DVD rot!!!!

meva

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I was enjoying watching my copy of the Aliens special edition (region 1) dvd this evening until I got to chapter 14(just after the layer change)when the picture and sound started to behave like Sky digital during the worst storm (freezing,blocking,etc).I've just done some research and I think the disc may be suffering from dvd rot.I had a few laserdiscs go the way of the rot and was hoping this wouldn't happen to dvds.I wonder how many of my collection will end up as expensive coasters.I'm trying to e-mail Fox video in the U.S to see if they can do anything(anyone got an e-mail address for them?)The disc was bought in the U.S so I can't take it back to the shop.
 
More likely to be laser mis-alignment (or dodgy laser pickup) as this can happen after a while.

What Player ?
How old is the disc ?
How many times have you played it ?
How old is the player ?
 
The R4 alien boxset which also zoned R2 has had the same problem with some of the disc's.

I have already exchanged my boxset here for a new due to dvd rot (layer seperation).

I had the same problem with Toy Story 2.
 
This sounds like DVD damage to me. Gold coloured dual layer discs are fragile. We've found that you should always release them from the caddy by pressing the central section of the case and tipping the box upside down to let the disc fall out. Pulling the disc out from the edges and curving it upwards damages either the reflective layer or the laminate. This causes the layer change area to blcok or crash. Most, if not all our dual layer discs on dem are affected this way. Single layer discs are much more robust.

I now re-locate new purchased discs which come in awkward packaging in to a CD carry pouch for safe keeping.

Hope this is of some use.

Gordon
 
CW2000 i don't think it's the player as i have 2 dvd players and the same thing happens on both.The disc is approx 12 months old but it was the 1st time I'd watched it,rats!!
Gordon,that is very interesting,I had a real job getting the disc out of the packaging.
Thanks for the feedback,hopefully Fox in the U.S will replace it,if I can reach them.
 
unlikely to be rot in the same way as a laserdisc as this appears in the form of artefacs, not blocking, this is more likely a dirty disc.
 
I have had some trouble with discs that have had to prized out of their stupid cases. Do DVD's rot in the same was a LD's though? I thought this was to do with LD's plastic coating deteriarating through contact with oxygen?
 
Ars?! The disc is not dirty,as I said it was the 1st time I'd watched it ( also that was the 1st thing I checked).I, like everyone else, don't want to believe that my dvds can go tits up in no time,but it looks like that is the case.At least they are nowhere near as expensive as LDs to replace.
 
laserdiscs rotted due to contamination of the glue which was used to stick them together. Most laserdiscs that rotted came from sony's plant in indiana, where the clean environments were not, apparantly rodents crapped in the glue, so it is best to check discs with certain letters just outside the label in the centre. HQ circuitry can go some way to rectifying this, but cannot remove completely the white spots.

other companies whose discs rotted aparantly replaced them, but sony denied there was problems with the discs.

LD's are now pretty cheap to replace given the state of the market, just exceedingly difficult to find.

we may have an indiana equivalent of dvd's, it would be interesting to find out if others have had problems with discs form this plant.
 
I had this problem with some of my dvd's. The last time i watched Blade (r1 New Line Platinum), it blocked up toward the end and crashed my player (pioneer 717)and now my r1 Matrix is showing signs of dying (blocks and stuff throughout). i think there's some more but i can't remember which ones.

The interesting thing about these two is that they are both made by Warner. They are immaculately clean (fussy 'bout that) and i have worse discs where they've turned up and the discs haven't been attached to the case, just rattling around inside. My Wedding Singer is horrificly scratched cos of this and yet it plays fine and has crispy picture and sound.

I guess this is something we'll all have to put up with and just replace the discs we want to keep watching. Not good enough really but what can we do?
 
yes there is, get in touch with the manufacturer and ask them to send you a new one.

were it r2, british law would cover it from defective workmanship for one year after purchase.

As Us is (evidently) not in the EU, i doubt you'd have any sort of cover unfortunately.
 
Well,my knackered disc is from Fox.anyone got Rupert Murdoch's e-mail address?
 
Seems like a strange coincidence but my R2 copy of Aliens did exactly the same thing. Started stuttering badly at the layer change.

This has never happened on any other disc I've bought or rented. The shop exchanged it without quibble.

DF
 
Originally posted by Ars longa, vita brevis:
<STRONG>yes there is, get in touch with the manufacturer and ask them to send you a new one.

were it r2, british law would cover it from defective workmanship for one year after purchase.

As Us is (evidently) not in the EU, i doubt you'd have any sort of cover unfortunately.</STRONG>


Sale of Goods Act covers you for upto 6 years (manufacturers Warranty is in addition to that)
 
6 years - is that right?! Guess you'd have some difficulty proving the disc had only been watched once in that time, but I can think of some in my collection that description could definitely apply to - anyone seen Pi? :D
 
Originally posted by Black 5:
<STRONG>6 years - is that right?! Guess you'd have some difficulty proving the disc had only been watched once in that time, but I can think of some in my collection that description could definitely apply to - anyone seen Pi? :D</STRONG>


and it's only faulty discs that will get covered by the Sale of Goods Act

If you open a dvd, watch it, decide you don't like it and try to return it then you are not covered by the sale of goods act and so it's the retailer that decides if they will refund you or not
 
So the question is, does anyone ever keep a receipt for a disc for 6 years? :D
 
Originally posted by General Skanky:
<STRONG>So the question is, does anyone ever keep a receipt for a disc for 6 years? :D</STRONG>

You don't need the Receipt (another bit of protection given by the Sale of Good Act)

If the store refuses you can contact trading standards etc to get them to take action.
 
But how do you prove you bought it from them?
Or doesn't it matter? Which would explain why shops like HMV take stuff back regardless!
 

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