported. By necessity, data lifetime
must be tested under accelerated aging conditions which are well
outside normal storage conditions. These results must then be used
to project an anticipated lifetime at actual storage conditions. The
key problem is how this projection is to be made.
Estimating media life would be difficult enough if lifetime
depended only on temperature. Unfortunately, humidity also plays
a significant role. Atmospheric pollutants could also have an effect,
but due to the encapsulation of the recording layers in a