Warning! Check your DVD spines...

[Rob Roy]

I recently noticed that some DVD's I was getting from DVD Express have cut marks on the spines, most likely from a box knife hap-hazardly slashing through the top of the case when opening. Anyone who has had to sift through boxed toys from Toy's-R-Useless will know what I'm talking about. I went back and checked my collection, and, sure enough, I have others that have been victims of careless employees. Some are small, some go right throught the slipcover on my keep cases and on through the artwork. ARGH!

[Slider]

Have you complained yet? I would, and start telling them that any discs that keep arriving like this will promptly be sent back at their expense. My guess is that the powers that be don't know that this is happening yet and when they find out they'll have talks with the "box openers"

Slider

Umph? I get 98% of my DVDs from DVD Express and have never had one cut up like this. The only problem I have is when the disc loosens up during shipping, getting to me pretty scratched up. SOmebody has to make a better DVD box...Another problem I have is sometimes the little star that holds the disk in place breaks, needless to say that each of those little pesky bastards causes severe scratches on the disk.

[Dominik Pfleghaar]

This is where the oh so much loathed Alpha Case comes in handy.
It holds the disc very tight in its place, and the hub is kinda rigid.
The disc is very easy to remove if you push the two little clasps together while lifting the disc.

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Unca Dom, DDS-088
dominikpfleghaar@netscape.net
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It was a dark and stormy night

[RegniL]

speaking of cases.. i hate trying to get my disc out of the alpha cases.. they piss me off! they are so hard to get out.. and i usually flex the disc to get it out.. i love the amaray cases.. so easy to get out, and very very secure...

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RegniL is Linger Backwards!

[Dominik Pfleghaar]

RegniL,

as I wrote in the above message, all you have to do is to push the two little clasps in the hub together while lifting the disc.
The disc comes out without bending if you do so.
Easy as cake, smooth as foam

Dom

[micahp]

My DVDs appear to have no spines, as was evidenced when I cam home last night to find them cowering in the corner, afraid of my big laserdiscs.


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Resident Me,
Micah P.
Digital Dreams

I hate the Alpha Cases...I allways bend my Disc. Also I was shipped one of those and the freaking thing was broke...completely screwed up the Disc.

[Rock]

Micahp joked:

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My DVDs appear to have no spines, as was evidenced when I cam home last night to find them cowering in the corner, afraid of my big laserdiscs.[/quote]

Aaaaaahahahahahahaha!!!

Micahp, in reading the forum, or any site for that matter, The Rock does not laugh out loud very often (especially when he is all by his lonesome, as he is now), but that absolutely cracked The Rock up. Very clever...you made The Rock cry he was laughing so hard. HA!

Thanks Micahp.


DVDFile.Com Moderator
LucasP@Wabash.edu

[Dominik Pfleghaar]

Ma$ter-V wailed:

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I hate the Alpha Cases...I allways bend my Disc.[/quote]
I wonder if nobody ever reads what I'm writing.

Dom

[clortho]

Dom-

I do, I do!

But to comment on the alphas, those tabs are sometimes very rigid. But I've found that over time they tend to loosen and give more easily. Ultimately though, I prefer the Amarays. Se la vie!

Clortho

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I am the Keymaster
clortho@hotmail.com

[Miggy]

Why are the Bond DVDs that are in the gift set comprised of three different style cases?!

Miggy, the Thief



[This message has been edited by Miggy (edited 01-16-2000).]

[RegniL]

alpha may be better than the old style.. but they are not perfect.. the amarays are just so easy.. just a push, here, and pops out the dvd... the alphas take much more work..

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RegniL is Linger Backwards!

Dominik,

I read your post. When you first get a Disc with the Alpha case...The things are extremely hard to get out. Over Time My Discs that have the Alpha cases have gotten easier to get out.

[Rob Roy]

Ummm...I take it everyone here has checked there spines and nobody else has suffered a sliced case spine? I guess I'm just the unfortunate victim of a mad, one-time employee.

[micahp]

Rob, it happened to me once...Sorry for the joke earlier...

Rock:
I'm am now basking in pride that I made you laugh that hard.

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Resident Me,
Micah P.
Digital Dreams

[Rob Roy]

I thought it was pretty funny micahp!

[gotdvd?]

Originally posted by Dominik Pfleghaar:

Ma$ter-V wailed:

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I hate the Alpha Cases...I allways bend my Disc.

I wonder if nobody ever reads what I'm writing.

Dom

[/quote]


The alpha cases are perfect. Not easy for the disc to come loose during shipping but yet easy enough to take out at home. Gotta love 'em!

The Alpha Cases need a second "lift here" slot so that you actually have something to grab onto while you've got the tabs pushed in. Otherwise, you have lift (and usually bend) using the rim of the holder which it can slip off of easily, and perhaps scatch your disc in the process. I'm still quite afraid of screwing up a disc when taking it out. My fist Alpha Case disc (Usual Suspects MGM) has a nice big scratch from edge to center because I was trying to get a hold of the other side and my thumb slipped. Thankfully it was the P&S side.

I recently got A Bugs Life: CE which uses the cursed Alpha case and one of the Disc 1 tabs was broken, and the Disc was badly scuffed because of it. They guys that helped me when I returned it complained about these damn cases breaking all the time. I guess they've been having some troubles. I won't even mention how this guy took out the disc from this case when he checked my replacement for scratches.

I've had no problems with discs falling out of any stle of case, and right now I almost prefer Snappers, but Amaray is without a doubt the nicest.

