To resurface, or not to resurface?

[tz101]

Everything I resurface does not need resurfacing again because I take immaculate care of my games. I am just guessing that some of the game discs I buy at GW and SA have been stepped on by kids and rubbed across a gritty floor.

Thankfully, a local video rental place does them for $1.99 a piece.

I am not so sure about size of the resurfacing machine being an indicator of quality because this shop has a machine that is about the size of a PC tower and it does nice blemish-free work.

[EclecticGroove]

You would think someone would invent a machine/process that re-coated the discs with a new layer of acrylic resin, effectively allowing you to start resurfacing again. What would be so hard about that?

You would need to either have a cold set resin that is appropriate, and it would need to be able to adhere to the surface somehow.

That or you would need to be able to heat up the surface enough to meld the old and new together.

Both situations would have a very narrow range of success before the disk was basically destroyed or the new surface simply peeled off or fell off (assuming it even allowed the disk to be read at all).

So possible, but most optical media is meant to be highly disposable, so I doubt there's been much work in how to commercially restore a failing disk.

As for getting something resurfaced. I'd always make an ISO of it if it's still readable. Copies may suck, but if it's a choice between having the game you own be playable at all or not... I'd err on having a version I can play. Especially if it's something hard to find.

If the game is already unplayable, then who cares... might as well try it, at the absolute worst it is in the same condition you started with, unplayable.

[tz101]

Both situations would have a very narrow range of success before the disk was basically destroyed or the new surface simply peeled off or fell off (assuming it even allowed the disk to be read at all).

Very doable for an automated machine/process.

[EclecticGroove]

It would be doable, but not all that easy. At least not without a significant investment to account for all the variances that exist, not just between formats, but also within a given format itself. The more universal the approach, the wider the appeal, but the more it will cost to create, and also the more potential faults it will have.

The narrower the focus, the better the results, but it will have less appeal, and therefore less profit it will likely generate. It's just not an area I see money being put into, especially in these days of flash memory where optical media is becoming trivialized more every year.

[sheath]

Everything I resurface does not need resurfacing again because I take immaculate care of my games. I am just guessing that some of the game discs I buy at GW and SA have been stepped on by kids and rubbed across a gritty floor.

Thankfully, a local video rental place does them for $1.99 a piece.

I am not so sure about size of the resurfacing machine being an indicator of quality because this shop has a machine that is about the size of a PC tower and it does nice blemish-free work.

That sounds about right for a good resurfacer. The ones that aren't great for discs look like CD players. The resurfacer should buff the disk smooth, not use harsh chemicals to scratch a bunch of grooves into it.

[Baloo]

Back when I worked at a video game store, my job was actually resurfacing discs. And of the thousands I resurfaced, the risk of the disk being damaged was very, very low. I cracked maybe 4-5 discs that I can remember total, one of which was so absolutely scummy that the machine probably couldn't take the layer of dirt it had on it.

The machine I worked with didn't like GD-ROM-based games and if resurfaced most of the time wouldn't play again.

If you do want to resurface a game of yours, make sure there are no points of light coming out of disc, which is a sign that the data layer has been scratched through. THAT is not fixable. Don't worry if you want to resurface your disc for another game, don't fear it. But I will say this, don't resurface any games that already work for aesthetic look.

[jerry coeurl]

If the game is already unplayable, then who cares... might as well try it, at the absolute worst it is in the same condition you started with, unplayable.

Yup, amen.

Resurfaced discs piss me off. You can almost always tell when it's been done and they look hideous. I always consider them severely damaged and replace them as soon as convenient. So, yes, they do devalue them.

Who cares what a disc looks like, as long as it plays? At any rate, I have had several PSX and Saturn games resurfaced by a professional resurfacing machine and they look better than new. They also play now... which, you know, kind of the point/function of a video game.

[tz101]

Resurfaced discs piss me off. You can almost always tell when it's been done and they look hideous. I always consider them severely damaged and replace them as soon as convenient. So, yes, they do devalue them.

