Disc Trauma for the formats (1 Viewer)

[DeanWG]

I think most of us have seen the youtube video of the dude mutilating his copy of Talledega Nights to show the often not talked about durability of Blu-ray discs. I think I'm probably pretty close to jumping into HD-DVD to become format neutral myself, but I was wondering how durable HD-DVDs discs are in comparison? I've read a couple of comments that they are actually even more sensitive than SD-DVD, but nothing documented. Probably isn't a deal breaker for me, as I'm very good with my discs, and no kids, so as long as I can keep it out of the wife's hands, all is good!

A side story that impressed me with Blu-ray - I received a copy of "Fly Boys" from Netflix earlier in the week, and decided to give it a late night spin that night. One hour and 51 minutes into the movie, it started to skip and pause. I took the disc out and gave it a little wipe in the dark, stuck it back in, and it played a little longer and started to do it again. Still had some problems. I also couldn't access a couple of chapters near the end of the movie in the scene selection feature. I thought maybe it was just a bad disc, as other discs seemed to play just fine in the player.

I took the disc into the kitchen to pack it up to Netflix, and what did I spot but a 1/2" CRACK on the very edge of the disc. It was extremely difficult to see, but it definately went through the entire data layer.

I was amazed that the disc was able to even TRY to get through this.

Any first hand "holy crap, I can't believe it still plays after I did that" stories that you can share?

 

[Ryan-G]

Not quite on topic, but I had a old Pioneer CD-Rom drive on a PC that could read *anything*. I once went months without realizing a specific disc was cracked in half because that drive kept on reading it.

Unfortunately, I went to start up that old PC a few weeks ago, and the power supply caught fire as soon as I plugged it in. Didn't even think to try to salvage the drive :frowning:

 

[Paul Arnette]

I find that HD DVDs scratch more easily than SD DVDs. In fact, a cleaning cloth designed for cleaning SD DVDs has scratched an HD DVD before. I'm pretty frustrated with the lack of durability that HD DVDs display. So much so, in fact, that I will opt for the Blu-ray Disc everytime even if the audio is inferior. I'm particularly anal about the condition of my discs, especially since I view some of them as extended rentals. If a disc gets scratched or arrives that way from the factory, it makes it that much harder to sell when I upgrade or decide I no longer want it.

 

[David Wilkins]

I've rented at least two dozen HD titles from Netflix over the past few months. Some of them are scratched all to hell...just as severely as any SD's I've rented. Only once, has the condition caused a playback issue (on my A1); about the same ratio as my results with rented SD's.

I'm currently HD only. But if this issue, or any other for that matter, was a consistent, bothersome issue, I'd be shopping around for a neutral format solution. In short...I don't consider myself a fan-boy.

 

[Adam_R]

I have never had a scratch ruin a disc for me in 20 years.

I have between 300 and 400 CDs, 300 to 400 SD DVDs and now starting my HD-DVD and BluRay collection. I also have/had hundreds of video games on CD/DVD without issue.

Am I lucky? Careful? You decide!



BTW - I am impressed with the fact the BluRay has gone the extra mile to protect the discs.

 

[David Wilkins]

I agree. When I said "playback issues" (above), I meant nothing more than two or three short skips, even on severely scratched rentals...not an inability to play at all.

 

[Jason Harbaugh]

It is funny you said Flyboys. I also had a Flyboys BD disc from Netflix this past week. It started pausing and skipping near the end. First disc to do this. I pulled it out and it looked like someone took a nail to and carved out a scratch near the outside of the disc. I did report it as a bad disc so no one else gets it.

 

[Jon Moss]

I've rented a few HD-DVD's, and even though the surface looked like a skating rink they've all played back without a hitch.

 

[David Wilkins]

I honestly don't understand what some people do with these discs, short of playing Frisbee on an asphalt parking lot. I have discs from the very first month that DVD existed as a format, and they still look brand new...and most of them have been loaned to friends and family.

 

[Paul Arnette]

While the discs working, even after scratching, is obviously a primary concern; a secondary one, for me, is resale. I know how the average AVS Forum and HTF member is, they're not going to want my scratched to hell HD DVDs. I am very careful with my discs, and I have not had a playback problem that was the result of a scratch outside of renting.

However, I had to return two copies of The Game to Amazon because they were fingerprinted and scratched at the factory. Normally, fingerprints aren't a problem, but I swear HD DVDs are much more susceptible to being scratched when attempting to clean off fingerprints than SD DVDs ever were, even with a cloth supposedly designed for cleaning discs.

All things equal, I would absolutely opt for a BD over an HD DVD because of the coating. In my mind it just isn't worth the hassle of not having it. The only time I waiver is when BD gets short-changed in the audio department (yes, I'm looking at you Paramount). Even then, I swear I'd still opt for the coating. I know, I'm nuts.

 

[Grant H]

Funny you should say that. I had a Neflix rental (Into the Blue BD I believe). I'd forgotten I'd slapped it in a folder and when I picked up said folder later, wouldn't you know the disc flew out of it when I got out of my car, skidding data side on the asphalt? Amazing how it ejected right out of its sleeve. I'd already watched it, but felt bad that I might have damaged it (especially as I had just had to return a cracked and scratched regular DVD that wouldn't play). But it appeard to have just gotten dirty. I wiped it off on my jeans and it looked perfectly fine.