A bad case of DVD rot eats into movie collections

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

A bad case of DVD rot eats into movie collections
By Sue Lowe
February 1 2003
Sidney Morning Herald

If you think your prized collection of DVD movies will last a lifetime,
think again - some are already starting to rot while others are falling
apart. Unofficial estimates put the number of affected discs at between
one and 10 per cent. Yet some of the largest distributors for Hollywood
Studios are accused of refusing to accept the problem exists and replace
faulty products.

....

The failures are a combination of corrosion - known as "DVD rot" - and
delamination, where the layers of the disc separate. Symptoms of the rot
include picture break-up and freezing at a specific place on the disk. The
main cause is believed to be poorly designed cases. Delamination shows up
as a coffee-like stain that prevents the disc from playing.

...

Some (video) stores have reported they only get two or three rentals from
a DVD before it's unplayable," said Ross Walden, director of the
Australian Video Retailers Association

....