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CDs, DVDs And VHS Cassettes

 
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CDs, DVDs And VHS Cassettes

Why does my DVD pixilate, freeze or skip?

Your DVD may pixelate if your DVD player is failing, or if there was a bad connection made between the DVD player and the TV set. The question we always ask our clients when that occurs is “Does it occur with a particular DVD or does it occur with all your DVDs? Is it something that's occurred since it was set up or is it something that just cropped up?” By going through that checklist we're able to troubleshoot and generally figure out what's causing the problem. Your DVD will stop or skip when you have a bad DVD that has scratches in it, or if the DVD player itself is dirty or has some malfunction going on with it. The best way to determine that is to see if it occurs with just one DVD or if it occurs with other DVDs, so try playing a couple and if it's a consistent problem then you may need to go and repair or replace your DVD player.

Why doesn't my VHS tape play anymore?

Your old VHS tape may not play anymore because over time it degrades, especially if your VHS tape has been stored improperly. In other words, sitting in the sun, in the back of a car, some place where it gets exposure to heat or magnets; speaker systems; your kid playing with a magnet, whatever. That can destroy the integrity of a VHS tape. Over time it will decompose and at some point it will stop functioning. You won't be able to play it in your VCR anymore.

Will my CDs and DVDs last forever?

Any physical medium, whether it's a DVD or a CD or a VHS, will degrade over time. VHS tapes last less time than a DVD or CD but the other part that will make things challenging in the future, if you are storing things on DVD or CD, is that the standards change for how these things are played back. The fact that the disk works on equipment from 2007, doesn't mean that that same disk will play on the equipment in 2020 or 2025. So it is a challenge. We see it happening with some of our oldest stuff that is out there. It will be interesting to see what sort of solutions come up over the next five, six years.

How do I tell the difference between a CD and a DVD?

You can flip it over and look at the back and a DVD will have a purple sheen to it and a CD will have like a silvery sheen to it but that's a guideline. It's not a rule of thumb because on the newer DVDs, the double layer DVDs, when you flip them over, you actually have a blue sheen and you may have a silver sheen on some of the types. It depends on how they were manufactured. So, there is no way to effectively differentiate between a DVD or CD other than looking at the labels because typically they will be clearly labeled DVD or CD, especially if you are using them to burn and also the amount of content that is stored on it. A DVD holds approximately ten times the amount of content or more than a CD.

How do I clean my CDs and DVDs?

Clean your CDs and DVDs with soap and water. You should use a mild soap; dishwashing soup, and a soft cloth. Don't use anything abrasive, don't use any chemicals or harsh cleaning ammonia which will eat away at the surface of that plastic. You can also invest in a commercial de-scratcher, which is essentially a device in which you put your CD or DVD, and it buffs the surface of that CD or DVD to remove light surface scratches to improve its ability to play in a player.

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  1. Why does my DVD pixilate, freeze or skip?
  2. Why doesn't my VHS tape play anymore?
  3. Will my CDs and DVDs last forever?
  4. How do I tell the difference between a CD and a DVD?
  5. How do I clean my CDs and DVDs?

