# Weird DVD Damage



## Teddysouth (Dec 29, 2009)

This issue is a frequent one to which I haven't found an answer from many mediums on either its identification or solution. A few of my Dvds have these cloudy spots on them: clearly defined circular spots, some are milky white, others can be seen under a certain angle of light, some are tiny, the largest being no more than the size of a pea that cause the DVD to not only skip, but this weird damage also appears to scramble the picture, or ultimately hault the movie.

I have tried cleaning solutions, water with a minor amount of dishwashing liquid, and alcohol. My video store does have this machine that kinda looks like the ship Michael Jackson drove in Captain EO which I haven't tried yet for they don't have solution for it, so I will see them next week to try that out.

How the spots got there is a mystery. The only common link that the DVD's share is that I have left them out of the case for a few weeks, which I'm sure many people have done yet haven't picked these spots up or else information on them would have been easily acquired. 

If anyone has any idea as to what it is or any solutions that I haven't tried yet then please let me know! (I would simply rebuy the DVD's but I wanna make sure the other ones don't share the same fate) Thanks for your time!


----------



## buffoon (Jul 16, 2008)

Teddysouth said:


> This issue is a frequent one to which I haven't found an answer from many mediums on either its identification or solution. A few of my Dvds have these cloudy spots on them: clearly defined circular spots, some are milky white, others can be seen under a certain angle of light, some are tiny, the largest being no more than the size of a pea that cause the DVD to not only skip, but this weird damage also appears to scramble the picture, or ultimately hault the movie.
> 
> I have tried cleaning solutions, water with a minor amount of dishwashing liquid, and alcohol. My video store does have this machine that kinda looks like the ship Michael Jackson drove in Captain EO which I haven't tried yet for they don't have solution for it, so I will see them next week to try that out.
> 
> ...


They're going South, I'm afraid. DVDs do not live indefinitely anyway but some go faster than others and you could have picked up a bad batch as well. If you replace them best to get a different brand.


----------



## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Just to add to the good comments from Buffoon.

Are these DVD's that you are burning yourself? Or, are these DVD's that you are purchasing that already have movies on them?

How old are these DVD's? Are they all different ages? 

Also, are these brand new DVD's (when you purchased them), or were they pre-owned?

Are you letting anyone use/borrow them?

I have DVD's that I have purchased and burned (home movies). I don't think I have ever seen the issue you present, so not sure what causes them.


----------



## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

milky white is usually an indication of some chemical intrusion, like someone spraying a cleaner of some sort near the DVD's when they are left out in the open. Spray cans/bottles spew droplets allot further than you think.

Other than that maybe acid rain.........har har.

.


----------



## captainphoenix (Mar 17, 2008)

I had the exact same problem with CD's as well as DVD's. This was my problem:

CD's in my car CD player crapped out when I used the CD player, getting milky white spots.
CD's & DVD's crapped out when left in the sun (face up or down), getting milky white spots.
DVD's crapped out in DVD player, getting milky white spots.

Common link: Infrared. The DVD player, CD player, and sun all emit IR, the CD player and DVD player in much smaller amounts, obviously. This is what happens with very low-quality DVD and CD-players, and was part of the reason for the initial success of the PS2. IR light tends to have a very low frequency and very long wavelength compared to visible light, which is why it tends to bounce off objects quite well (which is why it's used in night vision). This means that even if the DVD's are face down or not in direct sunlight, the light from the sun can and often still does get to the part of the DVD/CD that the players read.

Please note that this is my own conclusion from what little I know about the technology, and you should probably try to research IR in much greater detail to find out if this is the case. What Mumbodog said is absolutely true, and is the more probable solution, but if there's no chemical contact then it's got to be something else. Either way, neither should be left in the open, and that's probably, in the end, the root of the problem.


----------



## Teddysouth (Dec 29, 2009)

Nope, in fact the DVDs are of legal tender and are not rewrites or anything I've made myself.


----------



## Teddysouth (Dec 29, 2009)

I agree with Mumbodog, it is quite possible that it is a chemical reaction. I usually store my DVD covers that I am watching currently on top of the DVD player for convenience sake. I also usually lay them title side down. However the only chemical that I can imagine the DVD being exposed to is either powder I use after showers.

CaptainPhoenix's explanation is also interesting. I never would have thought that the damage could be incurred by the actual player since the DVDs were never exposed to direct sunlight for the window is on the other side of the room on the shadowy side of the house.

An extension to Drabdr's response, these are legal tender retail releases that aren't old at all for example, a few victims were Season 1 of THE WIRE bought one year ago and Season 1 of Damages also bought last year. No one has borrowed them because those shows kick *** and I will give no quarter to outside possession.


----------



## Teddysouth (Dec 29, 2009)

Let me say that I really appreciate the feedback and please keep the suggestions coming, I should compile all possible responses and put them out there so those with similar woes will have some opinions to grab hold to. Thanks guys!


----------



## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Teddysouth said:


> An extension to Drabdr's response, these are legal tender retail releases that aren't old at all for example, a few victims were Season 1 of THE WIRE bought one year ago and Season 1 of Damages also bought last year. No one has borrowed them because those shows kick *** and I will give no quarter to outside possession.


