People using the video renting outfit Netflix are starting to complain that Blu-Ray disks are not as rugged as many people think. Punters have been reporting brand new Blu-Ray releases from Netflix have been arriving with a 1-3mm crack through the hardcoat part along the outer edge that makes the disc unplayable.

While DVDs sometimes used to crack customers claim that the Blu-Ray hard coating actually seems to make the disks susceptible to damage in transit. The problem was noticed two years ago but hardly anyone was using Blu-Ray in those days.

Netflix raised the rates on Blu-ray plans by $1 per membership and some are suggesting it might be that the outfit wants to pass the cost of frequent disk replacement over to the consumers who rent Blu-ray. So far there have been no authoritative tests done for Blu-Ray durability, but if it turns out that there is a real problem here, then it could eventually slow down adoption.