I'm at a loss!

[The_Sarge]

I've searched the forum, and haven't found quite this problem mentioned before. I'm using DVDit to burn video to DVD-R, on a Pioneer 104, with a Windows XP home OS. The media I'm using are Apple DVD-R. Here's the problem. After first burnt, and labelled (using CD Stomper) the discs play perfect in every player tested. After sitting in their cases for 3 months, when played they skip, and lock up from about half way on out to the edge, on every player. I have removed the labels and all the adhesive. The discs are now totally clean on both sides, no dirt or scratches. They still skip. How is it that they can be fine for the first two weeks, then deteriorate in 3 months? If anyone has any ideas, It would save my sanity.

[Tommyknocker]

That usually sparks the debate of whether to label or not to label, to paraphrase The Bard. Some people have no problems, while other have the problems you mention all the way up to the label actually separating from the disk. I have the phenomenon of no visual degradation, just that none of the disks I labeled seem to work now. Even a video of the missus shopping in Italy that is irreplaceable, now gone forever .

The theory I heard is that the label adhesive affects the dye in the disk, making it useless after a period of time.

Now I only use the hub labels, and just label the cases I store them in.

[mkelley]

Tommyknocker,

I know you're very knowledgable here and so this is probably pretty stupid, but that irreplaceable disk... did you try it in a few DVD-ROMs and/or burners just to see if you could even copy the data?

I have to believe you've already done this, but I'm surprised you had no success. Not that I don't believe a labeled DVD would refuse to play in a standalone (disks I have labeled that are three years old are still playing fine, but you note that some people never seem to have this problem) but you'd think you'd be able to do *some* kind of data recovery on that disk (I know companies that can recover data on a CD that's been warped even).

[Tommyknocker]

Thanks for the compliment. As I recall, I tried it in both of my computers, and struck out both times. I threw it out a while back, so there is little I can do about it now, but thank you for offering the advice. I will keep in mind the advice about the companies that can recover disk data. I may need it someday.

[ADS Ivan]

I've had similar problems with different types of media (Princo and Optodisc mostly), where the disc worked for a couple weeks, but then it just seems to die (won't play in set tops). The odd thing here is that the discs are still readable in my DVD-RW drive. I was able to make an image of the disc and make a copy to another DVD-R disc. That's the problem with media...you can have your favorite brands and find some to be more reliable than others (like Apple), but ultimately there are quite a few vairables that make no two the same (chemicals, reflectivity, et cetera).

Regards,
ADS Ivan

[The_Sarge]

When these discs died, did they have labels put on them, or had they never been touched by a label?

[ADS Ivan]

Labels and unlabeled I had seen this happen...

But I don't blame the labels as most of my discs are labeled...