Retail DVD degradation?

Tezcatlipoca · 31-07-2005, 22:46

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.

Monster Jedi · 31-07-2005, 22:49

Does anyone smoke in the house

Tezcatlipoca · 31-07-2005, 22:58

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.

Monster Jedi · 31-07-2005, 23:12

try cleaning them

johnnyposs · 31-07-2005, 23:13

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

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

Hom3r · 31-07-2005, 23:14

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

Tezcatlipoca · 31-07-2005, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monster Jedi

try cleaning them

Good idea! Better than just buying another copy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by david.ewles

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

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

).

iron25 · 01-08-2005, 00:04

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.

ntl customer · 04-08-2005, 12:08

Could it be DVD Rot ?

handyman · 04-08-2005, 12:22

SOTL is on offer at asda at the moment, around ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£5 i think.

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

Angua · 04-08-2005, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyposs

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

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntl customer

Could it be DVD Rot ?

Both very useful and informative.

bobna · 04-08-2005, 15:19

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

bdav · 04-08-2005, 15:58

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

http://www.mgm.com/dvd_faqs.do
__________________

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.

Tezcatlipoca · 04-08-2005, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntl customer

Could it be DVD Rot ?

Interesting link!

Quote:

Originally Posted by handyman

SOTL is on offer at asda at the moment, around ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£5 i think.

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by handyman

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

Already got DVDShrink

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdav

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

http://www.mgm.com/dvd_faqs.do

Ta

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

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdav

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.

The deadline for claims was the end of March 2005