I can confirm that this does happen. I've just been through the same thing and thought I was crazy in identifying the label as the cause. Spoken with a major DVD blank distributor and they have confirmed that it is the case that labels can cause problems.

Tracks on a DVD are much closer together and, as such, more prone to any imbalance a label may introduce to a disc.
Some players seem to clamp the discs better than others.
Bet the first hour or so of your disc is fine then it gradually starts breaking up and pixelating? Your disc is written from the centre out. At the centre the wobble isn't so bad. Once you get closer to the edge, the worse it gets.
I even tried sticking the label on first before burning so that any oscilation would potentially be taken into account during burning...no such luck. What it did show that there were two very distint bands, 1-2mm wide, around the disc that looked un-written. Looks like these were the main points of oscilation. These were not present on the just plain blank discs, Even can make it go away come back by sticking on then removing a label. (I'm told spraying the label with WD40 helps remove them. You then wash with normal dishwashing liquid to remove the oil then pat dry very carefully-things we guys have to do!)

I'm now off to buy an Epson 900 (960 in the states). This printer lets you print direct onto printable DVD media.

WHAT are you confirming?

If you can easily remove a label as you said, it would seem to me IT WAS NEVER ON CORRECTLY in the first place. I simply don't understand the logic of such claims, not that I couldn't be proven wrong, I simply don't understand!

Consider the weight of the label (exceedingly trival) and the weight of the ink placed on the label; even more trivial. If the label in properly placed on the disc, meaning it is centered and no part of it overlaps the edge of the CD, no part is unattached, etc., I'm hard pressed to accept it could cause any problem. Over the years I must have easily burned upwards of a 1,000 CD and DVD's. Not once have I even seen any label problem.

The band at the outer end of the disc (easily seen if you hold up to the light) is in fact the "unburned" portion of the disc, which is going to be there label or no label. Are you suggesting that is the cause? Geez, next someone is going to say its the color of the ink. IE certain colors may cause wobble.

Forget distributor's opinions, what have major MANUFACTURERS of disc labels said on the subject if anything?

IMHO

Stick ons are just like most things that you buy, if you pay a little you get little quality.

With that said I do not think you have to give an arm and a leg for labels but just buy some from a respected company. Also if you are trouble with a certain brand we all need to know the brand, don't just simple say you had a label come off and leave it at that. Tell us what brand it is and if it were me I would send the manufacturer a little note.

RogB

I was using heavyweight premium photo glossy labels from NEATO (they peel off if you go slowly). NEATO are aware of the problem and asked me to fill out a ready made questionaire asking for recorder/player/labels/disc etc.

Many manufacturers advise against using labels for just this reason.

The rings I mentioned were seen on the middle and towards the outer edge on only the labelled disc of an identical project I burnt as a trial using one labelled and one un-labelled disc.

Before you go slapping yourself on the back for being wonderful, how about checking into the issue a little further. There are countless threads with people reporting the same thing.

Kind of foolish for people to check on problems they don't have don't you think? Just because SOME people have problems does not mean EVERYONE does. Like I said, never as in not once. I can only report on my experince as you can only report on yours.

I read a recent thread on this in another forum, forget which one. The posts talked about using no wobble labels. No wobble labels!?!? I suppose you have to pay more for those! Exactly what do they do in the manufacture process to make them wobble free? They had links to suppliers that sell them!

A label isn't a label isn't a label. Paper comes in different weights and depending on how closely the manufacturing process is monitored, you could end up with a label slightly heavier on one side than the other. It's exactly the same principle as your car wheels. A tiny difference in weight (lead weights added or removed in a very specific area) is all it takes to make the difference between a smooth and a bumpy ride. At certain spin speeds and areas of the disc vibrations can also kick in.

The label on a CD or DVD disc can't be out of balance to the extent a car's wheels can be. Geez... THINK what we're talking about. If anyone is guessing that, please provide specifics as to weight differences in the ink applied or the placement of it in different places on the label which will introduce this "wobble".

I can at least accept that under certain extreme conditions a label could perhaps get unglued like if there is a defect in manafacture, maybe too much heat or humidity and certainly user error, but if you're suggesting the choice of artwork on the label, the density of the ink on one side opposed to the lack there of on the other will cause the disc to 'wobble' to the extend the disc skips or don't play, PLEASE provide some concrete evidence, because on the surface it sure sounds laughable. I don't know what a disc label weights blank or fully inked up, I don't have a scale that could measure such trivial differences. Do you?

Two points... I'm just having a little fun with you, so don't get so defensive and you got to admit what you're suggesting sounds highly implausible without providing any tangable backup to confirm what you're suggesting.

Ok, here's the scoop. I managed to get the label off the DVD with a blow dryer set at high heat. The label came off much easier that way.

I put the DVD back into the DVD player and all problems disappeared. So I thought, "what if I redo a label and put the new one on, just in case it did not go on properly the first time". This I did, and lo and behold, the problem came back again.

I'm using Stomper Pro applicator with glossy labels on HP DVD disk. The applicator is pretty much fool-proof. THere's no way that the label is going on anyway put perfectly centred.

Conclusion: It seems clear that stomper labels on HP disk do NOT work. I don't know if other manufacturer's disks will work with Stomper labels or not. This is VERY frustrating because I just bought a 200 pack of labels (not cheap). Perhaps other labels are not as thick and would avoid this problem? Again I don't know, but makes me hesitate adding labels to DVD's.


Brian