Best DVD Disc Cleaner/Scratch Remover?
 

Sorry if this isn't the right area to ask or make a thread. Just wondering what is the best or what do you recommend as far as a dvd disc cleaner/scratch remover. Any of you have a product that your willing to recommend? Plus how much did it cost or will it cost?

Thanks

IMHO the very best way to do this is to find a company that specialises in repairing CD's and DVD's - they will then polish away a few microns from the disc surface, effectively restoring the disc to "mind" condition. There are several of these in the UK, so no doubt they are in other countries as well. The process usually costs a couple of pounds/dollars per disc.

There are a number of scratch repair kits for sale, and several (IMHO dubious) methods such as using toothpaste or metal polish. It depends on how valuable the disc is! None of them will give results as good as a professional repolish though. Some of them rely on grinding away a major scratch, to leave a whole load of minor scratches, which the DVD error correction will hopefuly cope with!

If the scratch has penetrated to the data-layer, the disc is junk I'm afraid!

I think inetdvd.com repairs disc scratches. I've bought blank cases from them, but have not done the repair service. I would try it on a very inexpensive title. I have a scratched copy of The River Wild that I received from Columbia House that I may try out.

The Disc Doctor is ok, $20-30. Works great on CDs, DVDs might be more of an issue with the smaller, closer data tracks. A real pro job (like mentioned above) is better, of course. But that costs a fair amount of coin. If you scratch lots of discs, perhaps some caution is needed first. If you buy a lot of former rentals, good luck, it probably will end up being the same cost to get the cheapy and resurface it as simply buying new. You could also buy a pro machine if you are really serious. 3-4 digits, though. [correction: 3-5 digits]

Example from a quick Google:
http://www.azuradisc.com/home.htm

http://www.inetdvd.com/store/tmp_pro...03.asp?id=4899

They charge $2.99 per disc. You pay the shipping charge.

I believe someone said boiling a dvd would get it working....

I would be more interested in buying the machine they have than to pay for each disc.

Only if it's dirty, not if it's scratched. It could be both, and the dirty is the problem.

There's a nice $12500 one at the link I posted above. :o

The machines cost several hundred dollars.

I looked at them when I had my DVD business with my partner.

Maybe someone should buy one and do a little business. Probably get plenty right here at DVDTalk.

Could be. I didn't read all of the thread. I just know that the OP said it was a well-known method for fixing discs with light scratches. Maybe because the light scratches have some dirt in them that it removes.

No need for a pro machine at a high price to do a good, though not perfect, job.
Get a bench grinder ($30), and replace the grinding wheels with cotton buffing wheels ($8.00 each). All I could find at Lowes were "hard" and "medium," but that combination works pretty well. You hit the deeper scratches with the hard wheel first then polish with the medium wheel (or soft wheel if you can find one). It takes a little practice, but I've used this setup on hundreds of DVDs.

For deeper scratches or gouges use a Dremmel tool with a polishing wheel first, then polish with the grinder. This tool needs a light touch and takes a lot of practice. And you can only use it on the lowest speed: anything higher will burn right through the DVD surface in an instant. Unless you polish it in the grinder It leaves a dull surface area, but usually makes the DVD play.