Support NeoGAF

[Synbios459]

I was in GameStop today and heard something that I think is BS but want to know if it's true. While I was browsing some kid was trying to trade in The Incredibles (I think for the PS2, not sure) and there was a little part where part of the label was scratched off and the GS employee said he couldn't take it because "The data is under the label, and it won't play". I thought that sounded like BS so I wanted to make sure.

 

[impirius]

The scratches let all the little datas leak out of the disc

 

[Sinatar]

haha thats hilarious. :lol

 

[Kobun Heat]

Top-side scratches are far worse than bottom-side scratches, as yes, the data is kept closer to the top of the CD/DVD.

Or so I hear.

IIRC bottom-side scratches are easy to buff out, but top-side scratches are more often fatal.

 

[vatstep]

I don't really know the technical explanation, but it's true. The data is stored between the underside of the label and the bottom of the disc. I'm pretty sure that the bottom of a disc is just clear, the data isn't actually on that surface. So having "holes" or deep scratches on the label, on any disc, is just as bad as having scratches on the bottom.

 

[Wario64]

not sure about actual retail games, but if you take a cd-r and scratch the top label side of the disc, it'll actually screw the cd up

i wouldn't have accepted it either, less headaches

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I don't really know the technical explanation, but it's true. The data is stored between the underside of the label and the bottom of the disc. I'm pretty sure that the bottom of a disc is just clear, the data isn't actually on that surface. So having "holes" or deep scratches on the label, on any disc, is just as bad as having scratches on the bottom.

It's actually far worse than bottom scratches. If the label is scratched, forget about getting that game working again.

 

[vatstep]

not sure about actual retail games, but if you take a cd-r and scratch the top label side of the disc, it'll actually screw the cd up

i wouldn't have accepted it either, less headaches

That's how I learned. My dumbass friend wrote too hard with a pen on a CD-R and scratched off the label, so the disc skipped like crazy.

 

[The Faceless Master]

the underside of the label has material that helps bounce the laser back...

scratch on label = laser goes right thru disk...

 

[Synbios459]

Wow, so if the the data IS below the label, how does the lens read in if you put it in with the bottom w/o label facing down?

 

[Gattsu25]

from my cursory understanding, the underside of the label is what allows the laser to read the pits of the disc (where the data is stored)...if the label is scrathed then the lense is unable to read the disc

putting the disc in label side down is retarded. the pits are on the other side of the disc, anyway...

 

[C- Warrior]

Wow, so if the the data IS below the label, how does the lens read in if you put it in with the bottom w/o label facing down?

...because it's a "l-a-s-e-r" okay, a "l-a-s-e-r" --now go z-i-p it. I said zip...it.