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Facepalm: Those who still own DVDs or have movie collections from the 2000s should check them for Warner Bros. logos and see if the discs have rotted. Unfortunately, many affected titles aren’t available in other formats, and the company cannot replace all of them, increasing the risk of many classic movies and TV shows becoming lost.
Film collectors recently discovered that potentially hundreds of Warner Bros. DVDs released between 2006 and 2008 have become unplayable due to laser rot. The company has promised to replace some affected titles, but others may become much harder to find through official channels.
Warner Bros. has confirmed the issue and advised customers with damaged discs to contact customer support. However, the company will only replace titles that are still in print. Unfortunately, many affected DVDs are either out of print or locked behind licensing restrictions.
Users on the Steve Hoffman music forums have compiled an extensive list of approximately 200 known affected titles, many of which include classic movies and TV shows spanning from the 1950s to the 2000s.
Notable examples include Blade Runner, several seasons of the 1950s Superman live-action TV show, Animaniacs, Batman: The Animated Series, Looney Tunes, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tales From the Crypt, Popeye, The Wizard of Oz, and many more. No cases of rotting Blu-rays have been reported so far. Some DVDs won’t play at all, while others may stop or skip at certain points.
Some damaged titles have been re-released on Blu-ray or made available on streaming services, but many have not received new editions since their original DVD releases in the 2000s. Titles that exist only on DVD and cannot be reprinted are at risk of being lost. Cinephiles may also argue about differences in transfer quality between later versions, claiming that the lost DVDs were the definitive editions.
Physical media has become a refuge for film buffs as streaming services routinely remove content from their catalogs. Warner Bros. has already drawn widespread criticism for deleting unreleased films like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme.
However, users have long understood that optical discs are not foolproof. Various factors – such as format, manufacturing processes, and storage conditions – can make some discs unreadable after one or two decades. Common causes include scuffs, exposure to ultraviolet light, chemical reactions with contaminants, oxidation of the reflective layer, and the de-bonding of adhesive layers.
Those concerned about losing DVDs to disc rot should consider backing them up and periodically making new copies. Fortunately, DVDs are easier to copy and backup than Blu-rays with a PC optical drive and the right software.
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