Does anyone have any tips on removing the shrinkwrap that all too often gets sort of fused to the spine of DVD cases? I think I may have seen a thread regarding this before, but I can't seem to find it.

I also would like to know how to do that! I'd also like to know why it sticks like that.

I try to get as much off as I can. Then, if there's any left (there always is), I get a sharp knife. Now, this is the hard part. As carefully as I can, I try to slide the tip of the knife underneath of the plastic and lift it off. But you have to be really careful not to cough or sneeze while you're doing it and slice the plastic of the case.

I always keep a bunch of empty cases for cases like these. Even if you get most of it all, you can still see bits and pieces of it in random areas.

Shrinkwrap on the spine is really an unnecessary mistake by the manufacturers.

They will often put the cases into the machine backwards and they get heat-sealed across the spine melting the shrinkwrap to the clear plastic sleeve of the case.

They should place it in the machine so it seals across the opening of the case.

I hate it when that happens... so annoying... I just use goo gone though and it takes it right off...
Goo gone is a life saver when it comes to an sticky stuff on DVDs or cases!

If it is a mistake, it's one Fox/MGM/Warner has been making on every single release for the past five years.

It's an annoying practice, but not enough to get me to replace the cases (and I'm pretty darn OCD about my cases). I also use Goo Gone, then peel as much off as I can. It's not an exact science, but I've gotten fairly proficient at it. I've been known to waste a good 20+ minutes scraping that crap from the spines of a single case.

My guess is it's some kind of anti-fraud measure on the part of the studios to prevent crafty people from carefully removing the shrink-wrap, watching the disc, then trying to reseal it and return it to the store. That's the only explanation I can think of, as it's damn near impossible to remove the plasticwrap without tearing it to shreds.

This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves. I usually just replace the case as well. I usually have 40 on hand at all times just for this reason. 10 for 4.99 at fry's is not bad at all. Ive already replaced over 400 dvds with sticky stuff or tear marks from used dvds...few more never hurt.

This is extremely annoying, but I don't think I would replace the cases just because of this though.

That's possible. If they've been doing that way for 5 years there's probably a reason for it.

Another one may be that the wrapper works better when it seals over a smooth, consistant surface. Maybe the wrap tends to break when it is sealed over the case opening.

I just found my own technique for this, and am surprised I hadn't tried it before: duct tape. Two mail-order DVD's arrived on Saturday, and one had glue remaining on the case after removing the security label. I typically use duct tape to clean it off. Then I noticed remnants of the shrink wrap on the spine, and again tried the duct tape. It worked great! Duct tape may not work well for all shrink wrap issues, like where heat is applied heavily over a large adjoining area, but it worked great for those little slivers of plastic that are so typical. Worth a try.

Unfortunately some of it is literally melted into the plastic of the sleeve and can't be completely removed without ruining the spine. For the less severe cases I rub it away with a damp warm washcloth. The bumps on the cloth catch on the plastic wrap slivers and help pull it up. Anything too time consuming and I just throw it away and use a replacement case.