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Case Study – Disc Repair

August-September 2008

Rethinking Disc Repair: Keys to keeping your media collection in circulation

By Jessica Cormier

 


The Challenge

Most of us have been frustrated with discs that were scratched or damaged that they would skip or not work at all. Years ago you pretty much had two options for discs such as DVDs, Music CDs, video games, CD ROMs, HD-DVDs, 3-inch discs, etc: a) you could try home remedies to fix them (i.e. toothpaste to fill up the cracks) or b) you could throw them away. But now, with all the technological advances out there, your options have increased. Before I get into that, here are a few tips on how to maintain your digital media collection.

 

Prevention Is Key

To start with, if you can do so, always store the disc in its original case. If you use an envelope or a disc case, it may incur scratches when sliding in and out.

Avoid exposing discs to extreme weather conditions (be it heat or cold). Heat and sun exposure can damage and warp the disc.

Proper handling is also a must. Never grab the digital media side. Think of it as a photograph which you grab from the sides to avoid leaving fingerprints on the image.

Cleaning a disc can also be a challenge. Most of us think that rubbing it against our clothing is harmless, but technicians say never do that; scratches from anything on the shirt or static build up can damage the surface. Liquids such as isopropyl spray would be the best thing to use for cleaning purposes. A piece of cloth that has a very low static build-up (such as the cloth used to clean eye glasses or jewelry) is ideal to use in the process.

 

When Prevention Is Not Enough

While proper handling and caring for any disc is a must, they don’t always suffice.

Frequent use and accidents can result in damage that ranges from minor scratches to deep ones. In recent years, a lot has been done to repair and extend the lifespan of a disc. Forget about the home remedies that I mentioned above. Nowadays there are machines designed to fix scratched and damaged discs. While some of us non-tech-savvy people may see this task as challenging, the search for the best one of these equipments is very much worth the effort.

 

One Librarian’s Solution To The Problem

Here is what the Franklin Public Library assistant and technical support Beth Campbell did. With a fast growing collection of CDs and DVDs – the number is up to about 10,000 items, she saw the need for disc repair increase rapidly. In the beginning she used an inexpensive handheld device commonly purchased at retail chains. While it was useful at first, she says this device “was not very effective against the abuse the discs are subjected to by our patrons”. Despite their efforts they even threw away some discs that were beyond repair. Another downside to the device was the fact that it is handheld and it became tiresome for the library staff to use so frequently.

Due to complaints from their patrons and their own observations, Ms. Campbell decided to look for another device that would better maintain the library’s disc collection. After some research, she decided to give VenMill’s VMI 3500 a try. The advantages are noticeable; increased customer satisfaction – discs look like new, affordable machine, and most importantly, minor supervision along with ease of use – library staff can work elsewhere while the machine repairs disc. VenMill equipments work quite differently from others. Their state-of-the-art technology safely repairs and maintains any discs. Unlike other repair solutions that rely on added wax filling and abrasive sanding, their OptoClearTM technology professionally protects discs for an unlimited amount of repairs and maintenance solution. The difference between VenMill’s OptoClearTM and other technologies is obvious; a clear and dry process that requires no water, is fast and inexpensive to operate, requires little or no training, is the only “counter-friendly” disc repair solution in the market, repairs rather than fills discs, does not cut or sand, and does not require constant supervision.

 

Your Solution To The Problem

After all is said and done, if you have a disc collection to care for, you are the one in charge of making the calls. So do your homework, research any machines that do disc repair, and decide which one best suits your needs. There are a few choices out there and one of them will be sure to meet your needs and expectations. Some of them might even exceed them.

 

Jessica Cormier is director of marketing at VenMill Industries. Venmill is a leading manufacturer of disc repair and maintenance machines for disc format optical media.

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