Here's my amazon customer review of Universal's defective DVDs.
10-26-08, 01:02 PM
#26
Suspended
Bela Lugosi Collection
I've owned the Bela Lugosi Collection since September 2005, the date of its release. I never got around to playing the last film on that double-sided DVD, Black Friday (1940) until last night.
The film is unplayable because of multiple fine scratches on the B side (that is, the side marked "A"). I honestly believed that I might have done this myself so I tried to repair the scratches with a CD repair kit. It didn't improve.
This morning I bought a second set from the store where I bought the first set (Bay Street Video, in Toronto). I figured it was worth it to finally see a film by Albert Lewin who also directed The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945).
I played the film again and encountered the same problem. On close inspection the disc has a deep scratch on its outer edge. I can take back the set to the store and get my money back as I still have the receipt from this morning. But what about the three-year old set? I doubt if they will give me my money back for it three years down the line and without a receipt.
The film is unplayable because of multiple fine scratches on the B side (that is, the side marked "A"). I honestly believed that I might have done this myself so I tried to repair the scratches with a CD repair kit. It didn't improve.
This morning I bought a second set from the store where I bought the first set (Bay Street Video, in Toronto). I figured it was worth it to finally see a film by Albert Lewin who also directed The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945).
I played the film again and encountered the same problem. On close inspection the disc has a deep scratch on its outer edge. I can take back the set to the store and get my money back as I still have the receipt from this morning. But what about the three-year old set? I doubt if they will give me my money back for it three years down the line and without a receipt.
Last edited by baracine; 10-26-08 at 01:05 PM.
10-26-08, 02:56 PM
#27
DVD Talk Special Edition
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again: toothpaste.
Try polishing your disc with (pasty, not gel) toothpaste. Wet the disc (with filtered water, if available), and apply a small amount of toothpaste to the most obviously scratched area. Then, rub it around in circles with your finger (assuming you don't have things on your fingers that will scratch the discs--e.g., avoid letting your nails contact the disc). Rinse it with water, and rub the toothpaste off in radial motions from the center out to the edge. Air dry it, or towel it off with something that won't scratch it further (again, wiping from the center out).
I have never had this fail--from discs that were really badly scratched to those on which I couldn't actually see any scratches, but that suffered from freezes, time-jumps, pixelating, etc.. Specifically, this has worked on my Universal Abbott and Costello V1 disc 1.
Try polishing your disc with (pasty, not gel) toothpaste. Wet the disc (with filtered water, if available), and apply a small amount of toothpaste to the most obviously scratched area. Then, rub it around in circles with your finger (assuming you don't have things on your fingers that will scratch the discs--e.g., avoid letting your nails contact the disc). Rinse it with water, and rub the toothpaste off in radial motions from the center out to the edge. Air dry it, or towel it off with something that won't scratch it further (again, wiping from the center out).
I have never had this fail--from discs that were really badly scratched to those on which I couldn't actually see any scratches, but that suffered from freezes, time-jumps, pixelating, etc.. Specifically, this has worked on my Universal Abbott and Costello V1 disc 1.
10-26-08, 05:08 PM
#28
Suspended
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: toothpaste.
Try polishing your disc with (pasty, not gel) toothpaste. Wet the disc (with filtered water, if available), and apply a small amount of toothpaste to the most obviously scratched area. Then, rub it around in circles with your finger (assuming you don't have things on your fingers that will scratch the discs--e.g., avoid letting your nails contact the disc). Rinse it with water, and rub the toothpaste off in radial motions from the center out to the edge. Air dry it, or towel it off with something that won't scratch it further (again, wiping from the center out).
I have never had this fail--from discs that were really badly scratched to those on which I couldn't actually see any scratches, but that suffered from freezes, time-jumps, pixelating, etc.. Specifically, this has worked on my Universal Abbott and Costello V1 disc 1.
Try polishing your disc with (pasty, not gel) toothpaste. Wet the disc (with filtered water, if available), and apply a small amount of toothpaste to the most obviously scratched area. Then, rub it around in circles with your finger (assuming you don't have things on your fingers that will scratch the discs--e.g., avoid letting your nails contact the disc). Rinse it with water, and rub the toothpaste off in radial motions from the center out to the edge. Air dry it, or towel it off with something that won't scratch it further (again, wiping from the center out).
I have never had this fail--from discs that were really badly scratched to those on which I couldn't actually see any scratches, but that suffered from freezes, time-jumps, pixelating, etc.. Specifically, this has worked on my Universal Abbott and Costello V1 disc 1.
Last edited by baracine; 10-26-08 at 05:24 PM.
10-26-08, 05:16 PM
#29
Senior Member
It's a defective disc, no amount of resurfacing will get it to work properly. Your best bet is to try to contact someone at Universal for a replacement disc. I dealt with Universal by email a couple of years ago, and they were actually quite nice about it. However, key is getting a good CSR, and that is more or less luck. I believe Universal has abandoned the dual sided/dual layer discs since all of the problems they have created over the years.
10-26-08, 05:22 PM
#30
Suspended
It's a defective disc, no amount of resurfacing will get it to work properly. Your best bet is to try to contact someone at Universal for a replacement disc. I dealt with Universal by email a couple of years ago, and they were actually quite nice about it. However, key is getting a good CSR, and that is more or less luck. I believe Universal has abandoned the dual sided/dual layer discs since all of the problems they have created over the years.
10-27-08, 06:21 AM
#31
Suspended
I found a link to a replacement program for Universal discs purchased in Canada: http://www.udvd.ca/en/faq/index.cfm
