Posted on 03/13/2005 4:20:43 PM PST by LowOiL
I have a DVD I need to salvage if possible. My kids have managed to scratch it (but it doesn't look horribly scratched, just superficial scuffs). I have heard there is programs that allow one to extract the infomation so I can record it (or just view it on my computer).
I can watch about 2/3rds of the disk without problems then it starts lagging and eventually stops (and locks up). I have tried numerous players from my home tv dvd player to my two dvd players (one is a recorder) on my computer. All sources lock up about the same place. I have cleaned the DVD the best possible (using the center to outside wiping method) with no visible helpful results.
So can someone please refer me on what to try next... Yes I do own this DVD.
I am just a medium computer user so please don't get too technical with me (because you can easily lose me). Links would be wonderful, cost is a big factor too, because we are soon due our third child and on a budget (so please don't refer programs that cost over $30.00, because I can't afford them at this time)
Any other points/links you might want to post about DVD related things would be interesting... Got any good record advice/suggestions for newbies like me?
I have a good computer system, fast enough to run any program I imagine (2.54 speed)...
Thank you...
BTTT...
Melaleuca oil (available from Melaleuca.com, or as "Tea-tree oil" in a health food store) can cover scratches on Cd's/DVD's. It's not a cure-all; a couple songs still skip on the CD my toddler chewed. But it helps with average scratches.
No financial benefit to me if you accept or ignore this advice :-).
Some electronic game shops have buffers that will buff out scratches. You might call around.
Try turtle wax It actually works !!!!
I have heard of people buffing CD/DVD's out with toothpaste, kinda like you would wax a car. It supposedly has just the right amount of abrasive to do the job. I have never tried it though, YMMV.
Skeet?
Works for me.
Have you tried toothpaste? Some brands have a fine pumice to polish teeth, and I've used it to polish out light scratches on wristwatch crystals.
You might try it on an old CD first.
Yeah, thats what I would do. Use the toothpaste on an old CD first before trying it out on a DVD.
2nd. I've had good luck with CD/DVD buffers, on CDs. The 1s and 0s are beyond the surface, and if you can clean up the surface, you can get to the data beneath.
It never crossed my mind I could mask the scratches, to be quite honest.
Use a very soft cloth, or you'll end up creating more scratches than you started out with.
The data is just below the surface. If you can clear the surfaces of scratches, the laser can pentrate below the surface to the data area.
I second that advice. FYI, the DVD that the laser reads is covered by a thin plastic coating. This is what gets scratched. I work in a public library and we have a CD/DVD buffer. It's amazing what it can do. It's a multi-step process that basically sands down the outer plastic layer then buffs it. It can remove even fairly deep scratches. I'm sure most video stores also have them.
Best Buy sells disc cleaners that remove scratches. $20
I'd never heard the toothpaste idea (but the bite marks on my "Ocean of Mercy" CD are pretty deep!). Good information in the responses here.
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