Dirty DVD's = Dusty Lasers! Clean 'em Up With The Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner
Written: Jan 27 '04 (Updated Jul 30 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, will provide up to 100 cleanings, six month warranty.
Cons: Needs to be stored in the provided jewel case.
The Bottom Line: Don't toss out those DVD's that skip! Pick up the Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner and make your DVD player smile!
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| Freak369's Full Review: 3M Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner AV-104 for DVD Player... |
No matter how clean you think your DVD player is, there’s dust inside the case and eventually that dust will affect the way your unit operates. There are a few ways to clean out your DVD player; the most costly involves dropping it off for a good cleaning however I suggest trying out a “cheap fix” first. For about ten dollars [less most of the time] you can pick up a handy little do it yourself cleaner that’s so easy to use you’ll be wondering why you never gave it a try. Unlike some cleaners that involve the use of liquids, pads and more steps than can be printed on one sheet of paper, the Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner will only tie you up for about five minutes from start to finish – less time if you choose the Express Cleaning option. I have several DVD and CD cleaners and this one is by far the easiest to use. Regardless of whether or not you watch a ton of DVD’s, dust is the enemy to all units. Save yourself the added expensive of having to have your DVD professionally cleaned and invest in the Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner.
Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner
At first glance this looks like a standard CD or DVD disc but flip it over and you’ll see the difference! Six very small brushes protrude from the bottom of the disc, these are what are cleaning your unit and removing dust, dirt or other airborne nasties from your DVD player. The real plus to using this over other brands is that the instructions are, for the most part, on the disc so once you insert it into your DVD player it will tell you exactly what to do from start to finish. If you are looking for a “no brainer” type cleaner, it just doesn’t get any simpler than this. To start off, make sure you have your DVD player hooked up, the television on [turn the volume down a little] and insert the disc into the carrier. After about ten seconds you’ll hear the introduction statement about the lens cleaner and the various options that are available.
You have two different cleaning options available; standard cleaning [about three minutes] and express cleaning [about one minute]. You select the option you want my skipping to the appropriate track. Don’t get flustered if you can’t remember which track is which because the listing is printed on the inside of the CD jacket. There are a total of six tracks on the disc however the second track is blank and your DVD player will bypass it so don’t try to skip back to the track. Follow the audio prompts to clean your DVD laser, tweak your stereo speakers or get some help from the tracks – the choice is up to you. I do suggest that you listen to the care and usage information on the first track the first time you use this so you will know exactly what is happening and which steps you should take the first few times you do a cleaning.
I had a few DVD’s that were more than a little quirky; they would skip, advance over sections of the DVD and freeze for no reason. After I ran this through the DVD player a few times [extremely dusty or older models may need a few back to back treatments] they played perfectly. Sometimes it’s the DVD, sometimes it’s the player itself so before you pitch the disc or start swearing like a trucker, pop this laser cleaner in and see if it helps. This won’t do a thing for scratches on DVD’s so you may want to look for a specialty product if that’s the case, this will only work to remove dust and dirt from inside the DVD player, mainly the laser and surrounding area. If you have never used a DVD laser cleaner you may need to run the program a few times. Be sure to check the brushes often and replace the disc when they are starting to bend slightly or appear to have some build up on them. There is no liquid cleaner with this, nor should any be used with this version of the Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner. Never use any type of cleaning solution inside the DVD unit or on the surface of this disc prior to cleaning.
Things To Know
• The jewel case that comes with the Scotch Laser Lens Cleaner is different from others; there is a deeper well behind where the disc is stored to accommodate the brushes on the backside of the disc. Always replace the disc back into this special case to avoid having the brushes get bent or broken.
• There are several different Scotch brand cleaners on the market, some made just for a specific type of unit [CD player, DVD, multi purpose etc] so if you are an internet shopper, make sure you read the description of the item as well as double checking the model number so you are sure you are ordering the correct product for your needs.
• If you rent movies from places like NetFlix or your local video store, this is a must have item! You never know where those disc have been and what unseen microscopic pieces of dirt are being spun off inside your DVD player. Better to spend a few dollars now than a huge chunk ‘o change later.
• You can find these at most retail stores that sell DVD’s, CD’s or have audio and visual sections. Places like Target and Wal-Mart have the best prices; both retailing this for about $9.99 but I have seen this at TowerRecords.com and Suncoast Video for about $12.99. Even if you think your DVD player is in tip top condition, I can almost guarantee that there’s little dust bunnies hiding in wait inside the deck, just waiting for the perfect moment to hop out on to the lens to reek havoc.
Warranty
Like most of the Scotch brand cleaning discs, this one comes with a complete six month warranty against defects and craftsmanship. If you are not satisfied with the way it performs, return it to them with the proof of purchase [dated sales receipt] and reason for the return and they will either refund your purchase price or send you an exchange. Chances are that if there is a defect with the disc you’ll know about it as soon as you open the case or try it out on the first run. If you have any questions about the warranty or if there is an issue with the disc, you can call the customer service number at [888] 211-5048.
The Bottom Line
So far this has been a terrific product for the DVD players as well as the Playstation 2 deck. I am sure that dust and dirt played a major role in the first two PS2 decks premature death so now I toss this puppy in every week to make sure that the lens is clean and free of dust and dirt. The manufacturer of the laser cleaner suggests that you clean your DVD player after every ten hours of use and this disc is good for about 100 cleanings. This isn’t carved in stone so if you see that the brushes are bent, worn down or dirty, it’s time to get a replacement. If you try to use a disc with dirty brushes you might just bake a bad situation worse. Remember, there’s a difference between good dirty DVD’s and bad dirty DVD’s … and it has nothing to do with the MPAA ratings.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2004 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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