I am guessing that you are talking about discs done with a device called Disk Dr. They are for home use and leave a radial pattern where they sand off the scratches from the disc. Not always the prettiest (though not horrendous either), but every time I have done discs that way they at least play fine afterward. That is the goal, isn't it?

[EclecticGroove]

Yup, amen.



Who cares what a disc looks like, as long as it plays? At any rate, I have had several PSX and Saturn games resurfaced by a professional resurfacing machine and they look better than new. They also play now... which, you know, kind of the point/function of a video game.

I'd imagine he means ones that he has purchased that didn't state they were resurfaced. I can't imagine he would be doing it himself if he goes out to replace the disks anyways.

In that regard, it certainly would be a pain to find if you bought a disk in "new" or "good" shape and it had a half assed resurface job done on it.

[SpaceFlea]

I am guessing that you are talking about discs done with a device called Disk Dr. They are for home use and leave a radial pattern where they sand off the scratches from the disc. Not always the prettiest (though not horrendous either), but every time I have done discs that way they at least play fine afterward. That is the goal, isn't it?

No, not home kits, I'm talking about professionally resurfaced discs. They look terrible - most particularly so in regard to PlayStation discs as they are the most obvious.

[TailsAlone]

I never had any problems with resurfacing after I started having it done at Hi-Score. They have real buffing machines that basically make the disc brand new again. It's worth the $3.

[oldskool]

I can resurface discs but wont touch blue ray unless you just want a quick buff. I can also polish ps1 discs which most places cant seem to do right. (I had to redo a few of my own that the game stores just couldnt get right). If anyone wants some done then pm me. I do multiple discounts and am a trustworthy member here.

[Thunderblaze16]

Teach me something new guys! What does resurfing a disk mean?

[oldskool]

Hope this helps you

Basically you take a machine (some better than others) - and you mount the CD/DVD/Game into it. Some machines wash the disc while it uses a buffing compound of sorts to remove the scratches - these are very expensive though and can be messy. Some use sandpaper for the super bad scratches along with buffing waxes/compounds. Most are usually a 2 or 3 step process. Some is a one step process meaning you put the disc in, and just run it once to get the job done no matter how bad. These are the professional type machines. There are other machines you can buy at places like Best Buy or Target that try to achieve the same thing, and while sometimes they will even fix a skipping disc, it will NEVER have the polished look of a new cd. Machines like the disc doctor works alright, but you will clearly see the buffing lines going from the inside of the cd to the outside. It's a clear distinction usually what machine that cd was resurfaced on when you see that.

Now if you just have a cheap game or cd that you want to work, and don't care about the looks of it then a disc doctor will work just fine for you. I just wouldn't use one on a copy of Pier Solar or Snatcher - per say.

A professional type machine buffs all the scratches out of a disc and makes it look like new again (if done right). This will usually mean skip-free FMV scenes and music. And fast/clean loading. Scratched discs also wear out a laser quicker - so if all of your discs are in great shape the laser assembly doesn't have to work as hard and re-read certain areas.

As far as the holes through the data layer that was mentioned before - that's either one of two things usually. Either damage to the label side, or disc rot. Easy way to check for this issue is to hold the disc up to a bright light, you will see the light shine through the hole. It's surprising how much of your stuff is indeed like this. There is nothing you can do about it as far as I know to repair it. Sometimes discs will work perfectly even with the defect - many discs use redundant code - so that if there is a bad spot in the data layer there is a "backup" for it to fall back on.

[tz101]

As far as the holes through the data layer that was mentioned before - that's either one of two things usually. Either damage to the label side, or disc rot. Easy way to check for this issue is to hold the disc up to a bright light, you will see the light shine through the hole. It's surprising how much of your stuff is indeed like this. There is nothing you can do about it as far as I know to repair it. Sometimes discs will work perfectly even with the defect - many discs use redundant code - so that if there is a bad spot in the data layer there is a "backup" for it to fall back on.

I have always wondered if I have a disc that dots of light show through (from disc rot or whatever) would it help if I simply used a paint marker to cover that hole on the label side of the disc? Probably not because that area of the original data is already gone?

What does a good resurfacing machine cost?