Millions of DVDs from Warner Bros, released between 2006 and 2008, have become unplayable due to a manufacturing defect that led to premature laser rot.
At the same time, Sony has issued a crucial PlayStation 3 update to keep Blu-ray playback functional, highlighting the fragility of disc-based media.
More than 300 DVD titles are no longer playable due to disc deterioration. Users on the internet forum SteveHoffman.tv have identified the defective discs by a specific mould code (IFPI 2U**) near the spindle hole.
This phenomenon, commonly known as laser rot, was a known issue with laserdiscs in the 80s and 90s but was considered rare for DVDs. But the way these Warner Bros discs were manufactured has led to premature failure, rendering them useless in DVD or Blu-ray players. HD-DVD discs from the same period are also affected, but Blu-ray discs remain unaffected.
Warner Bros has responded to the issue by offering to replace defective DVDs where possible.
In a separate but related development, Sony has rolled out a PlayStation 3 system update (4.92) to renew the console’s Blu-ray encryption key, ensuring continued Blu-ray playback. Without this update, PS3 consoles would eventually stop playing Blu-ray discs due to expired AACS (Advanced Access Content System) encryption keys.
AACS is a copyright-protection technology that requires periodic key renewals every 12 to 18 months. Sony has confirmed that while PS4 and PS5 can update encryption keys without a system update, the PS3 still requires firmware updates for this function.
If a PS3 console is not updated, users may see an on-screen message prompting them to renew the encryption key before they can play Blu-ray movies.
In 2020, a similar issue impacted older Samsung Blu-ray players, which suddenly stopped working due to an expired security certificate, forcing owners to send their players to Samsung for repair.
These developments raise concerns about how long studios and hardware manufacturers will continue to support disc-based media as streaming services continue to dominate.
