How do you clean a DVD?

janiejoey

Cathlete
Hi Everyone,

A while back I have read about cleaning a DVD if it doesn't play. Does anyone remember or know how to do this? Any Information that I could go to on cleaning a DVD? I though it was on Cathe's website, but if it is I can't find it.

When I try to play it, there is a "disk error".

Frustrated,
Janie
 
Hi Everyone,

A while back I have read about cleaning a DVD if it doesn't play. Does anyone remember or know how to do this? Any Information that I could go to on cleaning a DVD? I though it was on Cathe's website, but if it is I can't find it.

When I try to play it, there is a "disk error".

Frustrated,
Janie
 
Hi Janie here you have what SNM has posted about the DVD problems:


DVD School
Sat Mar-01-03 09:19 PM

1)Sound Problems: All sound problems can usually be corrected by changing the “Audio” setting on your DVD player to “PCM”. Depending on your systems configuration you may also want to try the “normal” setting.

2)Layer Change: Some movies, especially those over two hours long or encoded at a high data rate, are spread across two layers on one side of the disc. When the player changes to the second layer, the video and audio may freeze for a moment. The length of the pause depends on the player and on the layout of the disc. The pause is not a defect in the player or the disc. You can now purchase some DVD players that feature seamless layer changes.

3) If your disc freezes, skips or will not play, always try cleaning it before contacting us. DVD defects are very, very rare. I can’t remember the last time we received a reported defective DVD disc back that truly was ( Ab Hits was an exception as the entire batch was bad)…..Here are some Tips:

We only expect you to try the basic cleaning and not the repair instructions. If cleaning does not work try playing the disc on another player if possible. Though the problem may be the disc, the player is at fault a lot of times. This will help determine which it is.
Cleaning and repairing DVDs
If you notice problems when playing a disc, you may be able to correct them with a simple cleaning.
• Do not use strong cleaners, abrasives, solvents, or acids.
• With a soft, lint-free cloth, wipe gently in only a radial direction (a straight line between the hub and the rim). Since the data is arranged circularly on the disc, the micro scratches you create when cleaning the disc (or the nasty gouge you make with the dirt you didn't see on your cleaning cloth) will cross more error correction blocks and be less likely to cause unrecoverable errors).
• Don't use canned or compressed air, which can be very cold and may thermally stress the disc.
• For stubborn dirt or gummy adhesive, use water, water with mild soap, or isopropyl alcohol. As a last resort, try peanut oil. Let it sit for about a minute before wiping it off.
• Try Lemon Pledge. It sometimes works wonders on problem DVDs.
• There are commercial products that clean discs and provide some protection from dust, fingerprints, and scratches. Cleaning products labeled for use on CDs work as well as those that say they are for DVDs.
If you continue to have problems after cleaning the disc, you may need to attempt to repair one or more scratches. Sometimes even hairline scratches can cause errors if they just happen to cover an entire ECC block. Examine the disc, keeping in mind that the laser reads from the bottom. There are essentially two methods of repairing scratches: 1) fill or coat the scratch with an optical material; 2) polish down the scratch. There are many commercial products that do one or both of these, or you may wish to buy polishing compounds or toothpaste and do it yourself. The trick is to polish out the scratch without causing new ones. A mess of small polishing scratches can cause more damage than a big scratch. As with cleaning, polish only in the radial direction.

4) Check all of your discs before calling us. This way we only have to send replacements once. Also, if you have problems with more than one disc it is a strong indicator that the DVD player is more than likely the cause of your problem.

5) Tracking Your Order: You can track your order from our website at: http://www.cathe.com/UPS_Tracking_Page.htm There is a link to this page at the top of our Home Page. Please note: You can only track your order after your DVD’s have shipped and UPS has updated their computers. This usually happens after 9 pm each weekday night.

6) Always email us if you have a problem at [email protected] or [email protected] Email is the fastest way to get in touch with us. Only call us if you don’t have access to email. All 800 calls go to an order/answering service and they in turn relay your message to us. Since this is a two step process it will take longer to get a reply if you call instead of emailing.




Mariángeles a spanish terminator junkie.:) :)
 
Hi Janie here you have what SNM has posted about the DVD problems:


DVD School
Sat Mar-01-03 09:19 PM

1)Sound Problems: All sound problems can usually be corrected by changing the “Audio” setting on your DVD player to “PCM”. Depending on your systems configuration you may also want to try the “normal” setting.

2)Layer Change: Some movies, especially those over two hours long or encoded at a high data rate, are spread across two layers on one side of the disc. When the player changes to the second layer, the video and audio may freeze for a moment. The length of the pause depends on the player and on the layout of the disc. The pause is not a defect in the player or the disc. You can now purchase some DVD players that feature seamless layer changes.

