This comment is a common misconception also attached to CD's. In my
experience, CD's are MUCH more durable than cassette tapes. There is no
physical wear when they are played, as lasers read the information from the
disk. DVD's are read the same way. Unlike circulating videos, DVD's will
never pass through heads that have never been cleaned, thus are less likely
to be damaged. That said, the only possibility of damage to a DVD might
result from dropping or scratching the disk. However, like CD's, scratches
can be polished out and the original flawless picture restored. Anything
less than "keying" a DVD disk is relatively easily repairable.
Finally, the picture quality of DVD's will not degenerate over time and use
by the public. Remember, repeated playing of videos actually damages the
tape, as the picture is actually being rubbed off by the heads. With DVD's
that is not the case...
My two cents,
Torrance Public Library