Retail DVD degradation?
 

A while ago I found that one of my DVDs ("The Terminator", 2 disc Special Edition, MGM release) would no longer play.

Both discs appeared to have "dulled", & did not have the normal shiny DVD look to them. They also both seemed kind of...sticky... to touch.

They'd not been like that before & had always worked before. They hadn't ever been damaged AFAIK, & I hadn't ever leant them to someone else, so there's no way someone else could've ruined them somehow.


I've now noticed another...."The Silence of the Lambs", 2 disc Special Edition, MGM release.

Exact same problem. It will no longer play, yet it did used to before. Same "dullness" & "sticky"ness to both discs. Again, they worked last time I played them (some point last year IIRC), & haven't been leant to anyone else or used by anyone else. Never damaged AFAIK, never had anything spilled on them AFAIK.


I haven't noticed the same problem with any others.... just these two films.


Any ideas?


I've tried Googling, but to no avail.


Eneded up buying a new copy of the Terminator a while back, when I noticed that was screwed. I'll prob now have to get a new SotL too.

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

Does anyone smoke in the house

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

Nope, not in the house.

Have smoked in my room before. But only once, when drunk at a house party & couldn't be bothered to go in the garden.

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

try cleaning them

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

Sounds similar to what happened to a couple of my cd's have a look here.

http://members.cox.net/surround/uhjdisc/bronze.htm

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

There was a story a while ago about CD-ROMs being attacked by a virus/bug that ate the refelective coating.

How are they stored? if they are sunlight this might affect them

I just checked my copy of SOTL and it appears OK

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

Good idea! Better than just buying another copy.



All my DVDs are in their cases, in a bookshelf. No chance of sunlight getting to them (I rarely open my bedroom curtains ;) ).

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

If I was you I would send a letter to the publisher/studio/manufacturer of the dvd and ask about a replacement disk. I put the three choices as I would not know which one to choose. In the past I had a corrupt disk for a computer game and sent it back to the developers and got a free replacement. It's worth a shot, you've got nothing to lose and if it hasn't been ruined by something you have done then it must be a dodgy disk. You shoudn't have to spend money on buying the film again simply because the disk is crappy.

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

Could it be DVD Rot ?

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

SOTL is on offer at asda at the moment, around £5 i think.

Also It might be worth getting a copy of dvd shrink and backing up your disks.

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

Both very useful and informative.

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

my term 2 (special edition) has done excactly the same, won't clean up either.
tried allsorts to get it to play, disc cleaners, polish, even bloody brasso

mgm must use the most crap quality disc's ever

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

There is a contact form for MGM about DVD Faqs here:

http://www.mgm.com/dvd_faqs.do
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Something else, but may help anyway with SOTL:
http://www.mgmdvdsettlement.com

Have a look in the eligable DVD list. SOTL is in there - but because of the way they produced it - they took the 4:3 verision which had the edges of the 16:9 cut off, and to sell it as 16:9, they cut the top and bottom of the 4:3 off, so much of the picture has been lost.

Re: Retail DVD degradation?
 

Interesting link!

Cheers. If cleaning it doesn't work, I'll have a look in ASDA.


Already got DVDShrink :)

Ta :)

Filled it in, but then my message bounced back. Some feedback form eh MGM? :rolleyes:

The deadline for claims was the end of March 2005 :(