Damaged DVD

[Simkins]

This DVD (from a Sony camcorder) has been damaged somehow. Anyone know what this would be from, or if it is recoverable? The camcorder / windows will not read this DVD now.

Thanks.

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad102/ASimkins/CD.jpg

[M-e-X-x]

Stain? Or is it corroded?

[jasperException]

Look like some sort of spilled solutions on the dvd. Might be unrecoverable b/c of that.

[rabbit]

If it's on the surface (ie. something that can be scraped off), there's a possibility. If it's underneath, I would say no.

[Jucius Maximus]

A couple of suggestions:

There is a problem in the disc's polycarbonate construction and oxygen started leaking in from the edge, oxidixing the reflective layer. ( This is why archival discs have a Gold reflective layer. Gold doesn't oxidixe.)

There is also at least one biological bug that eats away from CDs and DVDs, but it generally only lives in very hot and humid climates. Did you go on vacation to Belize or something?

I am not aware of any kind of recovery from damage like this. It might eb theoretically possible to replace the half of the disc with the reflective layer, but don't quote me on that. It would be a very delicate operation and should probably be in an oxygen-free and dust-free clean room.

[Aske001]

DVDs are recorded from the inner ring out, and there are normally two copies of the index files - one on the inside edge and the other on the outside edge (the .BUP files, which are backup copies of the .IFO files used automatically if the corresponding IFO file is not readable). It looks like your damage doesn't extend all the way to the inner ring, so there might be some hope of recovering the first few files on the disc. You could try an app like ISOBuster that can read more damaged discs.

[zoolander]

Looks like corrosion from some sort of moisture.
I remember seeing a youtube video where the guy rubbed a raw banana deeply onto a scratched disc, wiped the surface to remove the heavier residue and it played, don't know if true but some responses said it worked for them.

[acaftermath007]

I know this sounds stupid, but try putting toothpaste on it..yes TOOTH PASTE..and then wash it off with warm water and dry it with a towel or tissue. IT WORKED FOR ME!!

[rabbit]

There's a difference between trying to fix a scratched disc and whatever crud is on the disc in the photo.

[Seiphas]

Toothpaste is used to fill scratches in the bottom of the disc that prevent the laser from accurately reading the contents of the disc. In other words, when light is being deflected due to a scratch, the toothpaste fills in the gap in much the same way that it repairs enamel, causing the laser to read correctly.

However, in this case, the problem is not a scratched disc, but rather, probably something corroding the inside of the disc. No amount of toothpaste will help you.

For those that decide to do this afterward, I recommend the most basic toothpaste you can find. Anything too abrasive will damage the disc. And use your fingers to rub it in, not a brush.

[jasperException]

^. Oh wow I didn't know about this. I will have to google about this. Thanks.

[jackwest]

Toothpaste is used to fill scratches in the bottom of the disc that prevent the laser from accurately reading the contents of the disc. In other words, when light is being deflected due to a scratch, the toothpaste fills in the gap in much the same way that it repairs enamel, causing the laser to read correctly.

However, in this case, the problem is not a scratched disc, but rather, probably something corroding the inside of the disc. No amount of toothpaste will help you.

For those that decide to do this afterward, I recommend the most basic toothpaste you can find. Anything too abrasive will damage the disc. And use your fingers to rub it in, not a brush.

huh? this explanation seems extremely farfetched, source?

its the abrasives in toothpaste that sand down the crap on top of the disk, and some of the protective plastic layer, allowing the laser to again read the disk

[Seiphas]

huh? this explanation seems extremely farfetched, source?

its the abrasives in toothpaste that sand down the crap on top of the disk, and some of the protective plastic layer, allowing the laser to again read the disk

My bad. The toothpaste is abrasive, and it essentially scratches the disc even further. When you put a huge scratch in the disc, toothpaste essentially sands it out, by bringing the rest of the polycarbonate down to the level of the scratch. It works, but you can't do this dozens of times to a disc, or you'll ruin it. By bringing the rest of the polycarbonate down to the level of the scratch, light no longer is reflected off the scratch, and it can now focus on the data layer below.

Other materials, however, do work by filling the scratch in. An example of this is car polish, which some people use for removing scratches off of LCD screens. That fills in the scratch, and makes it really shiny to boot.

That being said, however, writable DVDs DO NOT undergo oxidation. Research indicates the disc has suffered from delamination. In short, you're screwed.

[rabbit]

> writable DVDs DO NOT undergo oxidation

Yes, they do, as do CD-Rs.