DVD Rot ?
#126
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: DVD Rot ?
I just noticed my 2-disc 40th Anniversary Edition of "Woodstock" from 2009 just had a layer-break failure on Disc 1. Disc 2 seemed to be OK.
#128
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: DVD Rot ?
I'm nearing the end of going through my DVD collection. I encountered one problematic disc on Veronica Mars season 2 that impacted two episodes. I was really feeling good about the stuff that was left.
Of course, that meant doom. I have the old Ultimate Disney Treasure Chest. It might have been a store exclusive. It included seven of the Walt Disney Treasures Collection. Actually, it might have been the first seven. The set is long out of print, and not one disc worked. I had mainly purchased it for the animated stuff, so there were a couple of sets that I hadn't even opened. Those sets wouldn't load either. Big disappointment.
I've got a handful of Walt Disney Treasures still to go, and then I think I'm down to just a few TV series. That's still quite a few discs, but there's a finish line in sight for the DVD collection.
Of course, that meant doom. I have the old Ultimate Disney Treasure Chest. It might have been a store exclusive. It included seven of the Walt Disney Treasures Collection. Actually, it might have been the first seven. The set is long out of print, and not one disc worked. I had mainly purchased it for the animated stuff, so there were a couple of sets that I hadn't even opened. Those sets wouldn't load either. Big disappointment.
I've got a handful of Walt Disney Treasures still to go, and then I think I'm down to just a few TV series. That's still quite a few discs, but there's a finish line in sight for the DVD collection.
#129
DVD Talk Hero
Re: DVD Rot ?
That sounds awful. Not one worked? Wow, some of those out-of-print Disney Treasure DVDs are worth serious money.
I don't even want to imagine how many defective DVDs I probably own.
I don't even want to imagine how many defective DVDs I probably own.
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Doc Moonlight (05-28-22)
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Tom Pennock (08-06-23)
#131
Senior Member
Re: DVD Rot ?
Found another one: Blade - the complete series. Discs 1, 2 and 3 are completely dead, they won't even load. Ironically though, disc 4 plays perfectly fine. There was also a stand alone release of the premiere called Blade: House of Chthon and it's completely dead also.
#132
DVD Talk Hero
Re: DVD Rot ?
Found another one: Blade - the complete series. Discs 1, 2 and 3 are completely dead, they won't even load. Ironically though, disc 4 plays perfectly fine. There was also a stand alone release of the premiere called Blade: House of Chthon and it's completely dead also.
#133
Senior Member
Re: DVD Rot ?
2 more for the recycle bin:
American Gothic - The Complete Series (2005) - discs 1 and 2 are starting to rot, still playable but you have to skip through big sections of certain episodes.
and a blu-ray: Operation Endgame from Anchor Bay... completely bronzed and it has a lot of those little cloudly white dots.
American Gothic - The Complete Series (2005) - discs 1 and 2 are starting to rot, still playable but you have to skip through big sections of certain episodes.
and a blu-ray: Operation Endgame from Anchor Bay... completely bronzed and it has a lot of those little cloudly white dots.
#134
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Re: DVD Rot ?
Found this via internet search for DVDS that stop working. I had sold a dvd online, the buyer asked me to see if it would play before I mailed it, as her version of the same movie suddenly stopped working. I tried it in three different players, with the same results, would not load, one player said the disc was dirty, I tried cleaning it, and it still would not play. Cancelled the sale order and will be putting this in the trash.
This was for The Last Mimzy, 2007, by New Line Home Entertainment.
This was for The Last Mimzy, 2007, by New Line Home Entertainment.
#135
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: DVD Rot ?

#138
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: DVD Rot ?
Otherwise, I generally assume any cd/dvd/bluray disc can succumb to rot in a random manner.
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danwiz (08-08-22)
#139
DVD Talk Hero
Re: DVD Rot ?
There are certain runs of DVDs and blu-rays that are known to be problematic: The mid-2000s Warners DVDs, certain late 90s/early 00s Anchor Bay DVDs, a batch of Criterion blu-rays, and early Lionsgate blu-rays.
Also anything on a DVD-14 or DVD-18, the discs with multiple sides and multiple layers. These were difficult to manufacture and prone to failing. (These are the discs where, if it's a tv season, the discs will be double sided and contain four episodes on one side, and either two or four episodes on the other.)
And, yeah, morris up there is correct; any DVD or blu-ray can shit the bed, though certain runs/titles are more likely than others to fail.
As for a resource, forums like this one where users report bad titles are probably the best resource available. lddb.com has every laserdisc rated on its likelihood to develop laser rot, but I don't think there's any site like that for DVD yet.
Also anything on a DVD-14 or DVD-18, the discs with multiple sides and multiple layers. These were difficult to manufacture and prone to failing. (These are the discs where, if it's a tv season, the discs will be double sided and contain four episodes on one side, and either two or four episodes on the other.)
And, yeah, morris up there is correct; any DVD or blu-ray can shit the bed, though certain runs/titles are more likely than others to fail.
