I'd venture that most discs that fail in a classroom are failing for reasons other than what a disc check machine will catch - as Gary suggested.
So here are the precautions we have taken: DVD-Rs are a big problem - so we keep track of the rooms where problems occurred and the AV folks have tested the players in those rooms. DVD-Rs are a big problem in older players so are replaced if there's evidence of playback problems. A field test of players using DVD-Rs is done once a year or so. If you have to burn a preservation copy on a DVD-R, use the slowest burning speed and archival quality DVD-R blanks. Not sure if this solves any issues but it does lessen the possibility of software failure. We have had a huge problem with the plastic tattletape doughnut labels. They seem particularly finicky in laptops. Many have been laboriously removed as needed. We stopped putting them on discs probably seven years ago but we still have a few thousand in circulation. Our desk staff visually inspect and clean DVDs on the way in and on the way out - with a microfiber cloth (and spray if needed). Over the last few years we've purchased duplicates of hundreds of high-use low cost videos and if both copies are on the shelf I don't object if a user wants to take them both for a three hour period. Many of the more expensive documentaries we have also been able to buy as streaming video. On Mon, Oct 8, 2012 at 12:15 PM, Mary Lou Neighbour <[email protected]> wrote: > Again, I am appealing to the collective wisdom of the list. We have just > been asked by faculty if there is software to check on the “playability” of > dvds. > > > > The situation is that a film history adjunct played one of our copies of > Rear Window at the weekend, and evidently our copy stopped playing in the > middle of the film. The adjunct had brought his own copy and so the class > was saved. But he is asking how this situation can be prevented in the > future. He was suggesting that our AV staff preview every film he is to > show! > > > > Of course, we cannot do this for every dvd used by our faculty. However, > the head of the Communications Dept. asked if there is a software that does > pre-checking in a timely fashion. He actually asked, “And short of playing > every film, is there a way we can quickly determine if a disk or any files > are damaged? I seem to recall some software for PC computers that quickly > checked the files for errors or scratches.” > > > > Is anyone familiar with this software or any other way of quickly checking > if dvds are playable? > > > > ML > > Mary Lou Neighbour > > AV Librarian/Assistant Professor > > Montgomery County Community College > > 340 DeKalb Pike > > Blue Bell, PA 19422 > > [email protected] 215-619-7355 > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > Montgomery County Community College is proud to be designated as an > Achieving the Dream Leader College for its commitment to student access and > success. > > VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues > relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, > preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and > related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective > working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication > between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and > distributors. > -- Chris Lewis Media Librarian American University Library 202.885.3257 For latest Media Services News: Blog: http://aulibmedia.blogspot.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AULibMedia Twitter: http://twitter.com/aulibmedia Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/aulibmedia/ Please think twice before printing this e-mail. VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
