If you think your prized collection of DVD movies will last a lifetime, think again - some are already starting to rot while others are falling apart. Unofficial estimates put the number of affected discs at between one and 10 per cent. Yet some of the largest distributors for Hollywood Studios are accused of refusing to accept the problem exists and replace faulty products.
The failures are a combination of corrosion - known as "DVD rot" - and delamination, where the layers of the disc separate. Symptoms of the rot include picture break-up and freezing at a specific place on the disk. The main cause is believed to be poorly designed cases. Delamination shows up as a coffee-like stain that prevents the disc from playing.
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