Scratched and dirty Cd's

Posted by: seagull on 19 December 2002

I played a CD in the car yesterday, one particular track skipped horribly for about 30 seconds. When I got home I tried it in my CD5, same result.

Not wanting to buy a new copy I tried it in the DVD drive on my PC - no problem. I was able to burn a copy

.

Has anyone got any ideas about why the DVD player had no problem reading it when the two CD playes I tried both failed?

Also...

My daughter (2 1/2) likes to play her own music but tends to put her sticky mitts all over the playing surface. She has also learnt how to load them into the CD5

(I had visions of having to rescue the puck from inside the CD player, but she does it properly, she checks that the puck is in the middle before closing the drawer)

Her CD's are covered in her paw prints, what is the best way to clean them?

Posted on: 19 December 2002 by John Sheridan

Not sure what's best for cleaning but I've found Rainex (the stuff you put on car windscreens) to be of some benefit on scratched cds.

Posted on: 19 December 2002 by Bob Shedlock

There are several cleaners available from Maxell, Allsop, and others. Most are clamshell devices with circles within circles than clean the CD from the inside of the disc outwards, which is the recommend manner.

I've worn out several of them on rental DVD's and library copies of CD's. They're inexpensive and are quite effective.

Posted on: 19 December 2002 by Craig B

Barring flogging the kids off for scientific experiments there's always Novus Plastic Polish, available at better plastic fabricators or online via www.novuspolish.com.

Following the manufacturers instructions to the letter, No. 2 Fine Scratch Remover and No. 1 Plastic Clean and Shine does the business. Much more cost effective than purpose made audio accessory mechanical disc cleaners as there is nothing to wear out and even a small bottle lasts for many years.

Works a treat on turntable dustcovers and olive Naim facias as well (avoid polishing exposed silk screened graphics).

Craig

Posted on: 20 December 2002 by seagull

quote:
Originally posted by J. A. Toon:
Out of interest, can your PC DVD-ROM drive actually play the original disc properly, (i.e. not "read" the disc for a copy, but "play" the disc through your CD playing software)?

John.

Yes it played ok. That was the first thing I tried, I thought that if that could read it then I would be able to copy it.

I didn't try it in the CD R/W drive though.

So much for the original claims that CD's won't jump! I never did believe that bit on Tomorrow's World when they spread jam on the disc then played it.

Posted on: 20 December 2002 by Rockingdoc

For simple fingerprints and a bit of jam, you should get good results with simple washing-up liquid used under running luke-warm water.
I've cleaned my CDs like this for years with no ill effects. Need to be very gentle when drying though.

malcolm