Sony To Introduce Slim DVD Packaging

[Flash Ahhh]

From Studio Brief

Thinner DVD Packaging Coming

In the apparent belief that consumers will buy more movies on DVD if they take up less space on their shelves, Sony Disc Manufacturing said that it has begun using Nexpak's Thinpak DVD cases, which are about half the width of conventional cases, for two Image Entertainment releases. The company said that it expects other DVD producers to follow suit. The thinner cases will also allow video stores to stock more product. Moreover, Shelli Kaiser, director of marketing for Nexpak, told Video Store magazine that the Thinpak cases can be automatically packed by machine, eliminating the current cost of hand packing. "It saves money ... and it speeds the time to market," she said.

I am curious what will happen to spine artwork, photos and fonts etc, with the slimmer cases. I know many times I search for a disk by spine recognition and not necessarily by the title itself. I just 'know" what the spine looks like by font type, color or design and I look for that.

Also I have noticed that newer pressings of episodes of "The Twilight Zone" are in slimmer cases. Perhaps this is a hint of what is to come from Sony.

Stay tuned...

-Flash

Originally posted by Flash Ahhh
From Studio Brief

I am curious what will happen to spine artwork, photos and fonts etc, with the slimmer cases. I know many times I search for a disk by spine recognition and not necessarily by the title itself. I just 'know" what the spine looks like by font type, color or design and I look for that.

Same here, I know my DVD's by the total design of the spine. This is as bad as when great album art got shrunk down to CD size.

[MurDiddlyUrdler]

The Shackleton mini-series from A&E comes in three NexPak min-cases. They're still capable of having distinctive spine art, but I think the artists have to be a little more creative because there's half the space to work with.

And I'm pretty sure they're the same cases that the new Twilight Zone DVDs come in. They're not bad, just a little cheap. A lot of people will like them because they take up much less space.

[Kenshiro 26]

Question

Are the Nexpak Thinpak cases similar to the ones used for Panic Room, Grease and Saturday Night Fever, or are they all plastic?

[MurDiddlyUrdler]

All plastic.

[SilentBob]

Man i'm sick for a few days and new packaging for dvd's are announced. Oh well i found this on the IGN Boards and should be a good idea on what we can expect from the new packaging. I will say now I DON"T LIKE IT.

[MrTony]

Originally posted by Kenshiro 26
Are the Nexpak Thinpak cases similar to the ones used for Panic Room, Grease and Saturday Night Fever, or are they all plastic?

That was my fear at first, but the picture posted by Bob makes it look like they're more durable, although no more attractive. I give it a tentative thumbs up.

[wahlers]

I would prefer that they stay with existing cases, but I will say one thing for the slim case.

The fact that they are thin, and have that hub thingy on the back of the front cover keeps the disc from slipping loose.

I bought all five of the Twilight Zone boxes from my local Media play stores, and out of all 45 discs in those sets, not a single one had any loose discs.

My concern is with inserts no longer being an option with these cases. I suppose they can use the clear cases with the insert material printed on the back of the slips, but I don't like it.

I say, stick to using them for individual volumes of TV Shows, Music Video dvds and children's products (not necessary "Family" products, like Willy Wonka, but "children's" products like Dragon Tales or something).

Oh yeah, and porn.

[The Mobius]

I have to say it before someone else does...
Does this mean I'm going to have to re-buy my collection?

This idea is crazy. Goodbye inserts, let alone booklets.
It'll also make DVDs look cheap and nasty.

Where's the barf smiley when you need it, oh well - :flush:

[limacharliewhiskey]

It is up to each individual studio to decide on what type of case they will use. I'm sure the migration to this case size will take a lot of time, as the current case size has sort of become standardized. I think there will be some resistance to change to this slimline case as a new standard.

I'm sure there must have been some sort of attempt to replace the jewel case for CDs in the music industry at some point, but the jewel case has lasted for 20 years, remaining the dominant design to be used and the size remaining constant, despite attempts of digi-paks and slimline cases used for CD singles.

[tomdkat]

Originally posted by martycoster
This idea is crazy. Goodbye inserts, let alone booklets.
It'll also make DVDs look cheap and nasty.

I guess the Panic Room DVD is a "real world" example of something like this.

