AVS Forum banner

Blu-ray Discs Rotting??

40K views 65 replies 43 participants last post by  discspinner 
#1 ·
So I pulled out my Speed disc the other day and it was not recognized in my PC drive. It tried seeking for about a minute before it finally gave up. I then tried it in 2 different PS3 units and the disc does not show up in either one. The disc looks fine on visual inspection and I tried cleaning and dustbusting as much as I could. Still no go.


I decided to then go through the rest of my collection and I found that my American Psycho and Superman: The Movie discs are not working either. All of these discs were working in the same players at the time of purchase.


So has anyone else had problems with these or any other discs? Speed was known to have some playback issues with certain players but that would have been a software problem. My copy worked fine in my PS3 until now. I've e-mailed Fox about their exchange program and am waiting for a reply.


Earlier there was a bad batch of The Prestige that had some issues with disc rot. So am I seeing Blu-ray Rot here?


That's 3 discs out of a collection of only about 130 titles. I sold about 90 titles earlier this year, including The Prestige, and now I'm wondering if any of those went bad too.


I guess I will have to put these in the same pile as my rotted DVDs of Apollo 13, The Devil's Advocate, and Vertigo.
 
See less See more
1
#27 ·
Bumping this thread as I believe that, unfortunately, this may be an ongoing affair. There's another thread re: Fox titles rotting - does it make sense to combine them?


Anyway, I checked the Lionsgate titles Basic Instinct and The Descent, along with WB's Superman and the Fox titles Speed, Master and Commander, and Kingdom of Heaven.


All purchased in 2007-2008 and played on multiple Panasonic Blu-ray players and the 80 gb PS3 from 2007-2008. All stored in ideal conditions and are in immaculate condition.


Basic Instinct does not play. The others are fine. I've sent off an email to Lionsgate via this link requesting a replacement disc. Lets see how that goes...
 
#28 ·
Just a question that seemed to be an issue with LaserDisc. I am also wondering if this could happen to DVD's? Does it matter how much you watch each disc? I would like keep (and expand) my bluray's with the idea that I'll have them burried with me in my casket
Some blu's I'll have burried with my enemies, LOL
 
#29 ·
Likely a very few pressing will eventually exhibit "rot" of varying degrees. Most- the vast majority- will not. The procedures used in the manufacture of Blu-ray discs has come a long way since the days when DADC USA and PDO churned out batches of pre-oxidized platters. Most disc that may potentially be affected should show signs within two to three years. As far as watching your discs, by all means do. There is no link between "rot"- caused either by debris or faulty adhesive between layers resulting in oxidization- and spinning the disc.
 
#32 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidHir /forum/post/21217905


What percentage of laser discs ended up rotting?
http://www.mindspring.com/~laserguru/askjosh.htm

Quote:
It is estimated that the average laserdisc collection will experience 1 - 2% rot. My own collection of about 250 discs only has two verifiable cases of rot, one extreme and one mild, and one disc with some suspicious dropouts that I'm keeping my eye on. Some collectors have experienced higher percentages depending on the type of material that they collect and the manufacturing plant that a number of their discs come from.
 
#34 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidHir /forum/post/21217905


What percentage of laser discs ended up rotting?

A very small percentage. I don't think anyone could come up with an accurate number but it's got be maybe 2 - 3 percent at the worst. There was a pretty significant run of dozens of mostly Sony TrisStar LD titles in the late '90's pressed at one particular plant that had a very high percentage of discs quickly rot and become unplayable within a year or so of manufacture notably Starship Troopers and Contact.


I still have a fairly decent LD collection of about 400 titles, some going back to the formats' beginning including the original Criterion CAV box sets of King Kong and Citizen Kane originally bought with my first player in early '85 to one of the last LD's released, The Matrix in '99 and I think I've lost maybe 2 titles to rot over the years.


I've had a few dvds rot on me too. "Kentucky Fried Movie" comes to mind.


T.B.
 
#35 ·
I have found 3 DVD's in my collection that no longer play. These are all early production DVD's. Supposedly whatever issue was causing the laser rot is now fixed but I am not so sure it really ever was. It will be years before we know for sure.


So far the 3 DVD's I have tried that no longer play are Boogie Nights, The Matrix and The Jackal staring Richard Gere. All known offenders for laser rot. I bet I have a few more early produced disc that no longer work but have not got around to watching them yet. Luckily replacements are dirt cheap.


I would say unfortunately history might repeat itself and I see some Blu Ray's especially early releases will eventually stop working. I have not had any go bad yet but at least a few will likely go bad I am sure. I have recently heard a few HD-DVD's especially from Warner have recently given issues to those that own them. So much for modern pressings being more reliable.