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Jeff Colen
Meet the Expert
A Sharper Home
  • Why does my DVD pixilate, freeze or skip?
  • Why doesn't my VHS tape play anymore?
  • Will my CDs and DVDs last forever?
  • How do I tell the difference between a CD and a DVD?
  • How do I clean my CDs and DVDs?
more ...
Home Entertainment
 Home Entertainment General Information 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What are the essential components of a home entertainment system? 
  3. Should I hire a professional to install my home entertainment system? 
 Televisions 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What types of televisions are available? 
  3. What is the difference between a "plasma TV" and an "LCD TV"? 
  4. What size television should I buy? 
  5. What is "HDTV"? 
  6. Will my new HD television work with my current set-up? 
 Surround Sound 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What is "surround sound"? 
  3. What do 2.1, 5.1 and 7.2 refer to in sound systems? 
  4. How do I choose the best sound option for my home theater? 
 VCRs, DVD And DVR Players 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. Do I still need a VCR? 
  3. What types of DVD players are available? 
  4. What is the difference between "Blu-ray DVD" and "HD DVD"? 
  5. Will Blu-ray and HD DVD players work with my current set-up? 
  6. What is a "multi-region DVD player" and do I need one? 
  7. What is a "DVR" or digital video recorder? 
  8. How can my VCR, DVD player and DVR work together? 
  9. What is a "combo unit" and should I get one? 
 Stereos 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What are the essential elements of a stereo system? 
  3. What is a "receiver"? 
  4. What is an "amplifier"? 
  5. Will my CD player play CDs that I burn on my computer? 
  6. Is a CD player a necessary part of my stereo system? 
  7. Should I buy a turntable? 
  8. What is a "shelf system" and should I get one? 
 Home Entertainment Speakers 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What types of speakers are available and how should I choose between them? 
  3. What is "speaker wire" and what kind do I need? 
 Home Entertainment Insider Questions 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. How can I send video or music from my computer to my to stereo and TV? 
  3. Do I need a "universal remote"? 
  4. Do I need special cables or connectors to see HD video on my TV? 
  5. Do I need a special surge protector for my electronic equipment? 
  6. Should I buy extended warranties for my electronic equipment? 
  7. Can I negotiate the price of electronic equipment? 
 Setting Up My Home Theater 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. Should I tell my cable or satellite company when I buy a new TV? 
  3. How should I decide where to put my new TV? 
  4. How far away from my TV should I sit? 
  5. Do I need a professional to mount my new TV on my wall? 
  6. Is it safe to mount my new TV over my fireplace? 
  7. How can I soundproof my home entertainment room? 
  8. What kind of cables should I use to connect my home electronics? 
  9. What is the proper order for connecting my electronic components? 
  10. What is the best way to position speakers in my home theater? 
  11. Can I stack my VCR, DVD player, DVR and stereo components? 
 Using My New Home Entertainment System 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. Do I need professional help to set up my home entertainment system? 
  3. What kind of wiring might I need done for a new entertainment system? 
  4. How can I prepare my home for future entertainment components? 
 Watching My New TV 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What does my DVR do? 
  3. What happens if I want to keep something that I recorded on my DVR? 
  4. How can I listen to my TV through my stereo speakers? 
 Caring For And Troubleshooting My New TV 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What is "screen burn" and how can I avoid it? 
  3. What is "aspect ratio"? 
  4. What is "pixelation"? 
  5. Why does the picture on my TV look "stretched" and how can I fix it? 
  6. Why might the picture on my TV look distorted? 
  7. How do I clean my new TV? 
CDs, DVDs And VHS Cassettes (Now Playing)
  1. Jeff Colen
 Home Entertainment: Mixing Media 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. When I send video from my computer to my TV, why doesn't the picture look right? 
  3. Why doesn't my stereo sound as good as it did in the store? 
  4. How can I convert my old VHS tapes, cassette tapes or LPs to DVDs or CDs? 
  5. What are the newest ways to get audio and video delivered to my system? 
 Home Entertainment Tips And Tricks 
  1. Jeff Colen
  2. What's the best tip you have for buying a new TV? 
  3. What's the best tip you have for an advanced user? 
  4. Can you give us some trade secrets? 
  5. Can I build a home entertainment system for less than $1000? 
  6. What one component can bring my current system up to date? 
  7. What one component should I not skimp on and why? 
  8. Where can I save money when buying an entertainment system? 
  9. What do you wish your clients knew? 
  10. What are "touch panels" and what can they do? 
  11. How are people using media in their homes? 
  12. What types of control systems are becoming popular? 
  13. What can I do if my remote stops working? 
  14. What do I do if the picture on my TV freezes? 
  15. What are the advantages of a universal remote? 

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