Comments

JJKizak wrote on 3/8/2005, 12:08 PM
You might try running it through one of those cheapo cleaners. Sometimes
they work.

JJK
RichMacDonald wrote on 3/8/2005, 1:37 PM
>I have a difficult-to-replace DVD that just won't play at all at one point.

Won't play on a DVD player, your computer, or both?

If you can get your computer to mount it, you might try to duplicate it to a new blank DVD. Do you need help finding software to do that?
BillyBoy wrote on 3/8/2005, 1:37 PM
Sounds more like you or someone else "cleaned" the DVD by going in circles which is he wrong way to do it. The preferred method is use very gentle movement from the center ring outwards. Remember, you're not trying to polish a car. Be very gentle. Besides the gizmo devices that are suppose to clean little scratches, there is also stuff that comes in a bottle and you apply a small amount manually. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
dmakogon wrote on 3/8/2005, 1:47 PM
I've used the SkipDr (http://www.digitalinnovations.com/skipdr/index.html) on several DVDs. Sometimes it works after one pass, but I've had a few discs needing several passes. I use the manually-operated one.

The key to that device is to follow the instructions exactly - including applying the distilled water (the stuff in the bottle) for each pass.

After you clean the disc, it has an interesting outward spiral pattern. Discs cleaned this way (for me at least) have worked in both PC and home theater DVD drives. I've cleaned both pressed DVDs and my own DVD+R burns.

Hope this helps.
B_JM wrote on 3/8/2005, 1:51 PM
buff it gently with furniture polish or very very mild car wax ..

some also swear by aim toothpaste (at your own risk - i never tried it) ..

plastic polish also sometimes is used ...
Coursedesign wrote on 3/8/2005, 1:51 PM
Thanks all.

I'll try the SkipDr.

The disc has never been cleaned, and it won't play anywhere (PC or DVD player).

It has been in an Amaray case for months, can't understand the radial scratches and swirls (extending from the hub outwards). As far as I know, nobody has touched it.
riredale wrote on 3/8/2005, 2:47 PM
Different DVD drives for PCs have very different abilities to play damaged disks. I know one test that www.cdrinfo.com employs involves the use of a test disk containing intentional "scratches" of varying sizes. Some DVD drives are able to read even the worst scratch area. So you might want to try to copy your disk on a different PC.

I've also used the "Skip Doctor" quite a bit, and it usually can restore a disk.
Coursedesign wrote on 3/8/2005, 3:22 PM
I've got 5 late model PCs here and none of them can get past 12:31.

BJ_M's post made me think. Perhaps the only thing that is needed to read the disk is to fill in the scratches with something clear (wax, etc.) to prevent refraction of the laser beam. Same idea as for high magnification microscope preparation.

I still don't understand where these scratches and swirls are coming from. They only cover the recorded area which is about half of the radius.
johnmeyer wrote on 3/8/2005, 4:26 PM
I remember scratching my first CD (commercial audio CD), back in 1985. They cost a fortune back then, and it was a great recording.

In desperation, I went to the garage, and used my buffing wheel. I used the lightest buffing compound I had, and barely touched the surface, and then only for 1-2 seconds at a time (you DON'T want to melt the surface). I've done lots of buffing on plastic over the years, and you can get an almost mirror-like surface. However, it requires a lot of patience (it took me almost seven minutes to buff one scratch), but the result can be vritually perfect. When finished, use a light detergent to remove the buffing compound residue.
JJKizak wrote on 3/8/2005, 4:33 PM
The new foam buffing wheels are geat for not burning. I use the 3m swirl remover available at the auto parts store.

JJK
johnmeyer wrote on 3/8/2005, 5:28 PM
The new foam buffing wheels are geat for not burning. <i/>
riredale wrote on 3/8/2005, 6:11 PM
Just a thought, but about half the radius is about where the edge of a miniCD would be if the two disks were stacked together for a while.
p@mast3rs wrote on 3/8/2005, 7:59 PM
copy it with ISOBuster. Saved me plenty of times on scratched copies. I created an image witht he program and then burned several more copies to prevent the situation from happening again.
Coursedesign wrote on 3/8/2005, 11:30 PM
"Just a thought, but about half the radius is about where the edge of a miniCD would be if the two disks were stacked together for a while."

Good thought, but this one has been [alone] in its Amaray case except when played.

Very odd.

I'm downloading ISObuster as we speak...

farss wrote on 3/9/2005, 3:58 AM
My media supplier sells a CD/DVD cleaning cloth which he assures me will not leave the tiniest mark on optical media. At $22 for 2 it had better be something out of the ordinary but he's not one to make outrageous claims. I believe these things are made in France and are also good for coated lenses etc.
You can find then at www.prodisc.com.au under Accessories.

I realise this will not help in this case in the least, file it away for future reference. Filling the scratch woth something of the same refractive index is not a bad idea, same trick as used in wet gate telecines. Big question is what liquid or wax will be right.
Bob.
JJKizak wrote on 3/9/2005, 5:45 AM
The foam buffer pads have a mount for 5/8 body grinders or buffing tools and are about 8 to 10 dollars.

JJK
B_JM wrote on 3/9/2005, 6:39 AM
they are ripping you off for those cloths ... those are microfiber cloths and you can buy them for as little as 2 or 3$ each .. nikon and others sell them ---

one of the best ive seen was made for home use to polish metal and was super fine and soft ..

..

i got a bunch for free from the local eye glass place - they carry them also , but some are better than others ...

but these are for cleaning - not removing scratches ...

isobuster works very well at waht it does -- but is NO match for DVDDecrypter , not even by a long shot .. basicly becuase DVDDecrypter is made to read bad sectors (which is a newer type of sony copy protection - which worked for about 1 day) ..

but if the scratch is bad enough - those sectors may be skipped and you will notget back all your data (video) , that is why you should fix them first ...