Saying an Alpha case is good enough, is like saying P&S is good enough. I want the best damnit!

- DOM

Back to original topic...I found one of mine that was slashed...Aliens...Funny thing was that I got it from DVD express and everyone thinks they are so great.



[This message has been edited by Ma$ter-V (edited 01-25-2000).]

[Rob Roy]

Ma$ter-V: I have bought 98% of my 152 DVD's from DVD Express, and I generally haven't had many problems with them. They once forgot a disc, but sent it out right away. Their website has many errors regarding features, especially when it comes to anamorphic enhancement, but I never rely on one source for that info anyway.

I have a friend who works at DVD Express, and he has seen employees just rip through the boxes in order to work faster. They have had meetings about not destroying the product, so hopefully less DVD's will go out sliced. Total, I have noticed four of my DVD's with cut spines, two went right through the plastic, two are barely noticeable. But I don't pay for damaged goods and I expect them to be in perfect condition when I get them. What would you do if this happened to a snapper case? Cry, kick, scream I guess. I'd cry more that it came in a snapper in the first place but that's another topic...

I made a post about 5 months ago called "The Alpha Case Conspiracy" where I voiced all the same hatred about these cases that I've read above & got the same reply about how we who hate the damn things are stupid and need to learn how to open our minds and use them like all the "smart" monkeys do. Well I did & I can say now that I've looked at them anew that they are............just as bad a design as I first thought.
I have never bought an amaray box that had a loose disc but I have gotten a few alpha cases(in the Alien box set & the Criterion Brazil set) that had loose discs and we all know about the snappers problems. But I have found some cases you can buy at Suncoast at three for $3.00 called Pride cases that hold the discs very tight but pop out safe & sound with your thumb on the hub,but having thrown these things around I can't make the dvd(an old taxi driver) come loose,a good box I say. And as far as just using your fingers on the hubs of the Alpha cases yeah I caught on to that after I ran across my first one on the Hell Night dvd but in my opinion they are still too hard on a pretty delicate disc that a dvd is ,hell I wouldn't treat my CD's this harsh(even with the "two handed" approach that Dominik yelled about 5 months ago.Sorry Dude but I still hate the damn boxes).
Remember.....PRIDE cases....good holder.

[This message has been edited by dougpirana (edited 02-03-2000).]

[This message has been edited by dougpirana (edited 02-05-2000).]

Hey by the way I've never had a dvd from DVD express with the slash marks Rob talks about but I have had the wrong disc in the correct dvd box I had orderd!! What the hell is that about?
Also I got a Straw dogs dvd that had a very nice Amaray type case from holland with Three hubbs to hold the disc rather snug & a "push" button in the center to release it.
Pretty good but rare.

By the way Dominik I'm sorry it was Hendrik not you who told about the "two handed" Alpha box thing.

Uh huh huh sorry

[Dominik Pfleghaar]

Hmmmmmmmmm...

This is sort of on topic . . .

Having successfully completed an epic struggle to find the limited edition "Army of Darkness" set at this late date, I was extremely displeased to discover that the case was the evil "alpha" design. Does anyone know if there are Amaray double disc cases? Or for that matter, *any* double disc cases other than Alpha? If not, does anyone know of an email address for the Amaray producers? I think I found their physical address and phone number (in England?)

Amaray Video Packaging
5 Princewood Road Corby
NN17 4AP
Tel: 01536 267434
Fax: 01536 200873

Are there any Brits in the forum who can help out? Any usefull responses would be greatly appreciated.

BTW, the above address can be found at http://www.applegate.co.uk/plastics/...y/co_22181.htm

Thanks in advance!

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Oh Dear God! It's Getting BIGGER!!!

[Dominik Pfleghaar]

ambushbug,

point your browser to www.amaray.com (sometimes life is easy, isn't it? )
they have an email address listed there in the contacts section: Mr. William Millen, sales@dubois.co.uk

hope this helps!

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Unca Dom, DDS-088
dvdfile.com administrator
dominikpfleghaar@netscape.net

[Hendrik]

"...even with the "two handed" approach that Dominik yelled about 5 months ago..."

1) That warn't Dominik, that wuz me!

2) I NEVER SHOUT!!!

3) I still don't see what the problem is with Alpha cases, I find it not at all difficult to remove a disc from such a case!...

4) I now have a couple of Region 2 two-disc DVD sets(*) that come in a very nifty AMARAY case: these have a hinged insert, holding Disc 1, while Disc 2 sits on the standard hub; the result is a 2-disc case that is exactly the same size and thickness of a standard (single disc) Amaray case (reminds me of 2-disc CD albums, that use the same solution of a hinged insert in a standard-size 'jewel case').

Yup!

! !

(*)"The Planets" (BBC, a UK set) and "The Smell Of Green Papaya" plus "Cyclo" (Arte Video, a French set)

1(Shouting does not necessarily mean caps.Your superior/snotty attitude at those who don't agree with you is what I didn't like "partner"

2({as I said} I went back with an open mind and I still don't like the damn things & I'm not alone "dude"

3({again, as I said} It's not that I find it boggling,I knew how to "operate" the little bastards on the first box I found,I simply don't like them "yup"

Yup

p.s. I said snotty....huh huh......yeah I wasn't very nice on that first post I did a few months back either......snotty...huh huh.....that's cool....huh...(slams a beer,kicks his dog,yell's at the brat to get him another & passes out)



[This message has been edited by dougpirana (edited 02-12-2000).]