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Replacement for Jewel Cases?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the something-more-sturdy-please dept.

PsychoBrat asks: "I'm surrounded by jewel cases at work and at home, and although most of them are still holding together to some extent, a lot of them have either cracked fronts, broken hinges or snapped teeth. Slim cases generally annoy me because I can't tell them apart by looking at their spines, and wallets take too long to sort through. What do you use in place of the standard fragile jewel cases to keep all your discs organized?"

6 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. as cheap as a piece of paper by shack420 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    http://www.papercdcase.com/images/cd.pdf Can knock em out in 30 seconds once you get the hang of it. Good for mailing and scratch protection, maybe not so great for rough environments.

  2. Re:I feel your pain by Calmiche · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Regarding # 2

    I've actually taken this a step farther. I've pieced together a RAID 1 array, using an old computer, stuffed with a high powered power supply and lots of 400 gig harddrives. (They are cheap. Yes, I know there are bigger drives, but I can afford $150 out of a paycheck easier than $400+.) I have about 2 terabytes so far, but I figure that with PCI expansion cards, I can get up to almost 3 terabytes, with fairly secure data, easily. If you want to ommit the redundency, you can hit 6 terrabytes+.

    I've got it hooked up on my LAN, where all my computers in my house can access it. I've ripped about half of my 300+ DVD collection so far using Nero Recode. I've got subtitles, alternate language tracks, and extras.

    Coupled with a couple of fairly simple little sub $300 computers hooked up to my televisions, I've got access to my entire colletion anywhere in the house.

    I've done the same thing with much of my software and CD's. (Daemon tools is your best friend!)

    What's nice about this system is that it's cheap and you can buy in installments. The computer I use is a VERY low end system. All it has to have is the ability to network share. I've got an old Pentium Celeron at 1.0 ghz. Buy one hard drive and you are in business. As you need space, buy more. Hard drives are getting cheaper and more spacious every month.

    I'm going to upgrage systems again and turn my current computer into a second server. Maybe then I'll get the rest of my DVD's ripped.

  3. RAID is the solution. by scum-e-bag · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm in the process of disposing of all my CDs as everything I need is safe on my RAID5 back-up server.

    To find anything just required a quick search function. If the item is an audio CD ripped to FLAC then I que it up, if the item is an data CD then I mount the image file... My storage space has reduced from several large bookshelves full of CDs down to one small box... As for power consumption, I live in a cold sub-zero-celcius environment and any extra heating is welcome!!!

    --
    Does it go on forever?
  4. Re:Better than RAID by Wolfrider · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Interesting. I just created a Vmware virtual ISO/CD Server appliance that will share (21) ISOs as drives E -> Y out of the box. (Linux host and Win2k guest.)

    He could copy all his stuff to HD, run mkisofs, turn off all the CDROMs, and save a bundle on electricity + wear and tear. :)

    --
    .
    == WolfriderV6 == I'm willing to admit that *I just might* be wrong... Are you??
  5. Re:Incredible by iainl · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Not that they need to be Amaray ones. Personally, I prefer Alpha's locking mechanism, as I've had fewer discs pop out in the mail.

    But yes, DVD cases are better than CD cases because the plastic isn't as brittle. They even make them at CD height, for those that don't like the "looks good on a bookshelf" thing.

    --
    "I Know You Are But What Am I?"
  6. ironic solution by yagu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's kind of surprising, but the cost of storage per disc can be less by storing them in a carousel cd-changer than in any shelf designed to hold cds (or any other shelf for that matter). For a long time I had two, both capable of holding 400+ discs. Each player cost less than $250, and for shelves capable of holding that many cds I found those to be typically more expensive. Kind of weird, but true.

    And, even though you may not be playing discs anymore (assuming you tote your music around as mp3 or some other non-cd format), these carousel players typically support display information about each disk (though mine required typing the info in via a keyboard), so you can easily get to specific discs.

    I don't know if these changers are still made, but I'm betting you can find them on ebay for an even better price anyway.