does DVD ROM actually "touch" the DVD disc

some said yes, it does actually mechanically touch the DVD disc

some said no, it's only read by laser / radiation, and will not mechanically touch the disc


what is the truth

could DVD ROM scratch the DVD disc?

 

It doesn't touch it (except of course where the motor has to touch the disk to spin it) but other than that laser is used and that means no physical contact when reading (or writing for that matter) is needed.

 

so the DVD ROM shouldn't scratch the surface of the disc in any way right?

Most scratches are due to careless portection right


How about dust accumulated inside the DVD ROM?

 

It shouldn't scratch it - if there was any contact that could damage not only the DVD but also the lens. It would also be easily distinguishable from your typical scratches which are rather random whereas this could be something that would make the DVD look like a vinyl record. And you would probably hear it happening right away.

The dust will not hard the disc in any way.

 

Doesn't touch unless there's something inside the drive that's loose

 

That is partially true the Media does sit on the tray when you first insert in loading tray be laptop or Desktop - so any scratches that will occur will be when you set the media on the tray and when you remove it. But for touching by the laser no but if your drive crashes or one fails to insert properly on the tray you can scratch the media as well. So it can be scratched but not by the laser but improperly inserted media can and will be scratched.

 

Faulty drives can destroy the media inside.
Moving it around while it is spinning is also a good way to destroy it.
There are extremely rare cases where it can eject the disk without slowing down so it melts on the tray. (Had this happened to me a few times)

 

Sorry my English is not good

What did you mean by "Moving it around while it is spinning is also a good way to destroy it."

I don't understand this phrase

 

Don't shake the DVD drive while there's a disc in it?

That's what I think he meant.

 

The disk spins very close to the inside of the drive in almost all drives. Bumping or moving it can cause it to hit the inside of the drive and scratch the disk.