I've notice as of late that most 2010 blu-rays and some standard dvd cases have these "recycled arrow circles" and "circular wedges" cutouts behind the disc holder plastic.

Is this A) to save on plastic?
B) some subliminal way of telling us to "recycle" these cases
C) Make them more flimsy or save on weight for shipping?

These new fangled cases seem more flimsy when one initially handles them.

Any opinions on this?

Yes (See below answer to C)
It's more likely that they want the consumer to think that the distributor cares for the environment. They could care less what we do with the case after we've handed over our money.
Absolutely a cost-cutting measure.

I found out these dvd's with the cut outs are "eco-cases" see link here:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk-co...co-covers.html

yes, the eco-cases....

very flimsy crap, but cost effective for the distributors as it cuts down on about 30% of the plastic.

I think there was a thread about this on here somewhere. Lately I've noticed variants in the eco-cases. Now like two holes will be filled up on top of the circle or recycle symbol although very thinly. I don't like it one bit but I am not replacing all of these. Seems everything comes with them now. I believe some video games are doing this now. Don't forget lame box set packaging that scratches the disc like cardboard "sleeves". I wanted the complete "Andy Griffith Show" , The Flintstones", heck maybe even "The Brady Bunch" but all of them have terrible packaging.

I wish companies would just stop this! Maybe if we all complain it will stop?

it will only stop if a) everyone complains b) nobody purchases anymore and c) its made clear that the complaints are related to the lack of purchases.

It's like cap and trade.

Since they're including those useless digital copies in most releases, they're taking plastic out of the cases to make up for them.

I hate eco-case style packaging. I support the environment. I do. But I want my movies to feel nice and safe in decent plastic cases...

My resolve to buy a title will drop significantly if I find it to be in an eco-case.

I have found that virtually all new releases are in eco-cases. But, then I convert them all to thinpaks anyway, so heck with them! I'd be happier if they'd start giving us everything in thinpaks and just do away with their regular size eco-cases.

Somewhere around 2500-2800. But I get your point, this is becoming a problem with catalog releases. I am going to be getting some replacement cases soon when I buy a bunch of $1 titles for the DVD2Blu program. This will allow a certain amount of eco purchases. Of course they will all go in the trash which kind of defeats the purpose.

You could recycle them.

I really don't like these kinds of cases. They're so flimsy and fragile. If I get one more, I don't know what I'm going to do. Even though they're really cheap, I'm getting tired of having to spend even more money in addition to the cost of the movie to get proper, real cases.

Okay this was weird ... I just got Die Hard Ultimate Collection in the mail today. Each 2-disc film is in a thinpack case. But they're Eco cases!!! I have never seen thin eco cases before. How stupid! Eco cases will soon be on 100% of everything. DVDs, Blu-rays, video games, anything in a plastic case.

Me no like!

And they whine about how media sales are slipping...

Instead of throwing these cases away, why not mail them to the movie studios?

Good idea. I've replaced every eco-case I've bought and just thrown them away in protest. But maybe I'll take a dump in them and send them back to the studio. Might send a better message.

I mean, seriously, its like cutting holes in a book cover to save trees. Its retarded.

My favorite is when I get a title in an eco-case with a slip cover. Seams kinda counterproductive...

I hated them at first, but now I'm used to them. Prefer the ones with the straight-up holes to the ones that "use less plastic", which always seem to be a little warped.

First time I ran into those was in the Bruce Lee Ultimate Collection that 20th Century Fox put out on DVD.

Bad surprise

Just recently, I grabbed a stack of a few dvds and blu-rays off of a stack to put them somewhere else, something I've done a hundred time, and heard a sickening crunch. Luckily, it was just that the latching wasn't closed all the way. But even when I grab one of these eco-cases, I don't grab them any harder than normal, but they're so thin that even the lightest grip flattens down way too fast. I get really scared that the disc will get scratched, or worse, get snapped. I've had that happen to cds in the past, and they're in thick plastic cases. Eco-cases are a bad idea. They're flimsy, unstable, and weak. I hate them only slightly more than the little tabs that are sometimes found on the sides of dvds or over the finger dents that help you open the case of blu-rays.