Stacked Discs
04-09-14, 09:10 PM
#1
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Stacked Discs
I don't know if this is a common thing, as this is only the second time it's ever happened to me, but I just got a dvd set that had 5 discs. They were all stacked on top of each other on a single spindle. To me, this is an incredibly dumb thing to do. Luckily, I've found some 5 and 6 disc cases where, unfortunately, the discs overlap, but fortunately (from the reviews of the cases I was able to find) the discs don't touch.
I know that there are a few complete series sets and even season sets that are like this, but is it all that common? At least the dvds aren't double sided.
I know that there are a few complete series sets and even season sets that are like this, but is it all that common? At least the dvds aren't double sided.
04-09-14, 10:02 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Stacked Discs
It's become more common in the past few years. The main studios like to use it for cheaper versions of huge boxsets and smaller distributors like cramming 5-10 discs in value sets together. This was a fairly common packaging method for anime DVDs.
04-09-14, 10:17 PM
#3
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: Stacked Discs
I guarantee that I hate stacked or overlapping single-sided discs more than anyone dislikes 2-sided discs, or snapper cases for that matter.
04-10-14, 11:41 AM
#6
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Stacked Discs
I have a lot of these and even purposely buy them sometimes for maximizing storage. Do they occasionally scratch a little? Yes. Do these scratches ever affect playback? No.
04-11-14, 03:28 AM
#10
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Stacked Discs
Stacking cases seem to be a really bad idea for storage because if they do scratch the discs, it will most like make a concentric scratch that runs along the data. These are the worst possible scratches you can put on an optical disc.
You know how, in the old DVD/CD cleaning instructions, it told you to wipe from the center of the disc to the edge and not across the disc? That's because a scratch radiating out from the center of the disc goes perpendicular to the data layer and either won't affect playback or will be caught by the error correction. A scratch that runs parallel to the data layer can damage the surface over a continuous chain of data and cause errors. Stacked discs, which rotate around a central hub, will put scratches that run precisely along the data, which would be the most damaging kind of scratch.
You know how, in the old DVD/CD cleaning instructions, it told you to wipe from the center of the disc to the edge and not across the disc? That's because a scratch radiating out from the center of the disc goes perpendicular to the data layer and either won't affect playback or will be caught by the error correction. A scratch that runs parallel to the data layer can damage the surface over a continuous chain of data and cause errors. Stacked discs, which rotate around a central hub, will put scratches that run precisely along the data, which would be the most damaging kind of scratch.
04-11-14, 07:15 AM
#11
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Re: Stacked Discs
You people do realize that blank discs (CD, DVD and BD) start out stacked on spindles just like the ones we've been purchasing for years in stores. Stacking them in packaging is not a problem that I see.
Sliding discs into pockets is still a problem because that is where you can scratch a disc (more likely a DVD than a BD) if you're not really careful. I have always removed them and put them into slimline cases to avoid this in the future.
Here's what the DVDTalk review says about the Sanford and Son stacked packaging:
Sliding discs into pockets is still a problem because that is where you can scratch a disc (more likely a DVD than a BD) if you're not really careful. I have always removed them and put them into slimline cases to avoid this in the future.
Here's what the DVDTalk review says about the Sanford and Son stacked packaging:
Sony has packaged Sanford and Son: The Complete Series in one of the most embarrassingly flimsy, potentially dangerous (to the discs) get-ups I've ever seen for a DVD release. All seventeen discs come stacked on one single plastic spindle (molded onto an ultra-thin plastic form that fits into the outer DVD box), with a rough corrugated cardboard insert used to hold the whole stack in place. So if you want to pull out disc three from season five, you have to pull out all of the discs that are stacked right on top of each other (hello scratches) to get at it. The cardboard DVD box holder approximates the size of a two-hardcase boxed set, so shelf-space is greatly reduced - along with the safety of the discs. An episode list is included, but no synopses, so you'll have to go on-line if you can't remember what I Dream of Choo Choo Rabinowitz was about. I can see hard-core DVD fans being outraged by this packaging, as well as previous buyers of the individual seasons getting ticked off at the greatly reduced price here for the entire series. However, you lucky few who don't already own any of the discs here, and who are...cheap, will absolutely love this slashed-to-the-bone presentation.
Last edited by TerryW; 04-11-14 at 07:45 AM.
04-11-14, 10:10 AM
#12
Re: Stacked Discs
^But even with such sets you only have a issue if you *spin* the disks around on the spindle. If you carefully lift them out and don't let them slide around they'll not get scratches. Those from Sony (See pic above) have nice finger holes which allow you to easily grasp deep into the stack and pull up the disks without having to rotate them. I have the Married With Children one which has 2 stacker "pages" and while I'm not overly fond of the storage system, I've had no problems getting discs out without spinning/sliding them around. I'd much rather have this than any type of those cardboard "book" abominations!
04-11-14, 03:11 PM
#13
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Re: Stacked Discs
For the region 2 version at least, even the BBC have used a "stacker" hub for Red Dwarf: Series 8 to hold all three discs (though I think the way this hub is made, the three discs actually have a little bit of space in-between them while they're on that peg).
04-12-14, 03:52 PM
#14
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Stacked Discs
Sliding discs into pockets is still a problem because that is where you can scratch a disc (more likely a DVD than a BD) if you're not really careful. I have always removed them and put them into slimline cases to avoid this in the future.
No optical discs should be stored in a way that the playing surface is contact with something.
04-15-14, 12:00 PM
#15
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Stacked Discs
Agreed. I find a lot of multi-disc sets have tight spindles making disc removal hard; the single spindle is actually easy to get them on and off - even if usually it requires taking them all off..
02-09-23, 07:26 PM
#16
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Re: Stacked Discs
If you stack two discs together you will see the inner hub is thicker than the data area. Try it with any discs, hold them together in front of your monitor and look between them. There is a gap. This is why spindles are the most compact method for storing discs, as long as they are clean and not warped, they do not touch. Someone was thinking ahead.
02-13-23, 02:18 PM
#17
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Stacked Discs
It's interesting they never designed Blu-ray with a stacking ring, only CDs and DVDs. The stacking ring was also designed as such for easier separation of stacked discs during the automated manufacturing and printing stage to help prevent discs from sticking to one another.
Last edited by orangerunner; 02-13-23 at 04:43 PM.
02-13-23, 04:11 PM
#18
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Stacked Discs
It's interesting they never designed Blu-ray with a stacking ring, only CDs and DVDs. The stacking was also designed as such for easier separation of stacked discs during the automated manufacturing and printing stage to help prevent discs from sticking to one another.
02-13-23, 08:11 PM
#19
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Stacked Discs
I dislike stacked DVDs because of the risk of scuffing/scratching, I'm anal about the disc surface on my DVDs. I don't mind so much with blu-rays because the disc surface is less prone to damaging.
I had stacked DVDs, I swapped them into a multi-disc case. I have stacked blu-rays, they'll stay as is, I'm not worried so much about them.
I had stacked DVDs, I swapped them into a multi-disc case. I have stacked blu-rays, they'll stay as is, I'm not worried so much about them.
02-14-23, 01:49 PM
#20
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Stacked Discs
I recall buying a used 3-disc set (Feature BR + Special Features BR + DVD) and all three discs were stored in what appeared to be a two-disc case. At a quick glance I thought the set was missing a disc until I released 1 disc was stacked directly on another. Previously companies used the 3-disc case with a flag so you could clearly see all 3 discs when you opened it.
