Disc Rot

[Tarma]

Anyone ever experienced what I can only describe as disc rot with a major optical disc based video games console?

The only time I've ever previously encountered this issue is with Laser Disc, but now I've had an issue with my Dreamcast.

So, been on a bit of a DC kick recently after neglecting the old girl for far too long, and after putting some time into Zero Gunner 2 and Under Defeat, I decided I'd play a bit of 3rd Strike.

Pop the disc in and the DC starts making some funny noises... great, I think, the drive is packing up, just what I need right now. Anyway, I take the disc out, pop it back in, same issue, disc won't read. So then I swap back to Under Defeat, no issues. I try Ikaruga - no issues. So obviously not the drive.

I take a look at the 3rd Strike disc, can't see anything obviously wrong with it, then I check to see if it's warped. I gentley flex the disc and it snaps like dried twig!
Really weird, the disc has gone brittle!

At some point I'll track down another copy of the 3rd Strike, but anyone else ever had this happen on DC or any other system? There should be a minimal degree of flex in an optical disc, but there was none with this!

 

[CORY]

Yeah, I've personally seen disc rot on Sega CD, Saturn, Gamecube and Xbox discs. Don't flex your old discs, bad idea. I learned that the hard way cleaning a used copy of Paper Mario TYD.

You need to check the disc with a light source to spot disc rot, you can find videos of what it looks like on youtube.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Laserdisc seem to be the least quality controlled of all round optical disc thingies. Very common.

As for CDs I've never seen that myself, thankfully. Closest I've seen was aluminum eating fungi in my copy of Street Fighter Zero on the PS but those leave a very distinct biological imprint on the label side. A bit like this: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTbLPfuXIrpYXEaSsOAtHZIvujeAr9IX0lPuQ&usqp=CAU

 

[RAZO]

Yes, it's real. I've experienced it twice. Two games I purchased online. One was a Saturn game and the other a Ps2 game. Both games were near mint. No matter what I did, the laser refused to read them. I tried different consoles, pc emulators, whatever I could, and still it would not read the discs. Both guys I purchased from were legit good sellers and never bothered to test them since they looked like they were in good shape.

Another reason to not let your cd/dvd games sit on the shelf unplayed for too long. I prefer running games off a hard drive but you need to pop in your games every once and awhile and make sure they work.

Just like Cory said. I put my discs under a bright light like a spot light to see if something is wrong. You sometimes cannot tell by just looking at it in normal light conditions.

 

[skate323k137]

Yes, it's real. I've experienced it twice. Two games I purchased online. One was a Saturn game and the other a Ps2 game. Both games were near mint. No matter what I did, the laser refused to read them. I tried different consoles, pc emulators, whatever I could, and still it would not read the discs. Both guys I purchased from were legit good sellers and never bothered to test them since they looked like they were in good shape.

Another reason to not let your cd/dvd games sit on the shelf unplayed for too long. I prefer running games off a hard drive but you need to pop in your games every once and awhile and make sure they work.

Just like Cory said. I put my discs under a bright light like a spot light to see if something is wrong. You sometimes cannot tell by just looking at it in normal light conditions.

Yeah, the 1st thing I do when I get optical media after looking for surface scratches, is hold it up to a light

 

[SignOfGoob]

It’s a majorly overrated concern. Most of the “rot” reported is just people clumsily ruining their discs (see above comment about about “flexing” discs.)

There are for sure specific issues with specific formats or plants. Anything made by PDO UK seems to be guaranteed crap, which sadly means most European CD-Vs. Also most US HD-DVDs seem to be already dead. The US Sony DADC LD factory sucked in the late 90s. In general though it’s mostly just morons refusing to take responsibility for breaking their own shit.

I’ve had a few rotted LDs (maybe three sides out of 1000+) and some PDO UK rotted audio CDs. I’ve never had a Japan pressed CD rot ever, game or otherwise, and I have hundreds of PC Engine things, which was the dawn of consumer CDROM. It’s possible that there are some bad US pressed XBox games or something, I only know the stuff I buy and the circles they are discussed in and there rot is super rare.

 

[max 330 mega]

It’s a majorly overrated concern. Most of the “rot” reported is just people clumsily ruining their discs (see above comment about about “flexing” discs.)

There are for sure specific issues with specific formats or plants. Anything made by PDO UK seems to be guaranteed crap, which sadly means most European CD-Vs. Also most US HD-DVDs seem to be already dead. The US Sony DADC LD factory sucked in the late 90s. In general though it’s mostly just morons refusing to take responsibility for breaking their own shit.

I’ve had a few rotted LDs (maybe three sides out of 1000+) and some PDO UK rotted audio CDs. I’ve never had a Japan pressed CD rot ever, game or otherwise, and I have hundreds of PC Engine things, which was the dawn of consumer CDROM. It’s possible that there are some bad US pressed XBox games or something, I only know the stuff I buy and the circles they are discussed in and there rot is super rare.