:up:

Ok, so are you able to narrow down the particular cleaners you are using on them? I just don't understand it. Are they in any high humidity area? Is there any buildup on the outside of the DVD, or does it appear to be "inside"?


----------



## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Teddysouth said:


> Let me say that I really appreciate the feedback and please keep the suggestions coming, I should compile all possible responses and put them out there so those with similar woes will have some opinions to grab hold to. Thanks guys!


Teddysouth, thank you very much for taking the time to drop a note. And to your point, your own thread becomes a great source of information. It will be valuable all the more, when you are able to figure out what is causing the darn clouding!

Welcome to the site, BTW!:up:


----------



## Teddysouth (Dec 29, 2009)

Nah. I should get a picture of them, maybe that should things a bit! But there is no buildup on the DVD, and the spots appear to be on the coating, but I will post pics ASAP.


----------



## bp936 (Oct 13, 2003)

> Teddysouth, thank you very much for taking the time to drop a note. And to your point, your own thread becomes a great source of information. It will be valuable all the more, when you are able to figure out what is causing the darn clouding!


so true, a very interesting subject.


----------



## buffoon (Jul 16, 2008)

Teddysouth said:


> Nah. I should get a picture of them, maybe that should things a bit! But there is no buildup on the DVD, and the spots appear to be on the coating, but I will post pics ASAP.


It doesn't require build-up, a damaged coating, no matter how seemingly slight, will cause problems.

On an audio CD a small damage may be recalculated by the processor for compensation, with a Video image no way.


----------



## itsjusme (Aug 19, 2006)

> A few of my Dvds have these cloudy spots on them: clearly defined circular spots, some are milky white, others can be seen under a certain angle of light, some are tiny, the largest being no more than the size of a pea that cause the DVD to not only skip, but this weird damage also appears to scramble the picture, or ultimately hault the movie.


What you`re describing may be layer separation, can you post a picture of it? Of course chemicals can intrude also, stay away from the center hub with your cleaning solution if possible. The plastic is likely to start separating there first making it easy for liquids to creep in. I have some as you describe, some factory some burned, some will still play some wont. Heres a pic of a factory software disk that still installs fine. Do any of yours look like this?


----------



## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

itsjusme said:


> What you`re describing may be layer separation, can you post a picture of it? Of course chemicals can intrude also, stay away from the center hub with your cleaning solution if possible. The plastic is likely to start separating there first making it easy for liquids to creep in. I have some as you describe, some factory some burned, some will still play some wont. Heres a pic of a factory software disk that still installs fine. Do any of yours look like this?


Good post.:up: Would that happen to all of them? Any contributors to the separation that you know of?


----------



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Were they left out so the sun light was on them?


----------



## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

I had posted the same issue of DVD mottling/DVD failure in another forum.
I use rewritable DVDs a lot and when someone mentioned that chemicals might be a problem, I just now realized that I blow off the discs each time I do a read/write/rewrite, with a product I purchase at Staples .....'Dust Destroyer'. It was on sale and I bought several cans that I have been using over the last several years.
I'm beginning to wonder now if there is a chemical issue with the product and DVD material.
There is no chemical listing of the contents.

Anyone heard of similar issues with these compressed gas dusters?

Think I'll avoid using this product for a while and see if the DVDs I'm using continue to develop the same problem.


----------



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Stoner,

It's not just compress air in the can so your getting something I bet that may damage the disks.

http://www.staples.com/Staples-Computer-Cleaning-Kit/product_810301#specs_content
Nothing under "Specifications"

http://www.falconsafety.com/falconSafety/products/Default.aspx



> * Computer cleaning dusters are often erroneously referred to as "canned-air". In actuality, these products contain a liquefied gas that acts as a propellant. As such, the pressurized blast delivered when using such products is actually the gas vapors mixed with air. Understanding this basic principal is important in recognizing that the misuse of this product can be dangerous.


[Dust Destroyer] contains difluoroethane...
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081031094121AAzT9M0

Got things that get you high also that can kill you also.
http://www.wsmv.com/news/21791310/detail.html


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

FWIW, I have DVD+/-R disks that have been around for many years, they still read as well as the day I created them. I've used a wide variety of brands of blanks to create them, I just shopped the cheapest media with the biggest rebates!


----------



## itsjusme (Aug 19, 2006)

hewee said:


> Were they left out so the sun light was on them?


None of mine were ever in direct sunlight that i know of. I do have some that i carry around in the truck occasionally, Ubuntu, Puppy , and some other distros to give people to try. Some of these do get exposed to direct sun and show no damage. They make these things by the millions, theyre bound to have a certain % of them that just dont get bonded together properly dont you think? That and the intense heat from the burn process could contribute. I dont get near as many bad ones now as i did 5-6 years ago, although i never had alot anyway. And i also buy whatever`s on sale. Some of my music cd`s are 15+ years old and still play fine with no sign of separation. The chemicals in those aerosol dusters may have a pretty strong solvent action when trapped between the layers where it cant evaporate as quickly.


----------



## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

I never expose them to direct sunlight. We did an experiment years ago, the results were posted here I believe. I put a CD-R in a window for about 6 months in direct sunlight, it did indeed render it unreadable. A "control" made the same time on the same media worked fine.


----------

