CD/DVD Scratch removers....

[lokki]

Hi,
Was wondering if any one used DVD scratch removers?
Do they work?
Any product recommendations?

The Amazon reviews seem to be pretty negative.

Thanks

[patrickl]

I used one a couple of times (on CD's and DVDs) and it worked pretty well. At least I could play the discs again.

[DrewKaree]

Skip Doctor is one of the more highly touted solutions, which I also happen to own.  It has mixed results.  I prolly get about 75% successful results with it.

Another less touted, but cheaper alternative are a few common household products you'll have lying around.

Where the scratch is, wet the area, and use a small amount of toothpaste (NOT the "whitening" kind, something old school, like Crest original or something similar) or Brasso (or barkeepers friend, I can't remember) and rub that around for a touch, clean it off, and give 'er a go.

ANY of these solutions may not fix the problem on the first crack, you may need several re-applications/run-throughs with these things, sometimes up to half a dozen, depending on the severity.

If you want some more info on this, it's an audio forum, but the same info will apply, head on over to www.hydrogenaudio.com for a more detailed discussion of this issue.

Oh, and if you're gonna go with a Skip Doctor, don't bother with the motorized version, it's just a waste of 20 extra bucks.

[Ravant]

Well, depends on where/what kind of damaged disc you're looking at. If you're trying to repair a CD you burnt yourself, if the data layer scratched off, you're screwed. (The top of the CD gets scratched, the foil comes off, and thus your data is permenantly gone, hence why CD labels are a nice thing to have... protection.)

If you're trying to repair a comercially burnt CD or DVD, you have about an 88% chance of fixing the CD almost entirely using Skip Doctor. But like Drew said... the motorized version is an utter waste of the extra cash.

[markb]

There are software solutions as well, they basically read the disk multiple times around any damaged areas and then you burn a new disc.
I tried a program called CD Rescue X (?) a while ago and it managed to read a heavily scratched CD that was almost unplayable and burnt it to  a new disc that only had 1 or 2 crackly bits.

I don't know if the program in this link is any good but this is the kind of thing I mean.

http://www.naltech.com/

[crashwg]

Oh, and if you're gonna go with a Skip Doctor, don't bother with the motorized version, it's just a waste of 20 extra bucks.

like Drew said... the motorized version is an utter waste of the extra cash.

Why do you say that?  Is there something wrong with the mororized version or are you just saying that "it's easy enough to do it with the hand crank, why spend the extra $20"?

I've done a couple disks on a buddy of mine's skip dr. and I can tell you that at least from my experience that cranking that sucker ain't all that fun! 

[SOAPboy]

its cheaper to buy a stack of blanks and make backups..

its also cheaper to just go pay a music store to really resurface the disk.. because MOST people arnt idiots and destroy every disk they own..

[DrewKaree]

hence why CD labels are a nice thing to have... protection.)

WHOA!  I know, I used to use 'em, and thought the exact same way, until I read a few stories recently....I'll link 'em when I get back home, but CD labels are BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD if you're using them for protection purposes, several studies done (informally) and they are NOT the protection I thought them to be, and can actually be HARMFUL to your self-burnt CD's.

Back with links shortly, or check out www.hydrogenaudio.com or www.ubernet.org to see if you can find the links....*edit* here you go

Link for issues with CD's and informational loss.  Another thing to consider with CD labels is the odd one that the label peels or bubbles up on that makes you wish you hadn't stuck that thing in the drive...and if you've got a slot-loading drive, WHOA BROTHER you are asking for trouble by labeling your CD's (although if you've got a slot-loader, breaking it and having to buy a "regular" one might not be such a bad thing    )

Why do you say that?  Is there something wrong with the mororized version or are you just saying that "it's easy enough to do it with the hand crank, why spend the extra $20"?

I've done a couple disks on a buddy of mine's skip dr. and I can tell you that at least from my experience that cranking that sucker ain't all that fun! 

I'm EXACTLY saying that it's easy enough to do it by hand.  Spending $20 because "it ain't all that fun" is the EPITOME of laziness, and for Rudy's sake, man, cranking that thing around - you make it sound as if you had to lift a car or something.  I am going to assume that you NEVER IN YOUR LIFE HAVE OR PLAN TO go fishing, as it seems WAY beyond the scope of "things that are hard to do", after all, it's the same thing as running that skip doctor for several hours on end, only with slightly less chance of being constructive when you're finished.

It's simply NOT as hard as crashwg paints this to be, and methinks with his limp wrist, THAT'S what's causing this to be a chore for him.  Toughen up, Sally....besides, unless you've gotten a job recently, you've got nothing BUT time on your hands to crank that friggen thing. 

$20 ADDITIONAL dollars poorly spent, period. 

[DrewKaree]

And some more:

• Link - an entire thread discussion by some fairly serious audio folks
  
• Link - a short article about the Skip Doctor
  

[DrewKaree]

Something that I tested today, since it wouldn't read AT ALL, is as follows:

Turtle Wax rubbing compound (red container) applied according to directions
When dry, buffed to remove compound
Washed with plenty of warm water to remove all traces of compound that might be left
One application of Meguiar's ScratchX, applied, buffed and removed according to directions
One Application of RainX wax, applied, buffed and removed according to directions

results:
Perfect read on three different players, and a run through EAC produced a copy with no read or sync errors, which I then burned two copies to CD-R to be used for playback by the wife, kids, and everyone ELSE who can't figure out how NOT to scratch the piss out of a CD to the point that it's unuseable.

[DrewKaree]

lokki,

did you give 'em a whirl, or try something else?  How'd it turn out?