I suppose fans of the superspy James Bond are no strangers to explosive gadgets, but a self-destructing DVD!? MGM sent out over over 5,000 promo discs this week as a preview for the upcoming Bond flick Die Another Day, but there's a catch. If you want to check out the 25-odd minutes of cool material included on the DVD, you may want to stand back after you put it in your player. As the tag on the mailer warns, "Once removed from its packaging, the DVD will self-destruct in 36 hours!"
Flexplay Technologies' special self-immolating DVD technology employs special coatings when creating discs that, after being exposed to air, become unusable within a preselected time period. As a DVD player's laser is extremely sensitive to any changes in a disc's surface and coating, even the slightest change can affect a disc's playability. Depending on which coatings are used, the discs can remain operational anywhere from 8 to 60 hours. Sounds just like a Bond movie!
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