Understanding

Understanding Scratched Discs

How Do We Repair Your Discs:

After repeated use the polycarbonate plastic on discs can become scratched, dirty, and scuffed, resulting in annoying interruptions or a complete loss of laser detection. Once this happens, cleaning kits are insufficient and/or ineffective. The plastic surface of the disc now requires repair and/or cleaning in order to play properly.

With advanced equipment it's possible to restore the play surface of CD's, DVD's, and Game Discs to a virtually like-new condition!

The repair process is done with high-speed automated precision equipment that uses material specifically tested and proven effective on CD, DVDs, and game discs. The severity of the damage on the disc determines the level of repair needed.

Not only do our repair technicians inspect each disc to determine the severity of damage but our state of the art disc verifier examines the disc so that we know the appropriate repair process to use. If your disc is badly damaged with deep scratches it will go through several refinishing stages and one polish cycle. Keep peace of mind that for those few discs that have perminent damage to the data that VenMill will not charge you for their services on that disc. Now that is complete peace of mind.

Will the disc be restored 100 Percent?

VenMill will repair the disc to "virtually like-new condition". The original polished appearance will be restored. Some virtually undetectable hairline scratches may remain. Any damage done to the top or label side cannot be repaired.

Understanding Disc Layers

Although compact discs are extremely durable and convenient to use, they can be damaged through use and abuse. CD's and DVD's are constructed in layers. To fully undertand the manufacturing process we have broken down each layer of the disc.

1. Polycarbonate Plastic Disc (first layer)

First, data is stamped on the top side of a plastic disc creating millions of ons and offs or zeros and ones. On recordable CDs*, data can be burned in at different levels within the plastic disc for multi-session recording.

2. Reflective Foil Layer** (second layer)

Second, a micro thin layer of aluminum (copper, silver or gold on higher quality CDs) is applied to the top of the CD covering the data. This layer reflects the laser beam back through the plastic disc, allowing the stamped data to be read.

3. Lacquer Layer** (third layer)

Third, lacquer is dripped onto the disc and spun at a high speed to create a thin layer of sealant for the foil layer. This seals in the foil layer, but offers little or no protection for the foil or the data beneath.

4. Graphic Layer** (last layer)

Finally, a layer of ink is screened onto the lacquer layer for dynamic graphic and/or sales impact. (Recordable CDs don't have this layer.)

*Recordable CDs have a much thinner layer due to the manufacturers name printed on this layer.

**The reflective foil, lacquer, and graphic layers combined are only as thin as a human hair and offer little to no protection of the data beneath them.

Two Types of Disc Top Damage

There are 2 types of top damage that can occur to your discs. Please read Understanding The Disc so you will understand why the top side or label/graphic side is so important to protect.

1. Top Damage: Type 1

This is the easiest of the 2 types to identify. Using the Light Test you will see pin holes or scratch lines of light coming through your disc. This means the top 3 layers (Graphics, Lacquer & Reflective Foil) of your disc have been removed. This disc will most likely not play perfectly again, even after it is repaired, but you will be able to play other tracks in areas that have not been damaged.

2. Top Damage: Type 2

This type of damage is hard to see, especially when the bottom side of your disc is badly scratched. When this type of damage occurs, it leaves only single lines in the top side of your disc. It is easier to see this damage once the bottom side of the disc has been repaired. Damage is caused by laying your disc, label side down on some surface. Dragging or bending the disc while picking it up begins to wrinkle the graphics, lacquer and reflective foil layers. This places a permanent scar in the top 3 layers of your disc. When you hold your disc up to the light, type 2 damage doesn't show. Once your disc has been repaired, you'll see it using The Reflection Test. Discs with this type of damage may play through perfectly, unless the foil damage runs in a radial direction. This will cause the laser to jump back or skip ahead, missing the data in the damaged area of your disc.

Determining Which Side Is Scratched

1. The Light Test

Hold your disc 24 inches away form a 40 watt light bulb, label side facing the bulb. If you see light coming through pin holes or scratches, this disc is scratched on the label or top side.

2. The Reflection Test

Hold your disc, bottom or play side up. While looking at the scratches on the play side, tilt the disc slightly, back and forth, and check each scratch for a reflection or double appearance. Scratches on the bottom of the disc will have a reflection. Scratches or wrinkles in the top side will appear as a single line only.

About Disc Play Side Damage

Play Side (bottom) damage is identified by scratches that show a reflection or double image when examining the bottom or play side of your disc closely.

A scratch that occurs on the bottom side of a disc may be resurfaced and polished out. The depth of the scratch will determine the success of the repair.

Keep an eye on these scratches during normal use. If they get too bad request a "No Obligation" VenMill Disc Repair Mailer. For just a few dollars, you can have your discs restored to like-new condition. Keep it Playing!

What about deep gouges, chips, or cracks?

Occasionally scratches are so deep we consider them a gouge. Some gouges may be so deep that they actually reach the data foil. Although most gouges can be removed, we will not risk ruining the data foil. When this occurs the resurfacing process is stopped and a light scratch will remain. This light scratch may or may not affect the play of the disc.

When chips are present they are most likely on the edge of the disc and cannot be repaired. Cracks cannot be repaired.

RESURFACING A DISC

When the bottom of your disc becomes damaged with scratches, scrapes, or scuffs, no cleaning kits or polishing waxes can return your disc to working condition; that's when you need the professionals at VenMill Industries.

Virtually every music CD, software and multi-media CD-Rom, CDR, Playstation, Playstation 2 and Sega Dreamcast video game disc, karaoke CD+G and single sided or double sided DVD can have all the scratches and marks eliminated. As long as the label side on the CD or DVD is not damaged you can have it repaired to play as intended. Send it to VenMill and get it back in virtually the same condition as when you first purchased it!

Common FAQs

Does a perfectly resurfaced disc guarantee it will play?

No. There can be a number of reasons other than a scratch on the play-side that is preventing your disc from playing. Your data foil may have top damage, a manufacturer defect, or some other anomaly. VenMill's service is to remove imperfections to the play-side of the disc that are made by accident or abuse.

Can I repair a disc myself?

Although other methods are available for repairing discs, we highly recommend using a professional service. It is safer, less expensive, and more convenient to use a service like VenMill Industries.

Can Your Disc Be Fixed?

In most cases all CD, DVD, and game discs can be fixed.

Unrepairable discs have scratches or marks that penetrate the foil or stamped data on the top label. Depending upon where the damage on the disc is located determines if any or all data is lost. When this occurs to a disc the data to be read is lost and unrecoverable. This type of damage is difficult to see and makes it hard to determine if it is the cause for interrupted play.

How Discs Are Read?

Although there are many different types of optical discs, they all function on the same general principle. The music, picture and/or computer data they store is in digital form. Digital information is read from discs by an infrared laser. The information is projected through the clear protective plastic of a disc bottom, and is either reflected or not reflected back to the laser reader. By reading the reflected light beams, a disc drive decodes the information from a disc. A scratch deflects the laser beam off track and information is never received by the laser reader. The smallest scratches can affect many lines of data. The most vulnerable side of a disc is the top or graphic side.

What Can Happen To Discs?

Scratches are one of the worst enemies of data on an optical disc (music CDs, game CDs, DVDs and CD Roms). Where a scratch occurs determines if your disc is repairable. Data resides on the top side of the plastic disc. It is extremely important to protect this side of the disc. If a scratch is made to the bottom side of a disc, it can be resurfaced and polished out restoring the disc to its original condition. The depth of the scratch will determine the success of the repair. In most cases even the deepest scratches can be removed by Skippy Disc. Keep an eye on these scratches during normal use and have them repaired when necessary.