New Line: "No more snappers!" Thank-you! (1 Viewer)

[Dave_P.]

Yes, thank you New Line! I always hoped the day would come when I could pull a snapper case off my shelf without the two next to it coming out at the same time (never mind getting it back in!), and this is one step closer to it.

 

[Mike Broadman]

I can never pull a DVD out of my Stanley Kubrick box set because when I try, it takes all the other discs with it. And later when I put it back, it doesn't go in all the way, so I have to take all of them out and re-arrange them. Ugh.

Good riddance.

 

[Joshua Clinard]

Wow. That is great news! Now if only WB would do the same.

 

[soop.spoon]

Awesome.
It was a huge relief when MGM and Image moved away from them, and it pains me to have to buy the latest high-quality Warner discs in such inferior packaging.

Oh well, A small victory for the masses who crave conformity

That may be part of it, but I'd have to guess that the main driving force behind the "masses" is the snapper's lack of durability and awkwardness on the shelf.

 

[Kevin M]

Seem's to me that I have found far more "floaters" in Snappers than in any keepcase (be it alpha/amaray etc.) so I would have to say that in my experience the weakest aspect of the snapper was the hub.
The only keepcase that I can remember finding which had a floater was one of those "pride" cases that universal uses from time to time, the title was The Birds I believe.

 

[Paul Arnette]

I've never once had any problem pulling off the stickers off a snapper case.

I wish I had your luck. Those security stickers have damaged my copies of Doctor Zhivago, The Exorcist, V: The Final Battle, and, most recently, Wolfen.

Generally, I would agree those stickers are easier to remove than their keepcase counterparts, but every now and then I'll get one that is much stickier and it makes it virtually impossible remove without damaging the packaging.

 

[Paul Arnette]

I don't understand why people feel this way at all. I hate buying anything online that comes in a digipack since they almost always arrive with smashed corners. How are these more durable than snappers? At least the tops and bottons of snappers are plastic. Digipack exteriors are ALL cardboard. There's no way the Pulp Fiction digipack is more durable than a typical snapper.

I totally agree with you.

While we may be getting less snapper cases, we definitely seem to be getting more and more of these all cardboard cases, which are just as bad in my opinion.

As an example, Grease, which I expected would be in Paramount's typical sturdy Amaray is another all-cardboard monstrosity. I can deal, but why can't all studios just use keep cases for everything and be done with it?

Is the margin on DVDs so low now that they have to resort to these shoddy cases to make a profit? If so, I guess we're a victim of our own desire for cheap DVDs, though I wonder if push came to shove whether I would willing pay a little more for a sturdy keepcase. I think I might.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

Is the margin on DVDs so low now that they have to resort to these shoddy cases to make a profit?

I would venture to guess that the digipacks cost quite a bit more to produce than amaray cases. Full color printing on numerous sides. Almost always include a booklet and a slip cover.
They offer much more character and freedom of design. I love the digipack design. Citizen Kane is nearly perfect, for one.
--
Oh, and on the sticker issue on keepcases. Do this: take the shrink wap off. Then take a razor blade or box cutter and slice along the opening on all 3 sides. Open the case and the stickers are now cut in two and easily removable. No more fingernail marks in the plastic.

 

[Paul-Gunther]

Seem's to me that I have found far more "floaters" in Snappers than in any keepcase (be it alpha/amaray etc.) so I would have to say that in my experience the weakest aspect of the snapper was the hub.

I agree. I've had several snappers come in the mail with a broken hub and subsequent scratched disc, but I've never had a keepcase come broken.

 

[Patrick McCart]

One thing that no one considers...

Even if WB dropped snappers, what about the titles already released in snappers?

Basically, you'd STILL have to wait for ALL of them to go out of print until a keep case version came out.

 

[Mark_Paul]

To the small ranks of you defending the snapper, I'd like to join your ranks. My Natural Born Killers snapper is very nice indeed, with Micky's glasses embossed. Does every DVD have to come in the same packing? For me, the keep case is bland, having too much in common with the old VHS cases. If the snapper is to go, may it rest in peace.

In fact, come to think of it, the snapper may not be as hated as some people pretend.

 

[Frank Anderson]

900+ DVD's and several season sets on my shelves and not one damn cardboard case to be seen.
Nice and uniform look to them. Click on Spidey or TNG cast to see the list.

 

[Adam Brandner]

Wow, this is good news. I just never understood why the snappers are a different width than the keepcases. It makes for a terrible appearance on my shelf, not to mention the fact that the snappers are almost always difficult to pick up without dragging two other discs of the shelf. Thanks again New Line for listening to the fans. I was already toying with the idea of scanning all my snapper covers, taking the files to Kinko's, and printing new covers with a high quality printer. Then I could slip the covers into new keepcases. The only thing that kept me from doing this was the fact that I'd never be able to stop because all of the Warner companies still release snappers. If Warner follows suit from New Line, then I might just have to undertake this project after all. Of course, I'd be more than happy to buy a new keepcase and cover for each of my snappers if Warner makes them available. I'd say $2 or $3 a piece for something that would be difficult for me to replicate, yet costs the company at most 70 cents to produce sounds fair. I would have to buy like 60 of these, after all. Anyone else with me on this or am I just crazy?

 

[Roger Mathus]

Good news on the New Line decision. I hope Warner is also listening. The snappers just don't cut it.

 

[David Coleman]

Somehow i get the feeling that Warner is gonna retire the snapper by the end of the year. Makes sense seeing as New Line is changing and they are part of Warner. I just get the feeling that Warner will do it quietly. Think the warnings of it are there in the Janet Jackson box. Hey, they listed DTS there so maybe that's a future possibility too!

 

[Dan Kaplan]

Very good news, indeed.
I don't really have a problem with the cardboard -- it does present a nicer look when in good condition (which all of mine still are), but it's absolutely hideous when sharing a shelf with non-snappers. The other thing I dislike is the design of the snap flap, which can be rather difficult to close on some cases. If they wanted something wider and carboard, couldn't they have still gone with a "normal" clasp design instead of that silly wrap-around? I'm also not crazy about how bland all the WB spines are... I'm not sure what the thinking is behind it, but other than Matrix, the WB titles I've got are, without exception, the most boring looking on a shelf.

Quote:

Do you mean conformity or uniformity?
As for all-cardboard cases, I don't see them as being any better than snappers. Same un-liked dimensions and even easier to damage. My X-Men case (replaced with a keepcase yesterday) is already scuffed on all corners, front and back, after being taken off the shelf maybe 4 times for viewing. That's not very durable, in my opinion.
Dan

 

[David Von Pein]

If a snapper could speak, it would reply to this thread ..... GET OFF MY CASE, GUYS!!
Perhaps, just like Charlie Brown's anemic little Christmas tree, all they need is a little love.

 

[David Von Pein]

I want to know who among you snapper-despisers has refused to purchase this outstanding DVD, just because of the cardboard? (Oh, the horrors!) You're missing a good one, kids. (Pretty good-looking graphics, to boot!) ........
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...1.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Well, for those who designed their shelving for a specific height and depth, it'd be nice.

 

[Justin Doring]

This decision is about five years too late. I can't wait to have my Austin Powers III keepcase sitting next to my Austin Powers I and II snappers. :rolleyes
It's bad enough that Warner used the snapper to begin with, but changing to the keepcase midstream is not a good decision either, in my opinion. And digipak is even worse than snappers! Sure it may seem like a good idea with its "artistic freedom" and all, but it's far from practical, as dented corners, fingerprints, and crushed and worn sides attest.