What gives with the movie industry ? These people can't agree on a standard to anything. First it was Betamax vs. VHS; then HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray. And the consumer is always the loser while these guys sit back and let the formats fight it out. When it comes to DVD, nothing makes me as angry as the packaging. I hate the keepcase, it's a piece of garbage ! Half the time you order a DVD and it arrives loose in the box ! It doesn't take a genius to realise they should have chosen the CD-jewel box for DVDs instead. It takes up less space, it protects better, it would hold the DVD better, it is better constructed and proven through decades of use with CDs. And it bloody well looks a lot better too ! The music industry went through this same nonsense when they first shipped CDs, poorly constructed packaging; but they developed a quality standard package the jewel case. The DVD industry still has no standard package, this is stupid !

Yes CDs have never had discs off hubs, broken hubs or non-standardized packaging. Well thought out comparison.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention 13 years after DVD's debut.

CD jewel cases are notoriously easy to crack, snap, break, etc., including the spindle. I much prefer DVD, and especially Blu-ray cases. Discs don't seem to come loose as often as they used to, also.

I've found many more mangled CD jewel cases on retail shelves than I have amarays.

All the keepcase does is take up a " LOT " of space, in case you haven't noticed it's a " LOT " bigger than a DVD, and empty too ! And it's still a cheaply made piece of junk !

I don't know, I like keepcases a " LOT "

In all honesty, why not dump all yours and put them in a binder? Or even convert them to jewel cases if you prefer them?

Not the slim cases. For the most part Blu-ray cases have also come a long way towards using space efficiently.

I agree, the Blu-ray cases are a big improvement over the standard DVD case, also they are all packaged the same, unlike standard DVDs. In the end, I would always choose the CD jewel case. the best software packaging ever developed.

I think the DVD packaging was chosen to give it the same height as a VHS box & differentiate it from CD's. But I agree with you, the packaging is atrocious. The one that always gets me is the type that has indentations for fingers on four corners, but is then encircled all the way around by a plastic ring. Who designed this idiotic concept?

I'm glad I don't buy DVD's anymore.

The other issue the Blu-ray case fixed, by virtue of the liner not extending to the top of the case, is the security sticker destroying said liner. That always pissed me off more than any other issue with DVD cases.

I've had occasional broken hubs, meaning the disc moves around in the case, but I've noticed no damage to any of the affected discs so far.

I've had way more problems with CD jewel cases, which break easily when I drop them (I'm clumsy and these things are slippery, it can't be helped). Usually the thing holding one side to the other breaks and I have to use a rubber band to hold the whole thing together.

But, yeah, for me DVD cases are less fragile than CD jewel cases. There are sturdy CD cases, but not every manufacturer uses them.

The major design flaw with any DVD case, standard or Blu-ray, with the exception of the DVD Steelcase, is that there's no hinge. After enough use, the two halves will simply break apart.

I will say, and this is true for CD's, DVD's or any other disc media: I'm no fan of digipack trays. When those hubs become damaged, there is no easy fix. They're attached directly to the rest of the package, so you can't just switch everything over to a new case. I prefer my cases be interchangeable, so that if there's a problem I can replace it easily without affecting the rest of the contents.

Has that actually happened? I've never had that happen to any of my DVDs.

Not only has it never happened to me, I've never heard of it happening to anyone.

Ok, I thought you might be serious after the first few posts, but now you're just being silly.

I've never had it happen to my standard cases, but the one Steelbook I own came cracked down the hinge of the spine. I couldn't see it until I opened it. FYE wouldn't exchange it, even though it was an exclusive of theirs and obviously nothing I could have seen beforehand.

Really ? What happens to a binder after you use it long enough ? it falls apart, why ? no hinge. the plastic breaks down after extended use. Don't believe me, spend some time just opening and closing a DVD case repeatedly.....it will break !

I like tyvek envelopes

And is this what you do with your cases? Just open and close repeatedly? I question whether the plastic breaks down during a reasonable amount of use.

Even steel, if bent enough will break. collapsed bridges for an example, it' called " stress ".

I believe they call that OCD. And I don't think its the problem of the case...

Our first clue should have been the ALL CAPS in the user name; second clue, the silly ambiguous thread title; third clue, the preponderance of exclamation marks.

Shouldn't this topic have originated around 13 years ago?

Hinges are subject to stress as well as friction. I've had plenty of hinges break on CD jewelcases because they're fragile. I've never once, in the 13-year existence of DVD, and a keepcase "hinge" fail on me. Probably because I don't sit around opening and closing them for hours on end in an OCD-fueled attempt to prove their inferiority.

You must not own many Blu-rays. My collection has standard Blu-ray cases, with and without locking tabs, with different styles of hubs; Criterion's custom clear cases, which are thicker; Digibooks; Steelbooks;and Digipaks.