You Should Probably Check on Your Old Warner Bros. DVDs: They May Be Affected by Disc Rot

In a digital age dominated by copyright laws and finite licensing agreements, content can disappear in the blink of an eye. Amid this situation, some fans and collectors have turned to physical media like DVDs to ensure they never lose access to their favorite shows or movies.

It seemed to be a good plan. However, we’ve recently learned that despite their sturdy reputation, not even DVDs are infallible.

Warner Bros. DVDs. Recently, Chris Bumbray over at JoBlow shared a troubling experience he had when trying to play his DVD of the 1944 film Passage to Marseille. After an hour, he described, the movie suddenly stopped working. Bumbray initially thought the problem was Blu-ray player, so he proceeded to upgrade the device. Yet, the same thing happened when he tried to play the DVD with the 1942 film Desperate Journey.

The DVDs had one thing in common. They were part of a classic movie box set released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in the 2000s. After researching the issue online, Bumbray found that his problem wasn’t unusual. It even had a name: disc rot.

Disc rot. Although DVDs are supposed to last between 30 to 100 years when cared for properly, at least in theory, they’re not indestructible. Disc rot refers to the decay that affects physical media, including CDs, DVDs, and video games. It’s sometimes considered “silent destruction” because people have no idea it’s happening unless they analyze the disc or try to access its contents.

As reported by Vice, disc rot usually shows up in three different forms: the bronzing of discs; small, pin-like “holes” in a disc; or “edge rot.” Although DVDs are generally more durable than CDs, they can often break apart more easily because of the chemical reactions between the layers and the polycarbonate discs.

A DVD affected by disc rot.

Not a new problem. As Bumbray discovered, the fact that disc rot was affecting his Warner Bros. DVDs wasn’t a new problem. The issue had been documented on forums and by YouTubers for years. In fact, one theory by the YouTuber Damn Fool Idealistic Crusader suggests that disc rot is especially prevalent in Warner Bros. DVDs manufactured between 2006 and 2009.

Damn Fool Idealistic Crusader even made his own list of more than 200 Warner Bros. titles affected by disc rot issues, which can be viewed here. The list includes seasons 1-10 of Stargate SG-1 Slim Case Reissue as well as multiple seasons of Veronica Mars and The West Wing.

Warner Bros. acknowledges the issue. When reached by comment by JoBlow, Warner Bros. acknowledged that some DVDs manufactured in the 2000s did have problems. Notably, it said the issues only affected titles made between 2006 and 2008. Below is the statement the company sent the outlet.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is aware of potential issues affecting select DVD titles manufactured between 2006 – 2008, and the company has been actively working with consumers to replace defective discs.

Where possible, the defective discs have been replaced with the same title.  However, as some of the affected titles are no longer in print or the rights have expired, consumers have been offered an exchange for a title of like-value.

Consumers with affected product can contact the customer support team at whv@wbd.com.

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Next steps. Unfortunately, there’s no fast way to confirm whether you own DVDs that might be affected. One good place to start is checking out the list crafted by Damn Fool Idealistic Crusader. Other than that, it would be wise to check your DVDs for the clear signs of disc rot, such as bronzing and tiny spots.

You could also run a check the hard way: by trying to watch the DVDs and being on the lookout for sudden stops or errors.

Images | Wikimedia Commons | Wikimedia Commons

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