Scratched Movies

Ben writes:

I've been with Netflix for about a year now and I've noticed that I'm getting quite a lot of damaged discs lately. My player is pretty good about fingerprints and the like, but the discs I've been getting are all gouged and scratched. I wasn't sure if others are starting to notice a decline in quality there too? It's especially bad with movies that have been out for a couple years. I live in Phoenix, so I go through the Phoenix distribution center. Maybe it's just a problem there? I've emailed Netflix about this and they didn't seem to concerned. I'm sure it's expensive to take a disc out of the rotation, but how many damaged discs until I cancel my service?

How many movies have you received that have been so scratched that they are unplayable? What's the best DVD player for handling scratches? Any tricks for getting seriously scratched movies to play?

Is this a serious problem for Netflix as their collection ages?

Comments

[jab1981]

I live near Detroit, MI so perhaps my situation is different then Ben's. I've received maybe three or four scratched discs that were unplayable and a few that had some minor playback problems. About 4-5 movies were unplayable and had to be replaced. This is after receiving over 100 rentals from them... so their success, imo, is surprisingly high considering. Definately of, or above, the level that all local video rentals had when I still shopped at them.

I also should mention the replacements from Netflix have always been prompt. I do not see this as a problem yet, though it does not surprise me that it pops up. People can be very careless with DVD's, especially when they don't actually own them.

[Topmounter]

Every once in a while I receive a severely scratched DVD from Netflix.

I have found that one of the newer style CD/DVD cleaners usually fixes the problem.

I believe the model that I own is made by Allsop and cost on the order of $15 or $20 at my local BB/Compusa/CC.

[Catana]

I check the discs before playing, so I know if there's light or serious damage. I haven't seen any increase in unplayable discs, but there do seem to be more with surface damage. Major problems probably get reported and replaced, but surface damage that doesn't mess with viewing probably just accumulates until it reaches a point where someone's player can't handle it. A friend has had good luck with cleaning them up, so I'll probably be getting one of those kits soon.

[rob]

ditto- have received multiple broken dvds within a few weeks of each other. my copy of deer hunter meant to replace a scratched copy, didn't work either!

[Morgan]

In approximately 15 months of service, Netflix has sent me one unplayable DVD.

[Curt Hibbs]

Over several years of Netflix service I received about 5 broken discs and maybe 10 unplayable discs. This is out of about 700 total received. I'd say that this is a good track record.

[Steve A.]

After two years, I received my first cracked/unplayable disc ... just this weekend! Napoleon Dynamite. They sent out a replacement today.

Not a good thing, but not something any of the services are immune to. Heck, I've even had unplayable discs from BB and Movie Gallery stores before...

I've only had 2 cracked DVD's in 4 years of service. If you have a DVD that skips or doesn't want to play (but is not cracked), try washing it with soaping water. Dry it thoroughly and then give it another try.

[G Collins]

The very first DVD I received, "Metropolis," had a significant crack that ran from the center of the disc almost to the edge. It took me all of about 15 seconds to find the link for reporting the damage on the website and a replacement was sent right away. It did, however, teach me to carefully examine the playing surface before putting the disc into my player. (I hadn't with that first one, but luckily it didn't cause any damage.)

[Jack]

I have had to clean about 8 discs to get them to play and return a couple broken discs.
I dont like the fact that i have to clean these discs, I think netflix can have an idustrial version of a cleaner all discs should go through when returned. This would make a lot more happier customers, every disc is showing up very dirty and scratched now, it seems.

"I dont like the fact that i have to clean these discs, I think netflix can have an idustrial version of a cleaner all discs should go through when returned.

8 discs out of how many? Do you know of any DVD rental business that clean all discs when they are returned? You people are bitching about throttling, return times, prices, etc and now you want Netflix to clean each DVD as its returned?? What do you think that will do to cost and turn around time??

[Ben]

I wrote that email after recieving a scratched replacement to a cracked Sopranos Season 2, Disk 1. A couple days before I had a Freaks and Geeks disc 1 that stopped and skipped. The day after I wrote Mike, I recieved a copy of Veronica Guerin that skipped and stopped too. In the past 20 disks, I've reported 5 damaged. Like I said though, maybe this is something local to Phoenix?