I also have a sizable collection of laserdisc. I don't play them often these days but I know several are rotted. Alien and Aliens and Abyss Special Edition to name a few. It was awful feeling when I found out these disc no longer work but I had replaced most of them on DVD and Blu Ray when I found out so it ended up being more of a chuckle and a comment saying "So much for laserdisc being a timeless format".


I can only guess but I suspect by the time most of my DVD's and Blu Ray's are coasters most films will be available through high quality streaming. I have enjoyed collecting films on various formats over the years but when it takes several minutes to find a particular film I want to watch it gets kind of old after a while. I could free up a lot of space if I no longer need a physical piece of media to enjoy my films. We are already halfway there with services like Netflix but not there just yet. One thing that concerns me about streaming is you no longer have control over the content. So movies in your streaming library could be pulled at anytime and you are SOL. This is a different topic for another day though.
 
#36 ·
Aside from "The Prestige" Full Moon's second pressing first "Puppet Master" BD all went bad. Some sort of replication issue. Mind you the first pressing were all faulty in a different way- as they lacked the advertised DD 5.1 track.



Threads like these flare my neurotic Jewish tendencies to grossly stereotypical levels. I hope your all happy.
 
#37 ·
There also is just more space and material to have gone wrong with a Laserdisc than with a CD DVD BD sized one.


With Blu-ray all the data layers is on the tippy top of the disc with the hardcoat on top so its easier to test and less to go wrong over time.
 
#39 ·
I've never seen a laserdisc go so bad as to be unplayable, except maybe a few early DiscoVision releases which were faultily manufactured to begin with- I have some that have a ton of video noise and audio so noisy you can barely hear it. The rotted Sony USA discs I have show a lot of white sparkles on the screen, but they at least still play without skipping or stopping.


Haven't run into a bad Blu-Ray disc yet, but have gotten more than 20 bad HD-DVDs.
 
#41 ·
Well - my third Blu-ray title has now died!!! Went to watch The Ninth Gate last night and even though it played fine last year - it will not load any of my players (Oppo - PS3 or Panny). In fact, I get the "No Disc" reading from my Oppo and the PS3 just spins and spins and then gives up trying to read the disc. Lionsgate disc rot has struck again!!! (previous Lionsgate title that rotted on me were the first versions of Total Recall & Stargate). Sigh
 
#42 ·
Anyone else experiencing problems with bluray or dvd titles not playing, when they originally did?


So far none of my bluray but have had them only since December '12.....but am going back through all of my Universal Monster Legacy dvd18's, aka flipper discs to see if they still work, after the Son of Dracula title from Dracula Legacy set now freezes and skips on both my new Panasonic BDT320, or my older reliable Sony NS77H dvd player.


Contacted Univ about it and they are sending a copy of the double feature, single disc, Son of Dracula/Dracula's Daughter as a replacement.


I told them that it may take some time, but am reviewing every Legacy and Lugosi Collection flipper discs to see if they still play ok.


With the history of trouble with the flipper discs, and the fact that Legacy sets are out of stock, the only replacementnts are the dvd-9, single disc double feature titles....except if your Invisible Man Legacy set goes bad, there are no double feature disc replacements, as these sequels have only been put in the Legacy series....same for House of Dracula.
 
#44 ·
DVDs and Laserdiscs rotted because those discs were constructed by gluing two thin layers together. CDs and BDs just use one thick layer; no glue. So, there should be no rotting on those. However, BDs have a scratch protective coating on them, so perhaps that's what's causing the rotting???? Very odd how BDs can go bad, especially since the format is new and still in its infancy stage.
 
#45 ·
Still in its infancy... hardly. BD has been on the market for seven years next month. Now I haven't gone back and examined many of my older titles but every optical format has had some issues with failure. I wouldn't worry that a vast a majority of titles will fail but some will probably fail due to manufacturing defects.
 
#46 · (Edited)
More Early Titles In My Collection have Now Failed

I've posted some of these titles before but my running total of "rotted" (or if that term offends"Failed") discs that played fine previously but cannot get to playall the way to the end on multiple Blu-ray players of various brands has grown:

Stargate (original version - Lions Gate);
Ninth Gate (Lions Gate);
Total Recall (original release of original version - Lions Gate).
Rambo III from the original Rambo set (Lions Gate);
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Fox);
Speed (Fox);
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (Disney)
 
#47 ·
I've posted some of these titles before but my running total of "rotted" (or if that term offends"Failed") discs that played fine previously but cannot get to playall the way to the end on multiple Blu-ray players of various brands has grown:

Stargate (original version - Lions Gate);
Ninth Gate (Lions Gate);
Total Recall (original release of original version - Lions Gate).
Rambo III from the original Rambo set (Lions Gate);
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Fox);
Speed (Fox);
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (Disney)
My Silver Surfer still plays fine...
Where have you got yours stored ?
Have you tried washing the discs off with Dawn and using a micro-fibre cloth ?
Depending on how there stored and what your environment is like, they can get a film on them that will keep them from being read.
 
