SkipDR Automax: Brings Coasters Back to Life!

The first time I had to deal with a severely scratched DVD was a couple of years ago. I had a deep scratch on one of my DVD's, and it skipped when I played it. I looked online for solutions, and followed a tip that says you can rub the scratch with plain white toothpaste. It worked!

Recently I had to deal with a scratched DVD again, when I lent it to a friend. I don't know what he did with it, but he returned it very damaged. I was sad, because the DVD is now out of print.

The scratches were pretty deep - weird curlicues all around the disc. It looked like someone just threw it into a bag with a bunch of sharp things, and then tossed the bag around.

So I tried the old toothpaste trick. Unfortunately, not only did it not work for me this time, it made things worse! Before I rubbed it with toothpaste, the disc would start playing, but skip in 3 specific places. After the toothpaste, it wouldn't play at all.

So I did a search online and learned about the SkipDR by Digital Innovations.

I bought my SkipDR Automax at Best Buy. It seems that the product comes with other names, such as "DVD DR," and "Game DR." But looking at the package, it appears to the very same machine, just with a different name. Anyway, the SkipDR Automax claims to work on all kinds of disks - audio, DVD's, games, etc. (Be advised that although the box doesn't specifically say it, I've read online that it doesn't work for Blu-Ray disks.)

You need 6 AA batteries, which are not included. The device can also be used with a AC charger, but it doesn't come with it - you need to order it from Digital Innovations. Wanting to use the device right away, I popped in the 6 AA batteries.

Using the SkipDR Automax

First, I tried using the device on a audio CD-R disc that I didn't mind scratching up. I just wanted to see what would happen.

I first sprayed the disk generously with the enclosed fluid as the instructions said. Then I fit the disk into the slot, and turned the machine on.

The SkipDR Automax buffs the disk outwards from the center, and basically scuffs the surface, creating a starbursty pattern. I had to admit that it was a little alarming.

Then I dried the disk with the enclosed cloth, and buffed it with the enclosed felt square. The buffing part is essential - it basically polishes away the scuff marks that the SkipDR Automax just made, and restores the shiny surface.

So I finally put my badly scratched DVD in the SkipDR Automax, and repeated the drying and buffing process. Then I popped it into my player, and ... much better! The disk still skipped at the original places, but it was no longer completely unplayable. Basically, it seemed to repair the toothpaste damage. Hurray!

I put the disk through the SkipDR Automax again. This time, it only skipped in one of the three places. Improvement!

I put the disk through the SkipDR Automax for the third time. After this - perfect! The disk no longer skipped!

Conclusion:

Wow, this thing really worked for me! I was impressed. It won't restore the original pristine surface of your disk (I can still see the original scratches), but it may make your unwatchable disk watchable again.

The device itself is kind of clunky-looking, like a toy. It just doesn't look like it's worth $40-45. The buffing wheel looks like there's a fine strip of sandpaper wrapped around it. It also comes with a spray bottle of fluid (which feels and smells like plain water), a lint-free cloth, and a piece of felt used for buffing. So really, it kind of doesn't look like much: a couple of scraps of fabric, and a bottle of water. I don't know what makes it work better than if I got a piece of sandpaper and just rubbed the disc myself. But after I messed up the disc worse by rubbing it with toothpaste, I wasn't going to experiment.

And you know, I don't care what this thing looks like, because it worked! My disk was fixed! I'm so happy.

The SkipDR Automax can only be used for about 50 uses. After that, I guess the buffing wheel wears out. I have seen replacement buffing wheels on sale at Fry's Electronics, so if you use it a lot, that may be an option for you.

There is a manual model of the SkipDR (not "Automax"), which costs about $30 at Best Buy. You operate the device by a hand-crank. In retrospect, I think I should have bought that instead, because I have only had to use the machine once since I bought it.

But if you have a lot of disks that need repair, and don't want to use a handcrank, SkipDR Automax is a handy machine. You just pop the disc in, and it spins by itself. You may require multiple passes like I did.

So now I can watch my Two English Girls by Truffaut. (I'm not sure that's a good thing, because that movie is weird.) I was pretty dubious at first, but this thing really worked!