I've just spent 3 hours with half a dozen non-functioning DVDs and a pot of Brasso and a soft cloth.
Hard work, but all the DVDs now work fine.
I wouldn't do it on the screen of anything (e.g. a telephone), since one is left with a milky haze, but as XBox DVDs and having substituted a lot of quite deep scratches for said haze, they now work just fine.
Just saying...
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Wow, amazing. Probably works on CDs too...
There used to be a product called Silvo from the same maker. It looked the same and probably was the same as it worked in the same (mildly abrasive) way. Does it still exist?
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I must try that, I've got a couple of CDs that jump...nothing ventured, etc. Always have Brasso in the garage as we have a brass fender in the parlour.
On a similar theme, The acrylic side windows of my caravan have quite a few scratches due to the very tight access to the back garden here. I've not done all three yet but I've been successful with 1500 grit wet and dry with soap followed by T Cut. Finish with Brasso wadding. Hard work but cheaper than new windows.
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Yes I've used Brasso. Just make sure you polish the right side of the CD/DVD!
Polywatch works too, and is finer, but seems to have gone up a lot since I bought 4 tubes for a fiver a few years ago. Doesn't work on glass - only acrylic watch crystals.
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I've done it too. Worth seeing my mother's face when I attacked a CD should no longer play, and after my ministrations, played fine.
But, do not under any circumstances clean the writing/label side as the coating on that side is very thin.
Brasso is also useful on sidescreens etc on vintage cars and Morgans.
Last edited by: Slidingpillar on Mon 7 Apr 14 at 16:42
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>>But, do not under any circumstances clean the writing/label side as the coating on that side is very thin.
Isn't that because the data is on the top side, so if you polish the top you're damaging the zeros and ones. If you polish the bottom you're polishing the window that the laser looks through in order to see the zeros and ones?
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>> >>But, do not under any circumstances clean the writing/label side as the coating on that
>> side is very thin.
>>
>> Isn't that because the data is on the top side, so if you polish the
>> top you're damaging the zeros and ones. If you polish the bottom you're polishing the
>> window that the laser looks through in order to see the zeros and ones?
The ones and zeros are there, the laser does not see them tho as it shines straight through the disk.
I can't think of any CD I have that is worth 20 minutes of my elbow grease to rescue
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>>I can't think of any CD I have that is worth 20 minutes of my elbow grease to rescue
UK Region PAL XBox
UK Region PAL Games
8,000 miles from nearest store.
2 girls who whinge to their Mother.
Ok, those are DVDs not CDs, but trust me its incentive enough.
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>> >>I can't think of any CD I have that is worth 20 minutes of my
>> elbow grease to rescue
>>
>> UK Region PAL XBox
>> UK Region PAL Games
>> 8,000 miles from nearest store.
>> 2 girls who whinge to their Mother.
>>
>> Ok, those are DVDs not CDs, but trust me its incentive enough.
Buy dog, get dog to chew DVDs, blame dog.
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My wife;
The children are whinging!
What happened to their DVDs?
Which dog?
Who bought that dog?
Your fault, fix it!
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>> My wife;
>>
>> The children are whinging!
>> What happened to their DVDs?
>> Which dog?
>> Who bought that dog?
>> Your fault, fix it!
Yes dear, I'll put the dog down and tell the girls you told me to do it.
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>>
Yes dear, I'll put the dog down and tell the girls you told me to do it.
I don't know how it is in your household but in mine my wife divides everything into one of two categories;
1) Definitely Mark's fault
2) Probably Mark's fault.
There isn't a 3rd category. The only mystery in life is how the changing and variable logic will be applied each time.
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Still, never mind, if you get to potter about with your CDs and stuff while she works then a bit of being at fault in return could be seen as a sort of acceptable side effect
I could cope with it.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 7 Apr 14 at 19:40
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Oh absolutely.
There are many things I do which might be seen as "acceptable mitigation".
One can rub CDs in front of the television with a beer, for example.
This morning I couldn't go shopping with her because I needed to put a shelf up as I had promised. (shelf 15 minutes, shopping 4 hours of foot-throbbing torture).
etc. etc.
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Isn't that because the data is on the top side, so if you polish the top you're damaging the zeros and ones. If you polish the bottom you're polishing the window that the laser looks through in order to see the zeros and ones?
Yup, that's my understanding.
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>> Yup, that's my understanding.
Is it likely that the data would be on a flimsy skin on the wrong side of the disk? What a load of rubbish.
It's on the shiny side, the depressions very small and covered of course by a transparent plastic skin. When I can be bothered I'll put one under the microscope just to be sure. But I know really.
Tchah! I'm ashamed of you chaps.
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All explained here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_disc
Apparently there are 4 layers. The lowest layer has the bumps, which are read by light shining through it and being reflected by a shiny layer. On top of the shiny layer is a protective lacquer layer, and then the printing on top of the lacquer.
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Remember to rub it over with a green marker and then stick it in the freezer for a few hours - helps the laser pick up those 1s and 0s more accurately.......
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My understanding of this method is to use toothpaste.....
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Tried toothpaste, didn't really do much.
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>> Tried toothpaste, didn't really do much.>>
Perhaps modern toothpaste is not quite so abrasive. It's certainly a common suggestion as a solution for the ills of using CDs...:-)
Probably better to make sure that the lasers are working at maximum capability (there are normally two, one for CDs and one for DVDs, due to the different wavelengths involved in reading disks).
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Thanks Cliff. We're kind of all correct, according to Wiki:
"Pits are much closer to the label side of a disc, enabling defects and contaminants on the clear side to be out of focus during playback. Consequently, CDs are more likely to suffer damage on the label side of the disc. Scratches on the clear side can be repaired by refilling them with similar refractive plastic, or by careful polishing."
Hence (if you *must* put them down somewhere that isn't the box) you should always put your CDs down on the clear side, not on the label side.
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I wonder which side they "always" land, if you drop one?
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>>you should always put your CDs down on the clear side, not on the label side.
Not sure.
Normal scratches will have no effect on the label side, but will affect the clear side through which the laser shines. However, it is true that they can be polished out of the clear side.
It is large gouges which will be worse on the label side.
I think its obvious that to be most safe and to protect your disc then you should balance them on the edge. I understand hanging them from the rear view mirror also works in some countries.
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>>
>> I think its obvious that to be most safe and to protect your disc then
>> you should balance them on the edge.
>>
Like this:
hackaday.com/2013/05/11/lego-jukebox-choses-from-different-cds/
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Brasso & scratched DVDs - Armel Coussine