3) If your disc freezes, skips or will not play, always try cleaning it before contacting us. DVD defects are very, very rare. I can’t remember the last time we received a reported defective DVD disc back that truly was ( Ab Hits was an exception as the entire batch was bad)…..Here are some Tips:

We only expect you to try the basic cleaning and not the repair instructions. If cleaning does not work try playing the disc on another player if possible. Though the problem may be the disc, the player is at fault a lot of times. This will help determine which it is.
Cleaning and repairing DVDs
If you notice problems when playing a disc, you may be able to correct them with a simple cleaning.
• Do not use strong cleaners, abrasives, solvents, or acids.
• With a soft, lint-free cloth, wipe gently in only a radial direction (a straight line between the hub and the rim). Since the data is arranged circularly on the disc, the micro scratches you create when cleaning the disc (or the nasty gouge you make with the dirt you didn't see on your cleaning cloth) will cross more error correction blocks and be less likely to cause unrecoverable errors).
• Don't use canned or compressed air, which can be very cold and may thermally stress the disc.
• For stubborn dirt or gummy adhesive, use water, water with mild soap, or isopropyl alcohol. As a last resort, try peanut oil. Let it sit for about a minute before wiping it off.
• Try Lemon Pledge. It sometimes works wonders on problem DVDs.
• There are commercial products that clean discs and provide some protection from dust, fingerprints, and scratches. Cleaning products labeled for use on CDs work as well as those that say they are for DVDs.
If you continue to have problems after cleaning the disc, you may need to attempt to repair one or more scratches. Sometimes even hairline scratches can cause errors if they just happen to cover an entire ECC block. Examine the disc, keeping in mind that the laser reads from the bottom. There are essentially two methods of repairing scratches: 1) fill or coat the scratch with an optical material; 2) polish down the scratch. There are many commercial products that do one or both of these, or you may wish to buy polishing compounds or toothpaste and do it yourself. The trick is to polish out the scratch without causing new ones. A mess of small polishing scratches can cause more damage than a big scratch. As with cleaning, polish only in the radial direction.

4) Check all of your discs before calling us. This way we only have to send replacements once. Also, if you have problems with more than one disc it is a strong indicator that the DVD player is more than likely the cause of your problem.

5) Tracking Your Order: You can track your order from our website at: http://www.cathe.com/UPS_Tracking_Page.htm There is a link to this page at the top of our Home Page. Please note: You can only track your order after your DVD’s have shipped and UPS has updated their computers. This usually happens after 9 pm each weekday night.

6) Always email us if you have a problem at [email protected] or [email protected] Email is the fastest way to get in touch with us. Only call us if you don’t have access to email. All 800 calls go to an order/answering service and they in turn relay your message to us. Since this is a two step process it will take longer to get a reply if you call instead of emailing.




Mariángeles a spanish terminator junkie.:) :)
 
Using a soft dust cloth works for regular cleanings, you can also add a little polish, like Pledge, to the cloth first and wipe the bottom of the DVD in a circular motion.

Susan C.M.
Nothing should be jiggling, unless it's jiggling off.
You've gotta work hard for what you want. - Cathe in HSC
 
This isn't the first time this has come up. I've been working on computers and such for a long time, what is with the Pledge?

Plain water, soft cloth is the way to clean a cd or dvd. A layer of the oil from pledge will stay on the cd/dvd, attract dust, possibly cause faster "dvd rot".

There is no physical contact with the head however there is physical contact with other dvd player parts that don't need Pledge.

If your cd/dvd is really hosed, there is a kit called Dr CD or Dr DVD (same item) that will resurface your cd/dvd. Also some video stores offer this service for a fee.

Dave
 
Just an FYI- you should always wipe a cd from the center out. In a straight line, never in a circle. I think the email from SNM points that out - Just don't want you to damage your DVD :)
 
>Using a soft dust cloth works for regular cleanings, you can
>also add a little polish, like Pledge, to the cloth first and
>wipe the bottom of the DVD in a circular motion.

DANGER WILL ROBINSON!! Just like with CD's, DVD's should be wiped from center to edge, never in a circular motion (which much more easily causes scratches!).

You can pick up a CD/DVD (same difference) cleaning kit at Walmart or almost anywhere CD's/DVD's are sold.
 
>Just an FYI- you should always wipe a cd from the center out.
> In a straight line, never in a circle. I think the email
>from SNM points that out - Just don't want you to damage your
>DVD :)

i was just going to say this when i saw the circle post above!

i also use electronic pledge and it's worked wonderfully (even on rented dvds!)

-------------
cute work out clothes are good for AT LEAST an additional 10-15 calories burned!
 
Thank you everyone,
For once again helping me out. I finally made it work by using a different DVD player that is a newer model. But not until I applied your suggestions. I will note all the suggestions for future promblems.

Thank you so much,
Janie

PS Can't tell you enough how I appriciate these forums.
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top