So I have Star Wars original trilogy in DVD boxset from 2006. I haven't played it for many years. Gave it a go, none of the discs will play. In my DVD player says "no disc". In the desktop computer and laptop the discs just spin and nothing happens. They are the only discs I have tried which just don't work. I cannot understand it. Anyone encountered this before?

Is there any discoloration or cloudiness on the discs? If so its possibly DVD rot...which is (if I recall) due to the glue going bad after several years.

It would seem highly unusual for all three discs in a boxed set to all go bad, though I have heard of a similar thing happening with that big Superman 8-disc box from several years ago.

That's LDs that are prone to rot. DVDs are not glued. I did have one that failed like this, though. Gladiator.

There's actually 7 discs total and none of them play. But it surely has to be something like this.

No, DVDs can rot, too. It is, as far as we know, a manufacturing defect on certain discs (and certain runs of particular titles) that allows the aluminum reflective layer to oxidize. It doesn't appear to be a systemic failure of the medium.

They aren't bootlegs, are they?

No, a genuine boxset. Wanted to make sure there is nothing I can try before I bin them.

I had a issue like that too. Had to buy a new player. Bought a blu ray player.

While Arnie's solution may work, you can also try them in a different player and computer before you go that route.

He's tried them in his DVD player, laptop & desktop without success.

If you know someone with a Blu-ray player, maybe try it there just to be sure.

Funny u mention that. I unloaded all my DVDs years ago and that Superman box set is literally the only discs held on to. It was sitting for years and so last week I decided to watch the first Superman. It wouldn't play and did look all cloudy and discolored. I didnt even try playing all the other discs. I guess the theory of DVDs lasting longer than VHS tapes is wrong.

The desktop computer has a blu-ray drive. I'm 100% certain the problem is with the discs as none of players can play them and other DVD's work fine. It's just odd all 7 don't play.

The only DVDs I have encounteredthat have stopped playing are the MGM Howling SE (DVD-14) and a couple of porno DVDs. The pornos were probably replicated in unlicensed facilities, so that increaes the liklihood of shoddy QC.

I'm sorry, but LD glue "rot" and "oxidize" are not the same thing. Obviously, DVDs can fail, too. Not every disease is the same. I like using words to actually mean something.

Interestingly, I've never had a CD fail like this. Anyone else?

I have had a few CDs (limited pressings, DJ Remix Service) do this. They became transparent, and I could see right through them. Everything just vanished off the CD.

Actually, yes, what we refer to as "rot" on optical discs is oxidation, whether it's a CD, DVD, blu-ray, or laserdisc. The causes might vary, such as reaction with oxygen in the air, contamination during manufacturing, or chemical reactions due to adhesives, but it all comes down to the destruction of the reflective aluminum data layer on these discs.

CDs can fail due to damage to the top since there is very little space between the data the CD label, thus a scratch to the top of a CD is worse than a scratch to the play side.

There was a run of CDs by a UK publisher that all "bronzed" due shoddy manufacturing about fifteen years ago, but I don't think rot is a big problem with CDs.

Whatever. Language dies.

Technically, "LD rot" was already a perversion of the language, since "rot" specifically refers to the decomposition of organic matter. It's not suprising that, once associated with a form of LD decay, the term was also applied to other optical disc media.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_rot