I want to know what the defect rate for each LaserDisc manufacturer in percentage is. Can a few users do research on the following manufacturers which have produced discs?
3M/Imation
DADC Austria
DADC Japan
DADC USA
Discovision
Kuraray
Mitsubishi
PDO UK
Pioneer Japan
Pioneer USA
Technidisc
WEA Germany
WEA USA
Also research this page: http://blam1.com/LaserDisc/Manufacturers.htm

I’m not so sure this is relevant when time is considered. Many plants existed for way longer than others and even the worst ones had their good years and their bad years. If you knew that %1 of what Pioneer pressed rotted should it matter considering they pressed way way more discs than anyone and for longer?

Most, if not all, pressing plants would be %3 or lower. Does that even mean anything?

My suggestion is that about 2-5% of all discs manufactured by Pioneer and Kuraray in the final years of the format (1997-2001) have rot. For Discovision i was thinking of an average defect rate between 70% and 90%, but lower DADC USA.

Your suggestion is wrong.

BTW how many LDs do you actually own?

I own only one, The AC3 Letterbox Edition of Goldeneye. It's completely free of defects. Also, i actually think that a 2-5% defect rate for Pioneer and Kuraray is about accurate.

I personally feel even 1% for Kuraray and Pioneer from 1997-2001 is a stretch, but there is no way of knowing.

I think I recall halting new LaserDisc purchases around 1997 as DVD was rolling out and the only thing I noticed when it came to rot or poor pressings were one’s made by DADC. And even in the present as I have decided to pick up a lot of the later releases, I am not finding any rot at all for Pioneer or Kurary pressings so in my humble opinion 2-5 percent is a bit high to me. It’s really just DADC being the big disaster when it comes to late releases.

Sorry, I have now changed my opinions that 1997-2001 Pioneer and Kuraray have an average defect rate between 1% and 3%.
DADC USA started off fairly good, but progressively got worse over time. The factory was at it's worst once the mint markings went over LDxx-002700. Can anyone suggest the defect rate for DADC USA in percentage over the years? My suggestion is a average defect rate between 65% and 75% after the mint markings went over LDxx-002700.

Just keep making up numbers. There is no reliable data on this whatsoever.

These aren't suggestions you are just guessing.
These numbers are just numbers you are pulling out of thin air and have no merit to stand on.

Please keep these guessing games to yourself.

Even the manufacturers would not know this number.

I am more interested in uncovering concrete evidence as to why Sony DADC USA had such a ridiculous defect rate.

Yes!!! That would be a great story to tell if we can find a person who worked there in the day. Wouldn’t be surprised if there was a lot of drama and ineptitude pertaining to all that happened.

The frequent and overly generic "aluminum oxidation" theory does not sit well with me.

I have a perfect (as far as I can tell) Eraser (1996) [14202] so I think we are looking at something variable for that specific facility.

Just a few areas where "rot" (the more appropriate term is indeed defect) could occur:
Improper stamping
Uneven application of protective or aluminum layers
Contaminated aluminum or protective layer chemicals
Failure to maintain cleanroom conditions (with focus at the stamping stage and after)

Can't speak for every one but Pioneer Manufactured laserdiscs rarely ever have rot. I don't think I own a Pioneer Manufactured laserdisc that has suffered from rot. I have quite a few image discs that show mild rot to a ridiculous amount of rot. Image discs are hit and miss for me and I own quite a few of them. I'd say the majority of the time Image is fine but they have a greater chance of being rotters than Pioneer. I do notice mild rot on my copy of Rawhead Rex except it's so little amount that it wouldn't bother any normal person. I believe that's an image release. I also have very mild rot or maybe it's noise in A Nightmare on Elm Street Dream Child. I notice it at the beginning of the disc with the love making scene and then later on in the movie when black and white Super Freddy shows up it shows a lil rot or maybe it's noise. Either way it's very light and watchable.

The worst rotted movies I own would be Fright Night Widescreen edition which is unwatchable because it's a snowball effect through out the movie and probably The Blob 1988. The Blob 1988 copy I have shows rot through out the movie. It might be watchable to some degree but I personally can't stand rot so yeah. I'd probably rate the rot on The Blob 1988 a 2/5 or 3/5 on the horrible scale just because it's consistently bad. Not the worst rot but who wants to see artifacts on the screen pop up the majority of the movie? Oh yeah I have that one Granny movie where the Grannies are Vampires or some type of monsters and that's really unwatchable rot too. I think it might even be worse than the Blob 1988. Either way as I said earlier rot is disgusting on laserdisc. The only rot I don't mind is movies that have mild rot that only show up for a scene or two.