God you are such a dipshit.

 

[Ralfakick]

I have a copy of x men vs street fighter on Saturn I’ve tried multiple times to get working recently, I need to take a look at the disk I wonder if this is the culprit.

 

[xb74]

I am waiting for disc rots inevitable march toward my Saturn games. Disc rot on DC games is news to me and quite alarming!
But no way am I going to cease physical purchases.
Thanks for the heads up OP, going to figure out the disc rot ID and check my games today.
Happy New Year BTW to all.

 

[SignOfGoob]

I have a copy of x men vs street fighter on Saturn I’ve tried multiple times to get working recently, I need to take a look at the disk I wonder if this is the culprit.

How long have you had it? Did it ever work? There such things as defective discs…sometimes they move from owner to owner with nobody ever getting it to work and nobody wanting to throw it in the trash.

 

[SignOfGoob]

God you are such a dipshit.

I take it you’ve ruined a lot of your CDs.

 

[Ralfakick]

How long have you had it? Did it ever work? There such things as defective discs…sometimes they move from owner to owner with nobody ever getting it to work and nobody wanting to throw it in the trash.

Probably since 1999…. Yes It did

I just to a look other than some minor scratches no discoloration or anything like that. I usually just give up and play marvel vs Streetfighter I prefer anyway lol

 

[Tarma]

Ha, no I don't usually flex any media, but I am aware there is a certain amount of flex built into a standard CD, and I wasn't sure the disc wasn't warped... oh well, live and learn. Either way the disc was fucked.

And I would just like to point out that the pressure I put on the disc would definitely not be enough to crack or snap it, I literally held it between two fingers and applied light pressure... and it just snapped like the ankles of 100 year old base jumper who has brittle bone disease.

While i'm annoyed the disc is toast, I'm pleased my DC is ok, because sorting out an issue with the latter is far more of a ball ache than buying a replacement of the former.

As far as LDs go, I think I've only ever had one disc that has sufferd with it mildly and that is my copy of Grosse Point Blank. I've definintely never snapped an LD either!

 

[SignOfGoob]

Probably since 1999…. Yes It did

I just to a look other than some minor scratches no discoloration or anything like that. I usually just give up and play marvel vs Streetfighter I prefer anyway lol

I love that game. The sprites just flow at you. The colors are great and the announcer is so hyperbolic not even Ridge Racer would have him.

 

[max 330 mega]

I take it you’ve ruined a lot of your CDs.

No, i sold all my physical media to other morons years ago.

 

[bubba966]

Laserdisc seem to be the least quality controlled of all round optical disc thingies. Very common.

LD laser rot was more of an issue with who pressed the disc and which glue they were using. 3M pressings are some of the worst as they used one of own products which as I recall was basically double-sided tape. And the adhesive in that product wouldn't keep the 2 halves sealed well over time and would start to bleed out of the disc at he edge. So 3M pressed discs have a sticky edge to them from the adhesive leaking out. Sony's pressings are also very highly prone to rot.

Vast majority of Pioneer pressings are perfectly fine. Yes, occasionally some would develop mild rot. But nothing like the severe rot a 3M or Sony pressing would. So it helps to know your pressing plants and mint marks if you're going to get heavy into LD.

Interestingly enough the HD LD players could read through a great degree of rot due to the different wavelength lasers used in them to read the denser packed information on the Hi-Vision LD's. Even rather nasty rotted mid-late 90's Sony pressings (lookin at you Eraser) would play back just fine in a Hi-Vision LD player.

 

[SignOfGoob]

The story about the HLD-X0 being able to read through rot is another rot related internet myth. Extensive testing by someone I know who has an X0 indicated the opposite, that the better laser actually picks up more of the defects. Perhaps it’s true that the Sony or Kenwood MUSE decks were better at it but I doubt it.

 

[Dr Docking]

Dick rot is a really big problem here in West Korea, due to the humidity and lack of cleanliness it is an endemic part of penile life here. Probably why I have such a successful clinic after all.

Oh... sorry I misread the thread title, you said 'disc' rot ah wow how did I make that mistake? so sorry I am just in 'Dr' mode most of the time.

 

[bubba966]

The story about the HLD-X0 being able to read through rot is another rot related internet myth. Extensive testing by someone I know who has an X0 indicated the opposite, that the better laser actually picks up more of the defects. Perhaps it’s true that the Sony or Kenwood MUSE decks were better at it but I doubt it.

I had an HLD-X9 and frequently got use out of someone else's X0's. They most certainly read rotted discs quite well. I experienced it myself many a time. My X9 , my buddy's X9, and the pair of X0's I all personally used never read discs worse than a regular LD deck. But the pair of X9's i got to use were both brand new and the X0's had been cleaned & properly adjusted by one of the best LD tech's in the country (luckily that guy lived vaguely in the area as shipping a pair of X0's to his shop woulda been redic).

