No, disc bronzing isn't something you get at the DVD tanning salon.

This is from an article in The Globe and Mail (UK) called "The scourge of tape mould and laser rot."

"Think you're safe with all your movies on DVDs? Think again: "Laser rot" can affect old CDs and DVDs. They are coated with an aluminum surface to make them more reflective; the aluminum can oxidize and degrade. "CD bronzing" is a form of this: If your CD isn't playing well, and the playing surface is going brown, it has become irretrievably corroded"

(August 7, 2008, Russell Smith)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080807.wrussell07/BNStory/Entertainment/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080807.wrussell07

So does anyone have discs that are going bad???

I haven't come across any myself,, usually the discs won't play because of a finger print or other foreign surface substance,, ( little soap and water takes care of that).. If you google DVD ROT there are a number of sites to read from, and even Home Theatre ran a forum post about this. but that was over 4 years ago.

I did come across this gem of a site outlining all these concerns.

I haven't had any ever, no.

Quoting skipnet50:

Quote:
4000+ and goiing strong, not a bad egg in the lot.


Skip

You're sure about that? I've never experienced anything, but I do not watch my 5500+ once a year either, so I can't rule out that some discs have gone bad.

Well, Lethal Weapon 1 and 2 (both German first releases in Snappers as part of a boxset) went bad and I had to replace them with new releases in Keep Cases.

Quoting Skywatcher:

Quote:
The 1st. batch of Silence of the Lambs UK was probably the most widely spread problematic disc of those suffering from dvd rot.

Yeah, I had that one. There was a similar release of Terminator that went bad also.

I'm waiting for my first edition Devil's Advocate to fall apart as that's a known problem disc (something about bad glue causing the dual layers to seperate and render it unplayable). It was still playing a few months ago, although I can see the edges coming ever so slightly apart. I backed up the entire VOB files on my HD and an external HD so when it does die, I can make myself a new one.
If it wasn't for that lawsuit about the statue I could just buy another, but the first ones were scarce and getting scarcer as they literally fall apart.  

The only other disc I ever had die was a porn (The Other Side of Shawnee), although when I moved from a Cyberhome to Toshiba dvd player, it started working again.   Maybe it wasn't dead, but it also failed in my old Sony as well as the Cyberhome and a roommate's Panosonic. Since it still plays (I think, haven't put it in for over 2 years) I also guess it doesn't count as dead. Just dead to most players I guess.

sounds like nonsense to me. all of mine are ok, thank god.