[CP]

I've received DVD that was tagged with a Sharpie marker on the label side of the DVD. It was like mini graffiti. It was a pretty cool idea I thought.

[J]

"I've received DVD that was tagged with a Sharpie marker on the label side of the DVD. It was like mini graffiti. It was a pretty cool idea I thought."

What kind of person would think it is a "pretty cool idea" to f*** over something belonging to someone else?

[J]

"I've received DVD that was tagged with a Sharpie marker on the label side of the DVD. It was like mini graffiti. It was a pretty cool idea I thought."

What kind of person would think it is a "pretty cool idea" to f*** over something belonging to someone else?

"What kind of person would think it is a "pretty cool idea" to f*** over something belonging to someone else?"

I was kinda wondering the same thing.

It's gotten much worse lately in my opinion. I'd say one out of every four disks now skip chapters or stutter throughout the film. =(

[jojoware]

Anyone complaining about scratched Netflix discs should go back to the video store and see how they fare there. I've received 2 unplayable discs in 3 years with Netflix. But every time i get 5 movies at a video store, at least 1 of them is damaged. I love the mom & pop stores, but they don't have the great deals with the studios so they're much more likely to hang on to slightly damaged discs, while Netflix just trashes em.

[D]

I'm also a Phoenix area Netflix subscriber and I'd say that about 1 in 5 discs I receive are scratched, damaged, or generally unplayable. It has become such a problem that I am canceling my subscription at the end of this billing period.

[Sonja]

No it's not just a Phoenix issue. I've had the same problem with some movies as well. Those scratch cleaners don't really help. I can't help but wonder if folks are tossing the DVD's around their homes like a frisbee. I live Georgia. I usually just request a replacement be sent and report the damaged disc.

[Bogus Crap]

I get movies from Blockbuster from their Atlanta DC. After only being with them for about 7 months, these past couple of months I swear they are targeting me. I've been on the 3, 5, and 8 at a time; getting 13, 20, and 30 dvds a month.

Month 6 I was on the 8 and it seemed EVERY disc, even discs that were BRAND NEW had one long scratch on them, or it looked like someone melted salt or poured oil all over the disc, it could not be removed through any means.

Luckily my player still played these discs (don't ask me how) but it seems to me like they see me as not being "profitable" so they want me to switch somewhere else.

I don't think getting 150 dvds in 7 months is an outrageous number, and thats with BBO sending me on average 6-10 extra dvds a month (I don't know why, but I just get extra dvds, if I'm on the 3 at a time, I'll see 6 dvds shipped, etc).

It's probably not a "conspiracy" but I agree with the person above that said these companies should have an industrial cleaner that every disc goes through before it's shipped out, at least for ones that look like they need it.

[Jeff]

I have been a member of Netflix for almost three years. A couple years ago I had several discs come with bad scratches, the great part was I would just go to Netflix website, and let them know in the morning, and I would get a new copy the next day. Then I got a new DVD player and haven't had any problems. I think I have had about 5 unplayable DVDs, out of close to 200, I think they are doing pretty good.

[Thomas]

Since signing up with Intelliflix I have not had any scratched DVDs! With blockbuster I only received two that would not play.

[phineas]

I restarted my Netflix subscription a month ago, and have gotten 2 defective DVD's already, including the very first disc they sent me. In addition, one DVD was the wrong movie. (Word to the wise- if they send you the wrong movie, just report it as damaged- if you tell them it wasn't what you ordered, they don't do anything until they get the disc back. With damaged discs, they send a replacement out right away.)

That's 3 bad discs out of 13- pretty poor if you ask me. When I was last a Netflix,

['Dacker]

My discs come out of the Salem, Oregon distribution center. In the 8+ months I've had NetFlix, I've had about an 8% bad disc rate. IMHO, this is too high. For some reason, many of them came last spring within perhaps a 2 month time frame. Not all were scratches though; I specifically recall one which appeared to have been damaged by one, large drop of some kind of solvent which removed the top-most layer of the data side of the disc.