NEWS

October 16, 2005
Dallas Morning News / by Victor Godinez

Disc-Go-Pod works Wonders:
Repair unit's efficiency makes price worth it for those who really need it

When you absolutely, positively have to revive that scratched CD or DVD, the Disc-Go-Pod Plus disc repair unit is a must-have.

But if you only want to restore a regular DVD movie or video game, you're probably better off just buying a new disc, given the $500 price tag on the Disc-Go-Pod.

The unit looks like a deep-fryer from outer space.

But the setup is pretty straightforward.

You fill the tank with cleaning polish and a little water, pop the lid and attach your disc to the cushion, plug in the power cord, and set the machine to light, medium or heavy repair.

I inserted a mangled copy of the video game Madden NFL 06 for Microsoft's Xbox and closed the lid, confident that my 19-month old son had done about as much damage to the disc as possible without snapping it in half.

I set the device to medium, and it whirred to life. Ten minutes later, I peeked in at the results: a pristine DVD.

After wiping the disc clean with the enclosed towel and using some of the included finishing spray, the disc looked – and played – like new.

The final result was excellent, but one improvement would be nice. When the disc is finished, the device's interior fan continues to hum, so it's hard to tell whether the polishing process is done.

A little LCD readout – or even just a blinking light – would be helpful.

The Disc-Go-Pod Plus is a simple machine that does exactly what it's supposed to.

Unless you're a small business – say a record store wanting to clean up used CDs before putting them on the shelf – or your dog has been using your discs as chew toys, the sticker shock is considerable.

On the other hand, if your CD or DVD backups of personal data get scratched and you really need to recover that information, this is probably cheaper than hiring a data recovery company.

Pros: Fairly compact unit, easily cleans even moderate or heavy scratches.

Cons: If your disc is cracked, warped or dented, you're out of luck, as you are with any disc repair device. Use of polishing chemicals means you'll eventually have to buy refills.

Bottom line: If you repair a lot of discs – or just need to resuscitate one critical disc – the Disk-Go-Pod Plus lives up to its billing.