As for a resource, forums like this one where users report bad titles are probably the best resource available. lddb.com has every laserdisc rated on its likelihood to develop laser rot, but I don't think there's any site like that for DVD yet.
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danwiz (08-11-22)
#141
#143
Re: DVD Rot ?
Ugh. Tons of my Paramount Blu-rays stopped working, it would play until around the middle of the movie, around 45 minutes - 1 hour into it. Catch me if you can, Scrooge, The Dictator. I bet more...
#144
DVD Talk Hero
Re: DVD Rot ?
I really hope we aren't starting to see the beginning of the end of optical discs, like they're starting to hit the half-life mark.
I was an early adopter of DVDs back when I just got out of college, based on the promise that I could build up a large library of movies over my lifetime, and that I could just pull a disc from my personal library and watch it any time I wanted to.
I still have discs from 1998 -- like the original, uncensored copy of The Devil's Advocate -- that still play.
I was an early adopter of DVDs back when I just got out of college, based on the promise that I could build up a large library of movies over my lifetime, and that I could just pull a disc from my personal library and watch it any time I wanted to.
I still have discs from 1998 -- like the original, uncensored copy of The Devil's Advocate -- that still play.
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Gobear (10-02-22)
#145
DVD Talk Hero
Re: DVD Rot ?
I really hope we aren't starting to see the beginning of the end of optical discs, like they're starting to hit the half-life mark.
I was an early adopter of DVDs back when I just got out of college, based on the promise that I could build up a large library of movies over my lifetime, and that I could just pull a disc from my personal library and watch it any time I wanted to.
I still have discs from 1998 -- like the original, uncensored copy of The Devil's Advocate -- that still play.
I was an early adopter of DVDs back when I just got out of college, based on the promise that I could build up a large library of movies over my lifetime, and that I could just pull a disc from my personal library and watch it any time I wanted to.
I still have discs from 1998 -- like the original, uncensored copy of The Devil's Advocate -- that still play.
What's funny is that CD pressing rarely had these issues, despite often pressing more units in their heyday.
#146
DVD Talk Hero
Re: DVD Rot ?
You would think that, as the optical video disc format matured, that quality control during manufacturing wouldn't be an issue.
But as the format matured, we saw costs being cut right and left in the packaging -- flimsy eco cases, covers being printed on thinner paper stock, and the loss of inserts -- and we can only assume that they're doing the same with disc manufacture.
Every time I pick up one of my older DVDs, I'm always shocked by how substantial the case feels. The covers are printed on thicker stock -- some almost feel like thin cardboard -- and the plastic cases are sturdy and have little give like newer cases do.
But as the format matured, we saw costs being cut right and left in the packaging -- flimsy eco cases, covers being printed on thinner paper stock, and the loss of inserts -- and we can only assume that they're doing the same with disc manufacture.
Every time I pick up one of my older DVDs, I'm always shocked by how substantial the case feels. The covers are printed on thicker stock -- some almost feel like thin cardboard -- and the plastic cases are sturdy and have little give like newer cases do.
#147
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: DVD Rot ?
I've had quite a few audio cd discs which turned out to be manufactured poorly. Though I never knew this back in the day, due to the cd player's error correction handling most of the problems such that they were largely unnoticable.
In contrast on a computer, the disc quality shoddiness revealed itself in plain sight when I ripped these same discs to the computer. In some cases, it took more than a half hour to get an error free rip in a secure mode.
#148
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: DVD Rot ?
It's an unfortunate reality when a product's production numbers dwindle, profits decline and cutting corners becomes a more common occurrence. The disc pressing machines and printers are also becoming more and more expensive to maintain and repair and yet they don't generate the profits they used to. The experts in the field are retiring and there are no new apprentices getting into a business that is in decline.
#149
DVD Talk Hero
Re: DVD Rot ?
Not true.
I've had quite a few audio cd discs which turned out to be manufactured poorly. Though I never knew this back in the day, due to the cd player's error correction handling most of the problems such that they were largely unnoticable.
In contrast on a computer, the disc quality shoddiness revealed itself in plain sight when I ripped these same discs to the computer. In some cases, it took more than a half hour to get an error free rip in a secure mode.
I've had quite a few audio cd discs which turned out to be manufactured poorly. Though I never knew this back in the day, due to the cd player's error correction handling most of the problems such that they were largely unnoticable.
In contrast on a computer, the disc quality shoddiness revealed itself in plain sight when I ripped these same discs to the computer. In some cases, it took more than a half hour to get an error free rip in a secure mode.
#150
DVD Talk Legend
Re: DVD Rot ?
This past February I finished ripping my 1100+ films on DVD and 4000+ TV episodes for easy access from my Plex server (original DVDs are stored in binders)… not one exhibited any rot.
Does environmental conditions of how/where discs are stored have any effect on the development of rot?
Does environmental conditions of how/where discs are stored have any effect on the development of rot?