DVD Cases Still Feel Best

[Dick Laurent]

I've amassed about 80 Blu-ray since I adopted the format, and I realized something during this year's October Horror Movie Challenge: DVDs are still more fun for me to "collect" than Blu-ray.

My BD of My Bloody Valentine is pretty cool, lots of 3-D glasses and such, but my recently acquired Anchor Bay DVD of Mark of the Devil has a great card-stock poster-repro in the case that is just wonderful to look at.

I really enjoy picking up and looking at my DVDs, but not so much with the BDs. They just kind of sit there on the shelf. Is it the blue case? Is it that the case is small? I have about 50 laserdiscs, they're big, but I prefer DVD size still. VHS doesn't quite do it for me either. And just for the heck of it, my two SelectaVision VideoDiscs don't have the same appeal either.

DVD case size, inserts, and slipcovers seem to have really hit the nail on the head as far as a physical state of packaging. I like DVDs, and not just the movies, but how they are packaged and how they feel. Even used--a scratched, smudged, torn DVD case is way more appealing to me than a BD case with scuff or two.

All this may explain some as to why I buy way more DVDs than I watch. Hey, there's my excuse, the cases made me do it...

[hindolio]

the size of a dvd case is closer to the golden ratio than is a blu-ray case:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

maybe thats partly it? :D

[Dick Laurent]

^ Wow, that's pretty heavy Sunday morning... I'm sure that's what it's all about. So, Blu-ray will fail because of this, eh?

Seriously though, thanks for the read! An interesting point, for sure.

[DVD Guy ATL]

DL, I know what you mean -- Blu-ray packaging thus far has tended to sacrifice fun for efficiency. We tend to either get a standard slim BD case with no (or skimpy) printed material or crass monster boxes such as the Wizard of Oz and Casablanca sets. Perhaps this will change as Blu-ray becomes more mainstream.. at least we can hope.

[hasslein]

I agree, that's why I was so pleased when Disney gave a choice with Snow White in Amaray packaging. Once again Disney is ahead of the game. Including SD with BD, now amaray. Hope more studios will follow.

[RobCA]

I just started collecting Blu-rays recently, but already, I much prefer the Blu-ray cases over their DVD counterparts. I don't really care about inserts and such, but the cases themselves just look so nice and classy sitting together on their little shelf. :)

Rob

[brayzie]

I like DVD cases better. The Blu-Ray boxes just don't look nice on shelves, IMO.

[indiephantom]

DVD cases have been far more interesting, I agree. Blu-ray is just so standardized, and I don't like the digibooks or steelbooks much either. The nicest packaging has been on DVD overall. I love my new and budding Blu-ray collection, but I totally agree. The DVDs stood better on shelves too. I prefer laserdisc packaging over Blu-ray too. It was just so damn cool.

[Darth Maher]

I must be in the minority... I kinda like the Blu-ray Disc cases. Not sure what it is, but DVD seems cheap all of the sudden. I'm sure it's a mental thing knowing that the BD costs quite a bit more and has superior A/V quality. As far as different types of cases eventually becoming mainstream, I'm sure that will come with the format itself becoming more mainstream, as DVD Guy ATL says below. As for no or skimpy printed material within the BD case, this has been the case with DVD for some time now. I can't remember the last DVD I bought that had an honest to goodness insert (that wasn't a stupid ad).

DL, I know what you mean -- Blu-ray packaging thus far has tended to sacrifice fun for efficiency. We tend to either get a standard slim BD case with no (or skimpy) printed material or crass monster boxes such as the Wizard of Oz and Casablanca sets. Perhaps this will change as Blu-ray becomes more mainstream.. at least we can hope.

[brayzie]

Yeah, Laserdisc packaging was cool. I hardly knew about them growing up.

But when I go to the used video store, I'm always tempted to buy Aliens or Terminator 2 on LD. I like the ones that open up like a tryptich.