Repair CDs, DVDs, and Games

Compact discs are extremely durable and convenient, however they can be damaged through use and abuse. While discs are not indestructible — they are repairable!

CD Exchange repairs CDs, DVDs, 2 sided DVDs, CD-ROMs and Games.

REPAIR PRICES

All repairs 100% guaranteed!

HOW DISCS ARE MADE

Although compact discs are extremely durable and convenient to use, they can be damaged through use and abuse.

1) Polycarbonate Plastic Disc

First, data is stamped on the top side of a plastic disc creating millions of ons and offs or zeros and ones. On recordable CDs*, data can be burned in at different levels within the plastic disc, for multi-session recording.

2) Reflective Foil Layer **

Second, a micro thin layer of aluminum (copper, silver or gold on higher quality CDs) is applied to the top of the CD covering the data. This layer reflects the laser beam back through the plastic disc, allowing the stamped data to be read.

3) Lacquer Layer **

Third, lacquer is dripped onto the disc and spun at a high speed to create a thin layer of sealant for the foil layer. This seals in the foil layer, but offers little or no protection for the foil or the data beneath.

4) Graphic Layer **

Finally, a layer of ink is screened onto the lacquer layer for dynamic graphic and/or sales impact. (Recordable CDs don't have this layer.)

* Recordable CDs have a much thinner layer due to the manufacturers name printed on this layer.
** The reflective foil, lacquer, and graphic layers combined are only as thin as a human hair and offer little to no protection of the data beneath them.

HOW DISCS ARE DAMAGED

How Discs Are Read

Although there are many different types of optical discs, they all function on the same general principle. The music, picture and/or computer data they store is in digital form. This means it is comprised of millions of ons and offs or zeros and ones... thus the term digital. Digital information is read from discs by an infrared laser which projects through the clear protective plastic of a disc bottom, and is either reflected or not reflected back to the laser reader. The encoded surface is made up of microscopic pits and lands which create the ons and offs. By reading the reflected light beams, a disc drive decodes the information on a disc. A scratch deflects the laser beam off track and information is never received by the laser reader. The smallest scratches can effect many lines of data. The most unprotected side of a disc is the top or graphic side.

How Discs Are Damaged

Scratches are one of the worst enemies of data on an optical disc (music CDs, game CDs, DVDs and CD Roms). Where a scratch occurs determines if your disc is repairable. Data resides on the top side of the plastic disc. It is extremely important to protect this side of the disc. Manufacturers, however, leave this side highly exposed. A scratch on the top, through the foil or stamped data, will result in lost data and a non repairable disc. A scratch that occurs on the bottom side of a disc, however, may be resurfaced and polished out. The depth of the scratch will determine the success of the repair. Keep an eye on these scratches during normal use and get them repaired.

By holding your disc 24 inches away form a 40 watt light bulb, label side facing the bulb, you can determine which side is scratched. If you see light coming through pin holes or scratches, this disc is scratched on the label side and is non repairable in that area. This disc is lost forever.

TYPES OF DAMAGE

Top Damage

Top Damage: Type 1 : This is the easiest of the 2 types to identify. Using the Light Test you will see pin holes or scratch lines of light coming through your disc. This means the top 3 layers (Graphics, Lacquer & Reflective Foil) of your disc have been removed. This disc will most likely not play perfectly again, even after it is repaired, but you will be able to play other tracks in areas that have not been damaged.

Top Damage: Type 2 : This type of damage is hard to see, especially when the bottom side of your disc is badly scratched. When this type of damage occurs, it leaves only single lines in the top side of your disc. These lines resemble those made with an ETCH-A-SKETCH toy. It is easier to see this damage once the bottom side of the disc has been repaired. Damage is caused by laying your disc, label side down on some surface. Dragging or bending the disc while picking it up begins to wrinkle the graphics, lacquer and reflective foil layers. This places a permanent scar in the top 3 layers of your disc. When you hold your disc up to the light, type 2 damage doesn't show. Once your disc has been repaired, you'll see it using The Reflection Test. Discs with this type of damage may play through perfectly, unless the foil damage runs in a radial direction. This will cause the laser to jump back or skip ahead, missing the data in the damaged area of your disc.

Play Side Damage

Play Side (bottom) damage is identified by scratches that show a reflection or double image when examining the bottom or play side of your disc closely. A scratch that occurs on the bottom side of a disc may be resurfaced and polished out. The depth of the scratch will determine the success of the repair.

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