Do CDs and CDRs degrade by playing?

[chazuke]

This happens often to me:
A new CD or CDR plays fine on any of my players, once.
After that, they won't play, not on any player, not even on the PC, so I can't rip a copy. Note that there are no mechanical reasons or physical damage.

>So, does the laser leave a mark on a CD when playing once?
>Can I avoid this?

[Ted]

I've never heard about the lazer destroying data while reading. The power supposedly isn't strong enough.

I'm not sure you can avoid it unless you know exactly what's causing it. A CDR I can see giving you problems, but you also mentioned CD. Does that mean a factory stamped CD?

This is a new one to me.

[U2Lynne]

I have had problems with skipping on some of my older CD-Rs in my car player (1997), but I've never had problems with the same CD-R in my computer or home stereo. I've also never had problems with store bought CDs at all. Don't forget that CDs are still only 20 (?) years old and burning CDs is only about 10 (?) years old. We just don't have good data on any of this.

I would ask if you've tried cleaning your player, but when you say you play it once and it works and then afterwards it doesn't... well, that is just strange!

Another thing.... I know that if a store bought CD is enhanced (it usuallly says on the back), I am unable to rip it with my regular ripping program. So, you might try using something else.

[Jskibum]

Short answer: NO.

One of your "players" maybe mechanically broken and scratching all your discs. You should be able to see damage to the discs if they won't play.

[Ted]

Originally Posted by Jskibum

One of your "players" maybe mechanically broken and scratching all your discs. You should be able to see damage to the discs if they won't play.

Originally Posted by chazuke

Note that there are no mechanical reasons or physical damage.

He says there is no physical damage, which is what makes this very strange. I was just going to mention cleaning the players too, but I doubt that'll have any effect as Lynne stated and also because it's doubtful that ALL of the players are dirty to the degree they will only play a disc once and then not again.

If this one is ever figured out, I'd be interested in knowing what the problem was.

Dirt or fingerprints on the laser or the disc are a likely cause. Some CDRs, however, especially cheaper ones, won't play in all players. Computers in particular can have more trouble than stand-alones playing CDRs because computer CDROM drives don't have the hardware error correction that stand-alones have. People often find that certain brands never play at all in particular players.

[Jskibum]

I'd like to know how you would get a fingerprint on the laser of a CD/DVD drive. Must have mighty small fingers.

This post is so odd it sounds like a troll.

I was thinking more in terms of the fingerprints being on the disc. I didn't realize I was running the risk of being labelled a troll by the troll-police. Next time I will be 110% clear about what I mean.

But while we are on the subject, when the disk drawer on my laptop is open, the laser is right there and easy to touch by accident. The same goes for my portable.

So, Jskibum, go fuck yourself

[Jskibum]

Originally Posted by uhclem

I was thinking more in terms of the fingerprints being on the disc. I didn't realize I was running the risk of being labelled a troll by the troll-police. Next time I will be 110% clear about what I mean.

But while we are on the subject, when the disk drawer on my laptop is open, the laser is right there and easy to touch by accident. The same goes for my portable.

So, Jskibum, go fuck yourself

The troll was about the original poster and he wasn't talking about laptops was he? You should try to keep up with your meds pal the you won't hear the demons.

Whatever

[chazuke]

Thanks for your advices. The matter remains mysterious.

Scratches and or fingerprints or other physical damage are not the cause. The problem arose especially with a series of Sony CDRs which I burnt on a friend's PC and tried to play on my players, but also with a number of different CDR brands burnt and later played on my equipment, and with SOME but not all factory pressed official CDs: played fine ONCE on mine, then never again. Some get corrupted later (suddenly after many times playing - just like back in days when we had vinyl).

I don't suspect that the reading laser DESTROYS data necessarily, it's rather the idea that it may add a tiny piece of data which corrupts the CDR. Odd is also that these corrupted CDRs play fine always on another friend's equipment. When he eventually rips a copy for me (onto imation), then this imation CDR rip is ok on my equipment.

After all observations, I cannot but conclude that a reading laser burns some information on CDs and confuses some (my) CD players. Whether this is an addition or deletion - I don't know.

One of the consequences would be that a backup has to be made of all media Or simply never play the stuff meticulously recorded ...

[AAR.oner]

i'm still at a loss chazuke i have *never* heard of anything like this...are your "players" old? maybe an incompatability with todays technology?

[Ted]

It seems to me that if they play on your friend's players ok, then it has to be your player(s) that are at fault. I really doubt the laser is causing problems to your disks. It's more likely the laser is bad or something mechanical within the player is bad. After going "bad", do the discs play ok on your friend's equipment? Are you burning the "bad" ones with the same burner?

[burglecutt]

Weird man, really really weird

[Chachi420]

try runnig an md5 after burning the CD-R and before playing it on the CD-Player.
Maybe your cd burner is never actually burning an exact copy.
I know my laptop piece of sh!t burner (toshiba sr5252) does not burn correctly for some reason. I've quit using it and only use the desktop now...