|
Frequently asked questions |
| 1. Why won't my disc
play any more? 2. How do you fix this? 3. Does this work for every disc that won't play? 4. How does MHTC do it? 5. Is it safe? 6. Unfixable? 7. How many times can a disc be repaired? 8. Why do some DVDs cost more? |
| 1. Why won't my disc play any more? |
| Put simply, the reason most discs won't play is because the bottom (non-label) surface is scratched. This bounces around the light from the laser that reads the data in the disc. This makes it hard for the player to know where to go next, which is why it either jumps around or gets stuck playing the same section. |
| 2. How do you fix this? |
| Using tried and tested, patented technology we gently polish away a very small layer from the bottom surface, just sufficient to remove any scratches. We then restore it to a mirror finish. This allows the light from the laser to pass cleanly through the disc to the data layer and back to the laser again. |
| 3. Does this work for every disc that won't play? |
| There is good news and bad news here. The bad news is that if the data layer itself is damaged there is nothing that can be done to retrieve this data. The data layer is very close to the label side of the disc and so is vulnerable to scratches from the top. To see if the data layer is damaged, hold the disc label side toward you about 20cm from a light bulb. Any pin-pricks of light that show through indicate damage to the data layer. The good news is that we regularly process discs with minor damage to the data layer that play perfectly after restoration. Naturally, the worse the damage, the less likely it is that the disc can be restored. If you wish we will assess free of charge whether we think a disc is worth processing. |
| 4. How does MHTC do it? |
| Essentially, we use a very fine polishing machine to remove the scratch and then restore the disc's surface to a mirror finish. |
| 5. Is it safe? |
| Completely. The machines we use are tried, tested and patented. |
| 6. Unfixable? |
| We can't repair warped or broken discs. We cannot restore data that is lost due to damage to the foil data layer, although minor damage often does not prevent the disc playing back perfectly after repair. We offer a no charge assessment service for all discs. |
| 7. How many times can a disc be repaired? |
| Naturally this depends how deeply scratched the disc is each time, but we conservatively estimate a minimum of twenty to thirty times, far in excess of what most discs will experience during their lifetime. |
| 8. Why do some DVDs cost more? |
| Some DVDs are double sided and have to be repaired on both sides for which we charge more. |
