I have a set of DVD-R's of an old television show. One of the discs has become scratched and will not play. A store nearby has a commercial disc polisher that I have used before for regular DVDs and CDs. Would buffing on this machine be able to fix a DVD-R, or would it destroy it completely? The disc is virtuallty irreplaceable so anything I can do to save it...

uh oh...DVD-R's is a no no here, tread lightly and carry a big stick!

No they're not.

If push comes to shove use IsoBuster it's great for getting data from busted dvds and cds! I had the same problem with a converted home video a while back.. managed to save and re burn it.

What I'm really asking is this: Is the information on a DVD-R recorded on the top of the disc the way a regular DVD is? If this is the case, then I should be able to have it buffed without any problems. I'm just not very educated on how the technology works.

No, the manufactuing process is completely different. Commercially sold DVDs are pressed, while DVD-Rs have data burned onto them, using some kind of ink. So, I don't think one of those DVD buffer/polisher/resurfacing things would help (they would probably make matters worse). Your best bet is to find a computer program that can save data from damaged discs (they don't always work though).

The data is stored on a thin sheet sandwiched between 2 pieces of plastic.

If you buff it the data isn't getting touched, only the plastic.

Buff it.

you are talking about bootleg DVD's...you new to the planet?

You said DVD-Rs are a no-no here, which is false.

Discussing bootlegs and/or the copying of commercial DVDs is prohibited. Discussing how to repair a damaged disc, DVD-R or otherwise, is not. You don't know if gfoots' discs are boots or not; he may have recorded a television show off-air for his own use, which is something all of us have done and is perfectly legal.

A dvd-r is a disc authored with whatever someone chooses to put on it. He wasn't asking about how to access or copy any copyrighted material, he simply wanted to know how the dvd-r technology works and if he could try to buff his discs without causing problems. I believe the only error he may have committed is posting this in the wrong forums, perhaps the tech talk section is better?

When you assume you make an ass out of you (don't bring me into this). I've never buffed a DVD-R, but I'd use ISO buster FIRST then have it buffed. That way if things end up worse, at least you have the data ISO Buster was able to get from it.

There are places to have DVD's resurfaced. Try calling around to the used Game shops or used CD shops. I've had several DVDs resurfaced and they look new after they are done.

Isn't that only for pressed discs though?

Physically, DVDrs are the same as DVDs or CDs or CDrs. Resurfacing affects just the plastic. It's irrelevent what the data layer is.

It would still be a ggod idea to do your best to back up the data first, just in case the disc is damaged worse in the buffing process.

Buffing should be fine. Some of you make it sound like a burner is a laser printer or something. A blank has the same plastic outside with a alterable dye/metal layer that is the actual storage area. As long as you don't buff it 500 times and wear all the way through the plastic, it should be fine and could possibly help your DVDp read it again.

After running ISO buster for 9 hours and only getting 5% through the process, I took the disc to a local cd shop and had it buffed. It cost $5 (which was about 3 times higher than the last time I went there) and after two trips through the buffer, it plays as good as new. Just thought someone might want an update.

Damn, $5 is high. I bitch because it is $2 here. I always stike a deal that I will buy something if they do it for a $1. Ours is at a used/traded media seller.

Thank you for replying about your success. Its good to know.

Now that it is working, I would archive that data just to be on the safe side.