Nowadays, collecting physical media is all the rage. With networks and studios disappearing, shows and movies, owning something on a disc means you have it for life.

Disc rot occurs when CDs, DVDs or similar optical discs deteriorate, becoming unreadable or creating playback issues such as skipping, glitching or freezing while playing the title or special ...

Disc rot is not necessarily a new phenomenon, but according to Sony, DVDs have a life expectancy of up to 100 years if cared for properly. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

Find out how disc rot can corrupt DVDs, how to prevent and/or fix it, and what to do if you have old Warner Bros. DVDs from the 2000s that don't work anymore. Skip to main content Skip to site footer.

At one point, Criterion had a similar disc rot issue with some Blu-rays to the one Warner Bros. has with those DVDs, where discs manufactured at a specific plant were highly susceptible to rot.

Disc rot is not a new phenomenon, but as ArsTechnica notes, properly-cared-for DVDs should be playable for up to 100 years, according to Sony.

Disc rot isn't new – it affected laserdiscs, and CDs, and every other shiny disc format since. But this particular outbreak is happening very early in the discs' lifespan.

Disc rot can be postponed by keeping your collection in a cool, dry, environment free of humidity, out of UV light, and sealed to prevent oxidation. Still, ...

Screenshot Brett Jordan/Unsplash Movie fans with a lovingly curated DVD collection might want to check the condition of any Warner Bros. discs in their library. It turns out that hundreds of DVD ...

Some affected discs aren't manufactured anymore and can't be replaced. Scharon Harding – Mar 7, 2025 1:39 pm | 250 An extreme example of a DVD with disc rot.