Hi folks...been a minute since I’ve been on this forum. To that end, I’m doing my 2020 office clean out and one of the things I need to get rid of is about 500 one pass XDCAM discs. I’ve sold about that many several years ago but now nobody shoots XDCAM much and I’m stuck with all these discs. My question: Is there a place where these disc can be literally recycled rather than tossing in the garbage bin? No longer thinking of selling any but will entertain either donation or responsible disposal.
Thanks and happy 2020 everyone!

There has got to be someone out there who is still using a disc based XDCAM camera, even if it is a rental house.

Andrew
(contented XDCAM shooter)

I remember a few years ago I had 25 discs, couldn't give them away, ended up in the tip.

A different use for XDCam discs.

If you have a Sony PDW-U1 or U2 drive with the latest FAM, 5.1 firmware it will format discs with an additional folder called "UserData." This new folder will allow you to use XDCam discs as data discs within the following parameters:

"The “UserData” folder was introduced in the XDCAM HD 422 products (i.e. PDW-700 and PDW-HD1500) running version 1.2x firmware. The UserData folder enables users to store any files (i.e. graphics or XDCAM EX format SxS card images) on the XDCAM disc and use nearly the full capacity of the XDCAM disc (i.e. approximately 21 GB on a 23 GB PFD-23 disc and approximately 46.4 GB on a 50 GB PFD-50 disc). Naturally, this capability also means that these files reduce the video/audio recording time. However, files in the UserData folder cannot be directly played back by the XDCAM disc machine.

Firmware is available here:

https://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/xdcamdrive

What this does offer you is a very secure optical format to archive mission critical files. Documents, photos, music, video etc.

Chris Young