Are DualDiscs safe?

Like the subject says, I'm curious to know if anyone has tried a DualDisc in the Ridgeline CD player yet. I'm hesitant to give the one I have a try - there are reports of them getting jammed in slot-loading CD players as well as slot-loading Mac minis. I'm not asking anyone to try, mind you - I don't wish the possible nightmare on anyone! ;) I'm just hoping someone has had some experience with it.

For those who don't know, DualDiscs are a new marketing ploy by Sony where the CD is bonded to a DVD. The resulting disc plays audio on one side and video on the other, but they're quite problematic. The audio side is notoriously unreliable, as many drives and players simply will not recognize the disc. Flip it over and the DVD side is available, and from most reports this side works pretty well. Sony likes to claim that this format is compatible with "most" newer equipment, but it's pretty hit and miss - and it seems that the higher-end the equipment, the less likely it is to work (because these players/drives follow the guidelines for CDs much more closely than lower-end units do.) My opinion? It's a crap format that doesn't have any need to exist - CDs sold with accompanying DVDs would work perfectly and no one would have to worry about compatibility. I steer clear from these any time I can, but when the option is a copy-protected CD, I will grumpily choose the DualDisc.

I'm looking forward to the Talking Heads remasters, available only as DualDiscs, which came out as a box a couple months back and will be available separately in two batches starting in a couple weeks. I want to listen to these the moment I get them in my RL, but I'm wary of sacrificing both my brand new discs and my CD changer!

Can you use software to copy the CD side of the DualDisc to a writable CD?

Can you use software to copy the CD side of the DualDisc to a writable CD?
It's entirely dependent on whether your computer's CD-reader will actually recognize the disc. I'm not talking about discs that play and have problems with playback - no, these discs will not be recognized at all in the computer, and clicking on the drive icon will bring up a warning box that says "Please insert a disk into drive" as if there's nothing in the drive. I have two drives in my computer, one a 5 month old CD/DVD burner that is highly rated for its ripping abilities, but it won't recognize the audio-side of DualDiscs. A six year old no-name $15 DVD reader, however, will read it - slowly, and still sometimes with errors.

But this is beside the point. My concern here is simply whether the discs are safe to use in the Ridgeline's CD player.

I have had my David Banner disc in several times, no troubles to report ;)

But this is beside the point. My concern here is simply whether the discs are safe to use in the Ridgeline's CD player. I should have been clearer. If you could rip a CD from the DualDisc then you could play the CD in the RL and not worry about the possibility of jamming.