Warner Bros. responds to ‘disc rot’ issue with its movie DVDs

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 titles manufactured by the entertainment giant between 2006 and 2008 have succumbed to a long-known phenomenon called “disc rot,” a deterioration in a DVD’s condition that results in freezing, glitches, or complete failure during playback.

DVDs that are properly stored and handled really shouldn’t fall apart like this in such a short space of time, suggesting that a serious issue during the manufacturing stage has impacted these particular Warner Bros. discs.

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The good news is that the company has acknowledged the problem and is offering replacements — though not refunds — for affected discs. But only if the movie is still in print, and so long as Warner Bros. still has the rights to the title.

In a statement shared by movie site JoBlo, Warner Bros. said it’s “aware of potential issues affecting select DVD titles manufactured between 2006 – 2008, and the company has been actively working with consumers to replace defective discs.”

The statement continued: “Where possible, the defective discs have been replaced with the same title. However, as some of the affected titles are no longer in print or the rights have expired, consumers have been offered an exchange for a title of like-value. Consumers with affected products can contact the customer support team at whv@wbd.com.”

The issue appears to affect a wide range of titles, including classic Hollywood movies such as Stanley Kubrick: Director’s Series edition of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Superman movies up to Superman Returns, and popular TV series like Looney Tunes Collections and Batman: The Animated Series.

While Warner Bros. is at least doing what it can to ease the irritation for customers, some folks’ DVD libraries may be left with gaping holes through no fault of their own.

JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray, who brought the Warner Bros. issue to greater prominence in a report over the weekend, said that after testing some of his DVDs, he’s now left staring at a bunch of “expensive coasters.”

Curious about how to convert your DVDs to a digital format? Here’s everything you need to know.