[Gllug] How to manage scratched DVDs

[t.clarke]

As a matter of interest, I have had some success with using 'T-cut' car-paint
cleaner to sort out scratched DVDs.  Care must be taken to only polish the
disc radially (so all very fine resultant scratches run from inside to outside
and not around the disc).
If I understand the interleaved reed-solomon ECC system used on the discs
correctly, radial scratches unless quite wide will not blot out enough bits
to defeat the ECC system, whilst scratches around the disc will.  Also I note
that greasy thumbprints will do a remarkably good job of screwing up a disc
(albeit not permanently).

Having used a fair quantity of rental DVDs, it never ceases to amaze me at
the condition of some of them.  It would seem that some people take the
'almost indestructible' claims made for CDs some years ago to mean that you can
also treat DVDs like beer mats.  I wonder how the new 'blue ray' discs when
they finally appear will fare against the apparent misuse that DVDs get!

Tim
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