Mission Impossible--Hello, Mr. Phelps

[solarblast]

Is it possible to have a DVD set up so that it will self-destruct? For example, maybe after 10 plays have it become unreadable.

[TooLFooL]

use memorex discs

[guns1inger]

For the likes of you and me ? No. There were those chemically treated discs that clouded over after a few days exposure to air.

[mats.hogberg]

Didn't Disney have a plan like this, for "rentals" you didn't have to return?

/Mats

[Forum Troll]

What about DIVX?, not the mpeg-4 codec, but the Circuit City pay-to-play rental system? Anyone besides me remember it? It died after only about a year...

[guns1inger]

Thankfully it never made it to our shores

[solarblast]

Well, I like the Memorex idea! That reminds me of how back in the 50s cereal makers used to distribute records made out of the same cardboard as their cereal boxes. I think the surface of the small disk was lightly coated with some harder substance. The records did not last long.

Perhaps more amazing is that some antropologiists speculate that very ancient audio recordings can be found in the walls of cave dwellings. How? If dwellers regularly performed, say, chants, in dwellings with wettish walls, their audio profile might be embedded in the then dried walls after thousands of years much like old phonograph records.

[AlanHK]

Perhaps more amazing is that some antropologiists speculate that very ancient audio recordings can be found in the walls of cave dwellings. How? If dwellers regularly performed, say, chants, in dwellings with wettish walls, their audio profile might be embedded in the then dried walls after thousands of years much like old phonograph records.

That was an April Fools joke.
See here.

For a real self-destructing disk, put it in a sleeve with some fiberglass in it. After they've slid it in and out a few times it'll be unreadable.
Or maybe you could pry the layers apart a little. After a few plays it would self-destruct, probably taking the player with it.
I note that disks get hot after playing for a while. That could be used to activate some corrosive chemical (this could have medical side effects...)

[oldandinthe way]

Write it on cheap media in an NEC drive

[guns1inger]

NEC drives actually have a very good reputation for strong burns, even on lesser media. Not the greatest readers around, but damn fine writers.

[noki]

" Not the greatest readers around, but damn fine writers."

Ditto.

[oldandinthe way]

The the most responsive company about firmware updates.

[PhoneMatt]

Studios tried this on VHS screener tapes for a while, a number of years ago. The tape could be played for 5 times, then a small magnet, built into the case, would be tripped and rub against the tape while it was playing, erasing it. I think that htis scheme lasted about 1 month, until they realized that you could pop the rivet on the cassette and transfer the screener to an empty case. (Or you could just remove the magnet, if the case didn't get too messed up by popping the rivet.)

[3Simon7]

For example, maybe after 10 plays have it become unreadable.

Give it to your kids.
They could probably do it in less than 10 plays!