Popular But Are They Practical? The DVD Repair Machine
There are many different versions of a DVD repair machine on the market. Some cost as little as twenty dollars while others can cost over one hundred fifty dollars. Each one works based on the same principals: a damaged disc can normally be polished so that the scratches are no longer an issue and the DVD can be read perfectly once again.
Every DVD repair machine uses some sort of pad or cloth in order to gently polish the plastic and rub out the scratches. Some machines have multiple types of pads or cloths that can be used according to the amount of damage to the disc. The more the damage, the rougher the cloth that is required. The length of time required to polish a DVD varies with the type of DVD repair machine that is bought as well, with the more expensive versions usually polishing faster than the cheaper ones.
The Downside Of Using A DVD Repair Machine
The downside of using a DVD repair machine is that sometimes the instructions for what should be a simple process turn out to be very complex. It can be confusing trying to determine what pad or cloth to use as well as the amount of cleaning fluid should be added.
In addition, there are some scratches that not even a DVD repair machine can polish out. One way to test this is to hold the DVD up to a light and see if there are any places on the disc that the light shines through. If there is light showing anyplace on the disc, that disc has damage done to the foil, which is what holds the information encoded on the DVD. There is no way to polish the foil and reconstruct the information besides certain DVD repairing software.
Another downside is that DVD repair machines cost at least twenty dollars. DVD polishing can be done for much less than that with common household items such as toothpaste. All that is required to rub out the scratches from the DVD is a mild abrasive, which is in toothpaste. Using that and a soft cloth, all scratches can be rubbed out, the DVD washed clean of the toothpaste, and the DVD used again. Even if a person did not have toothpaste on hand (which hopefully is never the case in any household!) he can use floor cleaner, window cleaner, and some say even peanut butter to rub out the scratches.
By Consumer Electronics Editor
