good cd/dvd cleaning machine or repair?

PC person · 09-25-2007, 08:15 PM

Does anyone know or have a good CD and DVD cleaning and repair machine?

I've bought a few that just don't do the job. I have Memorex Optifix Pro, which has green repair pads and yellow cleaning pads. One CD that I have burned several MP3's (for play in a CD player) to was helped somewhat by this machine when I repaired it while another CD I had bought containing some songs wasn't fixed at all when I tried to repair it. It has several visible scratches. I don't know exactly if they are below the polycarbonate layer and in the aluminum layer, I don't think they are. I know that any scratch that penetrates that deeply and damages that layer of the disk can't be repaired by any means.

I also have clean doctor motorized disk cleaner, it doesn't require you to wipe the CD afterwards, it also doesn't have an on button. You put the CD or DVD in after spraying it and it starts working, and you decide when to take out the disc. It has a cloth in the slot that cleans and dries it. I guess this is ok for cleaning discs, but not repairing them.

I also had a Skip Doctor CD scratch repair crank machine, that didn't work well at all, reviews on amazon say it even has broken and damaged some CD's people have tried to clean.

There's this http://www.jfjeasypro.com/ I've never seen one of these machines work. The local blockbuster doesn't have one of these. A local hollywood video does have some kind of CD and DVD cleaning and repair machine. I'm not sure if it's this one, but he says it's rather bad quality and he's never seen a disc come out better than it was before he put it in. This machine would be good if they had it at some frequent public place(grocery store/drug store) and they public could pay to use it. I don't want to pay $400 dollars to get one of these just to clean discs.

I'm trying to find some kind of website which compares CD cleaning products, perhaps the consumer reports website if they give free access to their reviews and you don't have to pay for them online or buy a past issue of their magazine that contains the review you are looking for.

What I want, which I think would be the best disc cleaner or repairer is a machine I am not sure exists but can imagine. Say it's like the Memorex Optifix Pro just better quality and actually does do the job well, but it's also a USB device which you can connect to your computer and it will show you each scratch or mark (fingerprint or whatever else) on your disc on your monitor and if they are too deep to make the disc fixable. Sadly, we may have to wait until it exists.

RROBERT564 · 05-05-2008, 08:08 AM

I have the same question. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good machine to repair CD/DVD disks that does not cost a fortune?

**Terrister** · 05-05-2008, 09:45 AM

Check with the larger video rental stores near you. Lots of them around here have these machines to keep their movies working. Most will clean yours for a small price.

johnhook · 05-05-2008, 10:15 AM

RROBERT564 & PC person,

Unfortunately, the cheap consumer DVD/CD repair units don't work very well. At best, they can only repair minor scratches.

You have to spend $200+ for a low-end commercial machine that can actually repair CDs/DVDs.

http://www.jfjeasypro.com/

As Terrister mentioned, most large video rental stores have units in their stores. There are also companies you can pay to repair your damamged CD/DVD discs.

- John

09-25-2007, 08:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
PC person Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 182 OS: XP My System	good cd/dvd cleaning machine or repair? Does anyone know or have a good CD and DVD cleaning and repair machine? I've bought a few that just don't do the job. I have Memorex Optifix Pro, which has green repair pads and yellow cleaning pads. One CD that I have burned several MP3's (for play in a CD player) to was helped somewhat by this machine when I repaired it while another CD I had bought containing some songs wasn't fixed at all when I tried to repair it. It has several visible scratches. I don't know exactly if they are below the polycarbonate layer and in the aluminum layer, I don't think they are. I know that any scratch that penetrates that deeply and damages that layer of the disk can't be repaired by any means. I also have clean doctor motorized disk cleaner, it doesn't require you to wipe the CD afterwards, it also doesn't have an on button. You put the CD or DVD in after spraying it and it starts working, and you decide when to take out the disc. It has a cloth in the slot that cleans and dries it. I guess this is ok for cleaning discs, but not repairing them. I also had a Skip Doctor CD scratch repair crank machine, that didn't work well at all, reviews on amazon say it even has broken and damaged some CD's people have tried to clean. There's this http://www.jfjeasypro.com/ I've never seen one of these machines work. The local blockbuster doesn't have one of these. A local hollywood video does have some kind of CD and DVD cleaning and repair machine. I'm not sure if it's this one, but he says it's rather bad quality and he's never seen a disc come out better than it was before he put it in. This machine would be good if they had it at some frequent public place(grocery store/drug store) and they public could pay to use it. I don't want to pay $400 dollars to get one of these just to clean discs. I'm trying to find some kind of website which compares CD cleaning products, perhaps the consumer reports website if they give free access to their reviews and you don't have to pay for them online or buy a past issue of their magazine that contains the review you are looking for. What I want, which I think would be the best disc cleaner or repairer is a machine I am not sure exists but can imagine. Say it's like the Memorex Optifix Pro just better quality and actually does do the job well, but it's also a USB device which you can connect to your computer and it will show you each scratch or mark (fingerprint or whatever else) on your disc on your monitor and if they are too deep to make the disc fixable. Sadly, we may have to wait until it exists.

05-05-2008, 08:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
RROBERT564 Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1 OS: Windows Vista	Re: good cd/dvd cleaning machine or repair? I have the same question. Does anyone have a suggestion on a good machine to repair CD/DVD disks that does not cost a fortune?

05-05-2008, 09:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
Terrister Moderator Hardware Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Georgia, USA Posts: 6,844 OS: Xp	Re: good cd/dvd cleaning machine or repair? Check with the larger video rental stores near you. Lots of them around here have these machines to keep their movies working. Most will clean yours for a small price. __________________

05-05-2008, 10:15 AM	#4 (permalink)
johnhook Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 810 OS: MS SBS 2003 SP2	Re: good cd/dvd cleaning machine or repair? RROBERT564 & PC person, Unfortunately, the cheap consumer DVD/CD repair units don't work very well. At best, they can only repair minor scratches. You have to spend $200+ for a low-end commercial machine that can actually repair CDs/DVDs. http://www.jfjeasypro.com/ As Terrister mentioned, most large video rental stores have units in their stores. There are also companies you can pay to repair your damamged CD/DVD discs. - John __________________