Argh! frustrating DVD packaging makes messes of things

Stupid tape seals on DVD keep cases

from JoeUser Forums

I don't know who the genius is that decided that the tape seals on DVD packages doesn't have to, nor even should come off cleanly but I'd like to take that individual out behind the wood shed and beat the livin' tar outta 'em.

I bought a DVD package tonite, went to open it, and of course ran into the tape seals from hades.  The stuff just won't come off.  Rather than peeling away cleanly ala "Post It Note" type, this stuff just won't peel off cleanly.  The plastic tape peels partially away leaving a gummed up sticky mess that then wants to stick to anything and everything it touches.

This wasn't the case in the past, but over the last few years apparently the DVD manufacturers, or perhaps the stores that carry the products that don't want customers ripping them off, have changed the seals that they use and the new stuff is just plain awful.  I'm not a complete neat freak, but I'd like to keep my DVD keep cases clean and neat.  I don't want the plastic scarred up to the point of being unreadable.  Part of what I am paying for is the packaging so darn it, give me clean packaging after I remove the shrink wrap or other plastic wrap.

A pox on the house of those involved please.

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1,386 views 5 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
This stuff is almost bad enough to make me want to buy a new batch of keep cases (if only I could send the bill for them back to the idiots that packaged the original materials to begin with!)
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
First you have to dig at the wrapper to get it off. Then you have peel the tape seal shred by shred.

That's not all, though.

Then there's another tape seal on the bottom to peel through, piece by sticky piece.

Wait, there's more!

Then you have those little clippy things on the side and you don't realize it and keep trying to open the damned DVD and it won't even budge.

I'm with you, terpfan.
Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

Texas Wahine said:

Then you have those little clippy things on the side and you don't realize it and keep trying to open the damned DVD and it won't even budge.

heh.  I'm there with you on those too.  On the one hand I like that the keep case is designed to keep from flying open, but on the other hand, if I don't know those clips are there, I'm gonna look foolish trying to open the case.

I'd really like to see DVD cases switched to something more environmentally friendly though, and also more storage space friendly.  I hate the wasteful nature of the current keep cases.  They're almost twice as tall as they need to be, and at least twice as thick as they need to be.  Most movies don't come with anything inside, or just a quick chapter list or something similar.  There's cover art on the case, but it doesn't need to be that tall either.  Just make the packages smaller and more environmentally friendly all around.  Use the ultra thin type that are used for some CDs and use some shrink wrap or similar plastic wrap to keep the thing sealed.  

Ooops, that can't be done because the retailers have to slide in the little magnetic sensor that is used by their inventory control system (i.e., theft detection) and those won't fit into the smaller cases, or so believe the retailers.

Again, I call b.s. on that stuff.  With RFID technology and similar technology there are flatter inventory control system tags, about the size of a 1.5 x 1.5 inch square sticker.  I've seen them used.  Put that on a corner of the case.  Make it useful even by putting the price tag over it.  Use the rest of the case for pretty art work, or whatever.  But for gosh sakes, stop wasting space on store shelves, and in my home for the bigger cases when smaller ones would work and let me squeeze almost 2 or 3 times (if not more) the number of movies into the same physical space.

Just my $0.02

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
You can use rubbing alchohol or goo gone to get rid of the stickiness. Not that you should have to but you can. Or you can sprinkle baby powder on it.

You know what I think is the worst are kids toys that have all those stupid wires tying them in. They want to play with their new toy now and it seems to take forever plus a box cutter to get the dang things out of the packages.

Packaging - who thinks up this stuff?
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
They want to play with their new toy now and it seems to take forever plus a box cutter to get the dang things out of the packages.


Vacuum packed plactic that's razor sharp when you cut it...then the toy is strapped to a sheet of plywood with 100 cords of death, like the toy committed some awful crime...whatever happened to the days of a regular box?

DVD and similar cases are always horrible....that shrink wrap is irriating and in the stores around here there are usually 3 antitheft tape band things on all sides of the case. They don't leave much of a residue, though...either that or I haven't noticed, been awhile since I bought a DVD, actually. I just start opening the case and that usually breaks the tape and you can peel it off from there.

~Zoo