Disc Polishing

Obviously, I'm no expert on Blu Ray, because I only have one disc. While I do see a definite improvement over regular DVDs, it is not enough that I'm willing to pay out the nose for. Of course, the fact that I haven't been able to get a descent encode on it doesn't improve matters.

seekermeister said:

Obviously, I'm no expert on Blu Ray, because I only have one disc. While I do see a definite improvement over regular DVDs, it is not enough that I'm willing to pay out the nose for. Of course, the fact that I haven't been able to get a descent encode on it doesn't improve matters.

You really won't see the differences on Blu-Ray untill you're screen size starts to hit 40". HDMI cables are a must.

It also depends on the movie as well. Some are just meh transfers, while some are just absolutely beautiful.

If that be the case, then I will never really need BD movies, because I will never have a TV that large. Even if I could afford it, I don't have the space for it.

Thanks, I had been considering moving my BD player to my other rig, which is in the bedroom, so a similar viewing distance like a sofa. Now I'll leave it where it is.

stevieray said:

You could try a three stage acrylic /plastic polish set, like this one: Novus Acrylic Polish & Scratch Remover Kit w/ 2 oz each of #1, 2 & 3

I haven't used them on cds/dvds, but they work pretty good on other acrylic products. Could be worth a shot. You can do it by hand with a buffer cloth for each grit, or if you've got a random orbit sander, get a pack of buffer pads.

I just want to say that you picked a winner. My Novus order arrived today, and I picked out one of the problem DVDs, and just put a dab of the fine scratch remover on the scratched portion of the disc. I polished it for ~ a minute with firm radial strokes, but I'm not sure that it really mattered whether the strokes were radial or not, because I could see no difference between the polished area and the original, except that the scratches were gone.

I threw the disc into the drive, and broke out HandBrake, and watched it pretty closer, and HandBrake finished encoding the two episodes that it was not able to before, and it held a fairly steady avg. FPS while doing it.

Just a a double check I played the last episode, which I think was the worst previously, and I saw no blocking, distortion or any other kind of problem with the play.

This will make me slightly less paranoid about scratching a disc in the future than I have been, because I feel sure that I can now fix it.

I wish that I could rep you, but since this is the Chillout Room, I can't, but I can thank you.

Lava King said:

Well, I may have joined this party a bit late, but I have had actual results using a high grade automobile polish (specifically, Meguiar's).

I applied it with a microfiber cloth in a radial fashion from the hub to the outside edge. I used very light pressure when applying the polish and also when buffing after it dried. The process was repeated 5 or 6 times.

I had borrowed an imported box set (Blake's 7) from a friend and apparently one of the disks wasn't completely on the hub and got scratched by said hub. Scratched badly enough that the disk wouldn't initialize in a DVD player or computer. After polishing only the damaged area the disk would play perfectly in a computer or standalone player.

Don't know if "microfiber cloth" translates to all cultures, it's the type used for cleaning plastic eyeglass lenses.

Hope this helps.

Kent

electrotune1200,

I have had some success with Rain - X on discs. Apply it and let it dry, then wipe it off with a cotton T-shirt. Repeat again for good measure.

I actually apply it to every new disc I aquire. It add a nice protective barrier. Then when you're done, you can put some on your windshield. Truly amazing stuff.

I have used both of these products, back when I used to fly. They are exceptional products for what they are designed for, and may have worked for my purpose, but I wanted to try the Novus, and now I know that Novus works as well as any product for disc scratches.

I'm glad it worked well for you. Happy viewing!