Digital Innovations dvdDR Premier Cleaner Review

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Digital Innovations sent me some accessories which may help keep those holiday gifts working like they did the day they were received.  I was sent an array of products; first, I will cover the dvdDr items.

DvdDr Premier Disc Cleaner

Digital Innovations dvdDR

First up are the dvdDR Premier Disc Repair and Cleaning products.  Anyone who has had CDs, DVDs, Video Game Discs or BluRay Discs can attest that they will not read properly if they are gummed up with fingerprints or other foreign material like the goo from your son’s PB&J.  While the time tested – and probably not safe – breathing on the disc and rubbing on your shirt solutions may work for finger oils, they probably won’t work for grimier things.  Doing either may also leave your shirt filled with grimy deposits, which is not the most pleasant thing to think about when you’re wearing a brand new shirt that dear old Mom gave you.  So the next and best thing, in my opinion, is the dvdDR Premier Cleaning kit.

DvdDr Premier Disc Cleaner

The cleaning kit has a base with a motor in it and a spray bottle of cleaner.  First, you install 4 AAA batteries in the bottom of the base, then you take the dirty disc and spray the included disc cleaning solution onto it. You then put the disc with the shiny side (the side with no label) towards the wiping pad. [ To make it easier to remember which side goes where, just face the shiny side towards the cleaning bottle.]  The disc will then spin until you remove it; it does not automatically stop.  Just use your best judgment and a clean finger to pull the disc out of the cleaner when it looks like the disc is clean.

I tried this on a Wii game that my son had gummed up with fingerprints, and it worked fine.  This cleaning system should work on any 5 inch optical disc, which includes the new BluRay formats and almost any modern video game system.  I would not try this with Gamecube games or any disc smaller than 5 inches.  Other than those, this system should get rid of grime on your media.  When the cleaner or pad run out, you can purchase replacements on the Digital Innovations website; I have also seen these at my local FYE Store.

Well, that takes care of the dirty ones, but what about the discs that no matter how much you clean, they still won’t play?  Then, upon inspection, you find out that there’s a scratch on the surface?  The next device will help.  The dvdDR Premier Disc Repair System will bring that DVD back to playable with most shallow scratches.

DvdDr Premier Disc Cleaner

I have one DVD that had some scratches in it, my son’s copy of The Master of Disguise.  Try as I might, the dvdDR Premier Disc Repair machine did not fix the scratch.  When I looked at this disk further, I discovered scratches so deep I could feel my fingernail catch a bit as I gently drug it across the disc surface.  This disc is a goner and the repair machine could not fix it.

DvdDr Premier Disc Repair System

However, for some of my other discs, I was able to improve their playing and take them from skipping to working in just a few minutes.

To use the dvdDR Priemier Disc Repair System, you just spray the disc with included rejuvenating fluid and then put the disc into the machine with the shiny side facing the wheel.  The disc and the wheel will start to spin, and then the disc will stop when the cycle is complete.  Next, you remove the disc from the machine and use the included buffing cloth and drying cloth to put a nice shine on the disc.  This should fix most of the shallow scratches that may affect your media.

One last thing about the dvdDR Priemier Disc System: it includes an AC Adapter so you don’t have to have any batteries to use it.

I tried to see if there was any information regarding using this on BluRay or PS3 discs, but couldn’t find anything.  The best thing to do in this scenario is to talk to the manufacturer of your player.  I do know that BluRay uses a Hard-coating technology, which may mean that the dvdDR System may not work for fixing BluRay or PS3 discs.

Update: Digital Innovations has indicated to me that there will be a new BluRay repair kit coming out for repairing those discs.  Do not try to use this to repair BluRay discs.

cleandr

Lastly, Digital Innovations sent me a CleanDr LCD/Plasma Cleaning Wand. I used this to clean my T60, my wife’s 19 inch LCD, and my Eee PC -all in less than 5 minutes.

To use it, you spray the included cleaner on the blue side of the wand; then you wipe it on your screen.  You should never spray directly onto the screen, as it may affect your screen’s lifespan.

After you have the cleaner applied, you dry it with the gray dry side of the wand; this results in a clean and streak free screen.  I love this cleaning wand, and it’s now how I keep my screens clean and streak free.

Refills for all of these cleaning solutions are available form your local retailers, or directly through Digital Innovations.

The dvdDR Premier Cleaning kit is $14.99 and the refills are $6.99 from Digital Innovations.

The dvdDR Premier Disc Repair kit is $44.99 with refills at $12.99 from Digital Innovations.

The CleanDR LCD/Plasma Cleaning Wand is $9.99 from Digital Innovations.  These are so cheap there are no refills, so I would just go buy a new wand when the cleaning fluid is gone; you’d pay almost as much for other cleaning kits.  The included small bottle goes a long way, so it should last for many cleanings.  If you want to keep the wand, just go get the $4.99 bottle of cleaner which includes a micro fiber cloth; then you could reuse your wand.

What I liked: The dvdDR products work as advertised; just don’t expect miracles and you will be satisfied.  The CleanDR Wand is awesome, and I plan on giving these as gifts next year.

What needs improvement: Availability.  They are pretty widely available, but during the Christmas season I had a devil of a time finding them.  Get out there and get them early!

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About the Author

Joel McLaughlin
Joel is a consultant in the IT field and is located in Columbus, OH. While he loves Linux and tends to use it more than anything else, he will stoop to running closed source if it is the best tool for the job. His techno passions are Linux, Android, netbooks, GPS, podcasting and Amateur Radio.

1 Comment on "Digital Innovations dvdDR Premier Cleaner Review"

  1. This product ruined several discs of mine. Before using the product I could play the video files on my computer, now the computer doesn't even recognize the disc. I don't think you did enough testing to make such a positive recommendation. There are plenty of other reviews out there from other people with discs that have been ruined by this device.

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