I have a few DVDs that have smudges or very minor scratches. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good cleaner that removes or polishes the disc. (Preferably one that works.)
The adult video store that I frequent has some kind of hand held contraption that you put the disc in, spray some solution on, close the top, and spin the disc around with a handle that's attached to this "thing". It removed all of the dirt, gunk, and scratches on the disc I was going to rent. Pretty neat little machine. Don't know what it's called or how much it costs though. I'll ask next time I go.
It works good. The disc was Rocco's initiations #1, and it had dirt and a couple of small scratches on it. The guy put the disc in, sprayed some solution on it, closed it up (I think there is also some sort of round piece felt cloth that goes in with the disc, this is the cloth that the cleans the disc). then he just kept spinning the thing for about 30 seconds, took the disc out, and it looked like it was brand new out of the box. I ended up buying it, and I try to avoid buying discs that have been used, but it was in great shape. As far as scratches are concerned, sometimes a smudge can be mistaken for a scratch, so I can't stake my reputation that there were scratches, but it looked that way to me. I also have a tip for those of you that sometimes buy discs from your local adult store that have already been viewed:
Sometimes the store will write a number on the disc in black felt tip marker near the center of the disc so they can keep track of it when rented out. I was told by my store that to remove the number writen in black marker, just use an all purpose eraser (the white kind) to erase the number on the disc, I was told that this works, even if the number has been there for awhile. I have not tried it yet but I will soon, as I have a couple that I bought used and would like to remove the numbers on them.
Patience is a virtue, but who wants to be virtuous? 4283 Posts 4/00
Posted - Oct 23 2001 : 8:18PM
I have one of those. It's at the office, so I can't check the brand name, though. I bought mine at Target. It was between $10 and $15. It works great!! The method is exactly as MB described it.
When you take it out from cleaning it on the felt that's in the cleaner, the dirt is gone, but it doesn't get rid of actual scratches. For that, there's a liquid gel that fills in the engrooved mark from the scratch so that there's a smooth area on the disc. Some of the info may look jumpy still when you play the disc, but at least the disc won't usually completely freeze and be non-playable.
Also, I have a DVD PLAYER cleaner. It was also in the $10-20 range. It works pretty much the same as a VHS head cleaner. You put some drops on a disc that comes in a package, and insert it into the player. It cleans the dust out, I guess. It seemed to make my old Sony play a little smoother.
It's called the "Disc Doctor". I bought mine from Electronics Boutique. It DOES work in MOST cases. If a DVD is severely scratched, it may be beyond repair however. A DVD may require several applications of the provided cleaning solution until it is repaired.
ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: Certain DVD Players track DVD's differently. For instance, one DVD that I purchased did not track properly on my Denon DVD player. But it tracked O.K. on my newer Sony DVD player. I also had one DVD that I thought for sure was defective because it would lock up on all of my DVD players. But when I tried it on my DVD ROM on my pc, it played fine!
Generally speaking: The newer the DVD player, the more 'compatible' it should be.
Tricia, You are the first person that I have heard say anything good about a DVD Player cleaner. The common thought on these cleaners (from some people who know a LOT about DVD players) is that they shouldn't be used. Unlike a VCR head, the laser in your player doesn't touch the disc. Putting liquid into your DVD player has a greater chance of causing harm to the laser mechanism than helping it.
Here are a couple of threads from the A/V Science forum on this topic.
If the scratches aren´t interfering with the disc reproduction, DO NOTHING.
If you want to clean em, use a dry, lintless cloth. Clean in straight lines from the center to the edges. DO NOT CLEAN WITH CIRCULAR MOVEMENTS! NO WAX ON, WAX OFF!!!