#50 ·
I've had CD's aluminum reflective layer eaten by bacteria.
 
#56 ·
It reminds me of a time a while ago, renting from Rebox and seeing all the fingerprints on the discs when I got them. I called redbox one day, and asked them "do you guys ever clean the discs once they have been out for a time". He said, "no, they are never cleaned." Nice! little gleaming blu-ray petri dishes for my Oppo. One thing I always try to do when renting them is to get them on the first day. That way I am the first to use it and I also do not leave prints on it for someone to Csi lift it and plant my print at the scene of a crime, just for fun.:)
 
#57 ·
I just tried to play my blu ray of the Ninth Gate. I have watched this disc maybe 2 times before and it played perfectly.
Now it wont play in any blu ray player at all!
My Oppo, my Sony and my PC.
The disc is simply not recognized by any of those players.
Yet the disc looks perfect and has just been in the case on the shelf in controlled conditions since the day I bought it.
It must be disc rot.
 
#58 · (Edited)
Media HDD's D*TV OTA ,Roku ,Android TV apps and Android Kodi in this Android Sony TV for video up to 4K HDR and ofc. lossless audio for music ,the back ups ,IPTV up to 4K HDR ,Tidal Hifi lossless and Vudu HDX owned titles here all that I can serve around the house outside of this Sony X850C in here
:laugh:
 
#61 ·
A thread from the past returns. Still use Redox from time to time, though much less than I did earlier. still find the occasional fingerprints, though I still hold them from the edges only and I do wash my hands after handling disc and the case, just for the hell of it. An interesting idea on the WD40, though I wouldn't go through the bother for a rental disc.
 
#63 ·
While I certainly am not encouraging the use of WD40, the idea of the thread is, essentially, attempting to revitalize unplayable disks .. I, of course, when using it, make sure the disk is fully dry prior to insertion, as WD40 is a water displacement medium, it's not difficult to spray and wipe, setting aside to dry fully for a few days, and played in an old BD player / 1st generation .. although I suppose the risk of a disk spinning off any residue is a possibility, I am willing to risk it and so, far, so good .. I figure, if the disk is unplayable anyway, and I'm not slipping it into my PS4 or my Oppo,

so what, it's my gear, I'll do what I want to with it ..

In my case, it has been successful .. I was a recording engineer and producer for many years .. of course, nothing really beats a dedicated polishing machine ::

https://www.elm-usa.com/products/ecomaster

Lastly, if you have a Family Video in your area, many have an on site polishing / cleaning machine which might be worth a try ..
 
#64 · (Edited)
While I certainly am not encouraging the use of WD40, the idea of the thread is, essentially, attempting to revitalize unplayable disks .. I, of course, when using it, make sure the disk is fully dry prior to insertion, as WD40 is a water displacement medium, it's not difficult to spray and wipe, setting aside to dry fully for a few days, and played in an old BD player / 1st generation .. although I suppose the risk of a disk spinning off any residue is a possibility, I am willing to risk it and so, far, so good .. I figure, if the disk is unplayable anyway, and I'm not slipping it into my PS4 or my Oppo,

so what, it's my gear, I'll do what I want to with it ..

In my case, it has been successful .. I was a recording engineer and producer for many years .. of course, nothing really beats a dedicated polishing machine ::

https://www.elm-usa.com/products/ecomaster



Lastly, if you have a Family Video in your area, many have an on site polishing / cleaning machine which might be worth a try ..

If you want to use WD 40 fine on optical media fine ,You do that on magnetic tape too ? .:rolleyes:

Game stop Store or an independent electronic game store will have polishers also ,they can also send out optical media professional restoration if it's restorable .

IMO it's absurd to clean optical media with petroleum distillate and light oil compounds like WD40 penetrating oil is something I absolutely don't want on optical media , an optical drive transport or optical reader where if the transport needs lube a dry silicone spray is what to use in last few decades :)

To lube a disc transport dry silicone spray will dry quickly, it won't attract dust, which can clog or gum up moving parts. ...and there are safer methods than WD 40 to clean optical media and at the extreme clean filtered water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid to a cup of water to dampen a microfiber cloth unless the media been in a nasty dumpster then all bets are off :rolleyes:

Perhaps your recording engineer career pre dates optical media like my electronics education neither of which change the facts here .:)

I have an inexpensive polishishing machine which is more plausible for an unplayable optical media than petroleum distillates .

All my optical media is on spinning metal with back ups or in the cloud anyway I prefer not to use optical media in 2017 .
:laugh:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top