So this X0 being used by someone you know might not have been adjusted/tuned up in quite some time and not reading as well as it should...

But it is most certainly not any kind of myth. I used the Sony pressings of Eraser as an example because not only is that about the most notoriously rotted disc ever pressed. But I used that to test out the MUSE deck reading through rot "myth" and found it to absolutely work. Yes, if the rot was bad enough it would still show some of it during playback. But it drastically reduced if not fully eliminated it showing up in playback. In fact Eraser was the only title I could find bad enough rot on (at the time back in the '02-'07ish era I owned by X9) that it wouldn't fully eliminate the effect showing up during playback.

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

what a great time to be alive. we can use the word 'rot' without any reprisal. enjoy the freedoms we have been provided, it can be fleeting.

Jan 14th.

edit: oops, sorry didn't realize this wasn't a war room thread. i always think everything is in the war room.

 

[SignOfGoob]

I had an HLD-X9 and frequently got use out of someone else's X0's. They most certainly read rotted discs quite well. I experienced it myself many a time. My X9 , my buddy's X9, and the pair of X0's I all personally used never read discs worse than a regular LD deck. But the pair of X9's i got to use were both brand new and the X0's had been cleaned & properly adjusted by one of the best LD tech's in the country (luckily that guy lived vaguely in the area as shipping a pair of X0's to his shop woulda been redic).

So this X0 being used by someone you know might not have been adjusted/tuned up in quite some time and not reading as well as it should...

But it is most certainly not any kind of myth. I used the Sony pressings of Eraser as an example because not only is that about the most notoriously rotted disc ever pressed. But I used that to test out the MUSE deck reading through rot "myth" and found it to absolutely work. Yes, if the rot was bad enough it would still show some of it during playback. But it drastically reduced if not fully eliminated it showing up in playback. In fact Eraser was the only title I could find bad enough rot on (at the time back in the '02-'07ish era I owned by X9) that it wouldn't fully eliminate the effect showing up during playback.

Interesting. I wonder if the nature of the rot makes the difference. The guy I’m referring too absolutely knows what he’s talking about but he may have been experimenting more with borderline rot and not max garbage stuff like Eraser which was famous for rotting on the shelf.

Rot on LDs is weird. While usually predictable, sometimes a disc will play perfectly on a complete POS and then when you put it in a 97 or 99 the speckles are worse, sometimes it’s the opposite.

 

[bubba966]

Interesting. I wonder if the nature of the rot makes the difference. The guy I’m referring too absolutely knows what he’s talking about but he may have been experimenting more with borderline rot and not max garbage stuff like Eraser which was famous for rotting on the shelf.

Rot on LDs is weird. While usually predictable, sometimes a disc will play perfectly on a complete POS and then when you put it in a 97 or 99 the speckles are worse, sometimes it’s the opposite.

I used to basically 'curate' a private collector's LD collection and system. He'd buy huge lots of discs, and I had to go through them all, make the best copies out of what he had (combine best quality disc/sleeve), and then often list/sell/ship out the extras. And did that with players as well.

Between that an my personal interest in LD back in the day I checked many, many thousands of discs. And tested/compared dozens of the best players. But I never got a chance to use a MUSE deck that was used/out of alignment. All the MUSE decks I ever used were either brand new or just tuned up to new or better. I never saw any indication that the type of rot (be it 3M adhesive style rot or shit glue style Sony rot) mattering to how well a MUSE deck read it or not. And the LD-S9 had quite the nice comb filter so it handled rot better than most decks but not like an X9 did.

But yeah, it was always interesting to compare so many discs/players. And find that things that were so highly regarded weren't always ranked how they should be

 

[max 330 mega]

Interesting. I wonder if the nature of the rot makes the difference. The guy I’m referring too absolutely knows what he’s talking about but he may have been experimenting more with borderline rot and not max garbage stuff like Eraser which was famous for rotting on the shelf.

Rot on LDs is weird. While usually predictable, sometimes a disc will play perfectly on a complete POS and then when you put it in a 97 or 99 the speckles are worse, sometimes it’s the opposite.

You average a 5 % chance of knowing what you are talking about on this forum Mr. Blackeyepeas Prosecco, so why the fuck would anybody believe some other poor sperg you associate with?

 

[wyo]

Yeah Eraser was one of the worst for disc rot. Not a great loss there TBH. Lost Highway rotting was much more disappointing

 

[Viewpoint]

I had disc rot on a copy of Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U. The disc looked fine but the system wouldn't even read it. I think it just comes down to the point of the quality of the disc pressings along with how clean the place is when it's done.