Do you guys and gals object to the Panic Room packaging? I don't...

Peace.....

[SilentBob]

Originally posted by tomdkat
I guess the Panic Room DVD is a "real world" example of something like this.

Do you guys and gals object to the Panic Room packaging? I don't...

Peace.....

Me eithe ron the Panic Room casing. . . . . Mine came in a Keep Case from BlockBuster used I wonder if this might have Warner Bros. eye for a change in format. It looks like no inserts will be in the cases but WB already places there chapters sheets on the inside of their snappers. It seems like a possible wise move if WB decided to go that route.

[IKEA_boy]

Originally posted by tomdkat
I guess the Panic Room DVD is a "real world" example of something like this.

Do you guys and gals object to the Panic Room packaging? I don't...

I hate the Panic Room packaging. Especially with the spine that is never parallel with the rest of them.

[UserNameUndecided]

the Thinpak cases can be automatically packed by machine, eliminating the current cost of hand packing. "It saves money ...

Good, maybe they can pass the savings on to the paying customer -- because these really look cheaper.
I think I'm fine with it, as long as all companies don't start using them. I like my normal cases with inserts included just fine.

Originally posted by UserNameUndecided
Good, maybe they can pass the savings on to the paying customer

Like that'll ever happen.

[hamholio]

as if dvds aren't cheap enough already.

i like them for boxsets, i can't imagine having them for stand-alone dvds. . .

[wahlers]

The funny thing is they'll probably start figuring out that a kid with a magnet and baggy pants will be able to steal twice as many discs in slim cases.

Then, they'll start packaging the slim cases shrinkwrapped in large styrofoam bricks to make them larger... hahaha

[Flash Ahhh]

I was trying to find a jpg of those slim Twilight Zone sets, but I can't...

-Flash

[sub780lime]

i have a couple dvds that are in slim cases, but i wonder how this will affect special editions, i love the art on some custom cases and spine usually has something cool on, personally im opposed to this, but mainly for the reason i like the bigger cases

[Scottish Punk]

I would love to see this for box sets. I would love to see Paramount copy the Twilight Zone for there star trek box sets. I would have to see the end design of the regular dvds before I praise this change fully, however. Part of me likes the larger cases with the cool designs. On the other side of the coin, you can fit twice as many dvd's in the same space. That is a very good thing.

[wahlers]

After Twilight Zone and now Futurama, I can certainly see most TV products continuing the trend for TV shows.

It's not any thinner than the fold-out cardboard packaged like Simpsons or X-Files, but is more durable in the long-run.

I wouldn't really mind if the Simpsons changed the format over, since it would still have a slipcase, and on a shelf, you can't tell from the spine which packaging is which, and it won't mess with the "collection look".

But X-Files needs to stay the same to the end (great design people on those sets. )

[Hendrik]

FYI:

....the horse's mouth...

... I don't think I like this...

. . . . . .

[Flash Ahhh]

Thanks for the link.


-Flash

[C Roberts]

Does anyone know if the Thinpak cases are available in any retail stores?

Also, not sure if this has been mentioned, but www.dvdcoverart.com is starting to include covers for the Thinpaks so if you're converting you may not have to cut any of your old covers. You can just stick them in a storage box with any inserts that don't fit.

[NotaNumber]

I recall seeing them for sale on a few websites. I can't seem to find my bookmarks but if you do a search I posted the links to a couple places that sell them.

Here we go!

SleeveTown

and (much cheaper)

US Plastics

How do these cover art guys get around copyright laws?

[SeptGrl80]

I think the DVD cases that are out now are small enough I have plenty of room. Maybe the new format would be good for boxed sets but not for single DVDs

[AlexJS]

Originally posted by Flash Ahhh
I was trying to find a jpg of those slim Twilight Zone sets, but I can't...

Here's Collection 1. I think these were well-done, all that's lost is the bulk - 9 fit in the space of 4 keepcases. Slim cases seem to work great for sets like this. No place for an insert, but I don't remember the TZ inserts being all that special ...

[JasonKurtz]

Are the Family Guy sleeves Thinkpak's, or something even thinner? Cause those look like even less than half the regular size of a dvd case.

They're pretty handy for a box set imho... But there should at least be something seperate within the box for an insert of some sort.