Scratches on Discs (Opinions/Tips Recommended)

[stackerboy99]

Hello,
I made a forum about this last year, but I figured I would try again to get more opinions on this topic, because it has been affecting me for several months now.

I am very OCD and picky about scratches on my Blu-ray and 4K discs, especially if I buy them brand new, and there have been times (only once in a while, definitely not every time) where I will buy a new Blu-ray or 4K, check the bottom of the disc and there will be a scratch or more on the bottom of it, even after wiping it down. However, these types of scratches are the ones known as "invisible scratches" where they only appear if you hold the disc up to the light a certain way. If it's away from the light or held differently, the scratch does not appear.

I had recently gotten the Indiana Jones 4K Collection, and the Raiders disc had those scratches on there in one spot. I did an Amazon return/replacement, and unfortunately, the new one had an invisible scratch as well. However, this one was more faint and not as large as the first one. I've also experienced these scratches appearing on several Supernatural Blu-ray seasons.

My main point is: are these types of scratches something to be concerned about and would have to result in a re-buy of the title? I know the saying of "if it plays fine, don't worry about it," but I have heard that 4K discs are more sensitive than Blu-rays, and have resulted in more playback issues if those types of scratches appear. However, I personally myself have not tested the discs out after buying them and checking them, so I know this is something that I should have to see for myself. Plus, if the disc already has imperfections on it, I would worry about continuing to hold onto it because what if it gets worse from there?

But, in any case, I want to hear other's opinions on this topic and see if it is something that I should worry about or not. Would also help me with saving money so that I do not have to rebuy a title everytime there's a disc imperfection.
Thank you!

[HorrorBlu]

My advice would be to stop checking disc surfaces going forward unless you encounter a problem during playback.

Unless I buy a used disc, I stopped checking disc surfaces back in the '00s DVD era. There have rarely been issues, and I don't have to stress myself out over minor imperfections. Out of sight, out of mind.

Unless there is some sort of disc rot or faulty pressing that causes the disc to go bad over time, I would say that your scratch or issue isn't going to get any worse. That is, unless you keep inspecting the disc surface and wiping at it. Only move the disc from the case to the player, and when you do, handle with care so as not to touch the surface. Do that, and you should be fine.

[stackerboy99]

Originally Posted by HorrorBlu

My advice would be to stop checking disc surfaces going forward unless you encounter a problem during playback.

Unless I buy a used disc, I stopped checking disc surfaces back in the '00s DVD era. There have rarely been issues, and I don't have to stress myself out over minor imperfections. Out of sight, out of mind.

Unless there is some sort of disc rot or faulty pressing that causes the disc to go bad over time, I would say that your scratch or issue isn't going to get any worse. That is, unless you keep inspecting the disc surface and wiping at it. Only move the disc from the case to the player, and when you do, handle with care so as not to touch the surface. Do that, and you should be fine.

Actually, for a while when I was doing my Blu-ray to 4K upgrading, I never looked at the bottom of the new discs until about 80% of the way through my upgrading, so I am sure that any that I did not inspect are bound to have some sort of imperfection anyway.
Plus, I have been told those scratches are typically surface ones which should not affect playback because Blu-ray discs have the protective layer on them. It probably is best going forward to just leave it and only take action if there ends up being any playback issues, and if it plays all the way through fine, then there's nothing to worry about. Thanks for the advice!