XBox 360 Disc Scratches – Repaired!

Do Microsoft XBox 360 consoles scratch discs?  Some of our readers say yes, Microsoft themselves say no. Who to believe?  Well, KitGuru's favourite expression is ‘follow the money'. If there's a problem, then you will find a business. So we did. And we did.

Anthony Taylor runs a business called Disks Like New. If Microsoft hardware doesn't scratch discs, then poor Anthony has no job. But he does. Draw your own conclusions.

Cost wise, it varies on the number of discs you send to be repaired. For example, a single disc can cost £4 whereas 5 discs is only £10 – or £2 each. Compared to buying a brand new replacement disc from your high street stockist – either of these prices is a bargain.

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We asked Anthony what kind of situation calls for Discs Like New?

“If your Black Ops is broken, your FIFA 2011 is freezing or you suffer from hanging Halo, then it's no problem”, says Anthony. “Our state of the art disc repair machines can remove even the heaviest scratches from your XBox 360 game disc, restoring full playback once again and for a fraction of a cost of buying a replacement”.

Is it just the XBox 360 that's affected and what causes the problem?

“XBox 360 game discs are far more susceptible to damage than other platforms such as the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii”, said Anthony. “This is due to the consoles tendency to damage a disc if it is moved when it is switched on or subjected to strong vibrations, such as putting down a book near the machine. The actual damage caused to the disc nearly renders it completely unusable as the disc typically freezes or crashes within seconds. This is because the scratches are circular and cover the entire disc, making it impossible for the laser to read the discs data”.

“Many XBox 360 owners use the term ‘laser burn’ to describe the problem. This isn’t technically accurate as the laser doesn’t burn the disc at all, it is in fact the lens of the laser physically grinding against the disc when the console is moved, creating radial or ‘ring scratches’”, he explained.

Assuming no magic pixie dust is used, what is Anthony's preferred technology?

“Our machines work by grinding away a very precise layer of the shiny plastic side of your disc, removing any scratches and ‘laser burn’ in the process”, he said. “By removing the damage, you are effectively removing any obstacles to your games console laser reading the data on your disc. This is also 100% safe for your disc as the data is safely hidden under a thick plastic coating and this is what we remove”.

KitGuru has seen, first hand, the way that using a Kinect on a hard floor can generate enough vibration to cause a disc-scrape. That there is a solid, reliable repair facility available to rescue your £40 games – is good news indeed.

You can find out more about Discs Like New by clicking here.

To see Anthony's devices in action, here's a video.

KitGuru says: The Discs Like New team seem like nice guys, with simple/proven technology that repairs a genuine issue with XBox 360 discs. More power to them – that's what we say!

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums – especially if you have used Discs Like New's services and have an opinion.

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