Those who still own DVDs or have a collection of movies from the 2000s should check to see if the DVD has the Warner Bros. logo on it and see if the disc is rotten. Unfortunately, many of the affected films are not available in other formats, and it's impossible for Warner Bros. to replace them all, increasing the risk that many classic movies and TV shows will be lost.
Movie collectors recently discovered that hundreds of DVDs released by Warner Bros. between 2006 and 2008 may no longer be playable due to damaged media. The company has promised to replace some of the affected titles, but others may be harder to find through official channels.
Warner Bros. has confirmed the issue and is advising users with damaged discs to contact customer support. However, the company will only replace titles that are still in print. Unfortunately, many of the affected DVDs are either out of print or subject to licensing restrictions.
Users on the Steve Hoffman Music Forum have compiled an extensive list of around 200 known affected works, many of which are classic movies and TV shows from the 1950s to the 2000s.
Notable examples include Blade Runner, several seasons of the 1950s Superman live-action TV show, Carnival, Batman: The Animated Series, Tunes, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tales from the Crypt, Popeye, The Wizard of Oz, and many more. So far, there have been no reported cases of Blu-ray disc corruption. Some DVDs won't play at all, while others may stop or skip at certain places.
Some damaged titles have been re-released on Blu-ray or made available on streaming services, but many haven't had new releases since their original DVD releases in the 2000s. Films that are only available on DVD and cannot be reprinted face the risk of being lost. Movie enthusiasts may also argue about differences in transfer quality between later versions, claiming that the missing DVD is the final version.
With streaming services regularly removing content from their catalogs, physical media has become a haven for movie lovers. Warner Bros. has drawn widespread criticism for removing unreleased films such as "Batgirl" and "Batgirl vs. ACME."
However, users have long understood that optical discs are not foolproof. Various factors such as format, manufacturing process and storage conditions can cause some discs to become unreadable after a decade or two of use. Common causes include scratches, UV exposure, chemical reactions with contaminants, oxidation of the reflective layer, and debonding of the adhesive layer.
People who are worried about losing their DVDs due to disc rot should consider backing up their DVDs and making new copies regularly. Fortunately, with a computer optical drive and the right software, DVDs are easier to copy and back up than Blu-rays.