Anyone else irritated about the way CD's are packaged? For the longest time I have expressed my dissatisfaction to record companies about the way CD discs are sealed for the American market. It's a hassle unwrapping the damn things, and never mind the stickers with impossible to remove glue stuck to many jewel cases. Back twenty plus years ago in Europe I saw the better way CD's were being packaged, and the disparity of common sense in CD packaging between overseas CD packaging and American CD packaging has not changed. It reminds me of so many things in America - that things are done for the convenience of the manufacturer, not for the consumer. I'll extend my grievances with buying CD's in America further by mentioning the way CD's are often shipped here domestically: they are shipped in various packaging, but usually in something that does little to discover that yet another of the CD cases is cracked. I know over many years of CD buying that this has actually got worse in America, not better. With declining sales of music CD's you'd think manufacturers and sellers would do their best to help the buyer - not ostracize them further from buying CD's. I know of the CD's I receive, between 30 and 35% arrive with damage to the jewel case, and I buy from many sellers. Interesting that CD/SACD/etc. discs I buy from Japan (and Hong Kong) rarely arrive with any damage, and they travel much further to reach me. It may sound unfair to some of you, but I find a general lackadaisical, laziness in many aspects of the supplier to their fellow American consumer in many areas - and the aforementioned problems with CD purchasing is but one small area of a much larger problem in this country. I always shake my head at the ethnocentrism I encounter daily in our country, because frankly in many areas in this country we have no reason to be so feeling so superior to others who try harder to please others.
Byegolly - There is some logical explanation, I'm sure. It might be that returning things within 30 days is pretty much a standard in US while it is not very common in Europe. Plastic wrap protects from returning (copied) CD.
Removing plastic wrap is pain, I agree, but it is nothing in comparison to price of CD that should be about $2 and not $15.
I agreed with most of your rant until you mentioned U.S. ethnocentrism. I also hope you feel better now that you have vented, but having lived and worked in foreign countries I can honestly state that ethnocentrism is much bigger problem overseas than it is in the U.S. IMHO
All is lost. The business model is a CD for $4.99 downloaded from the Net. Only downloaded music will be permitted. The President will shortly issue an Executive Order that commands all the US music companies to do away with all packaging materials, compelling them to download. Of course, China will keep shipping 'hard' goods to the US.
hmmm, I've hated CD packaging since the first one I bought. Especially that strip of tape that seals the case and never comes off in one piece (or even 5 pieces)! I agree pretty much with everything the OP says. I too find a high % of broken cases. That said, I've receiving quite a few CD's lately that are in cardboard sleeves, or cardboard fold open cases. Both are an improvement.
If only I knew the age of the people on this forum. I suspect many are younger than I, and yes I am aware that there is ethnocentrism abroad and yes I have lived abroad, but I wholeheartedly DISAGREE that the degree of ethnocentrism displayed outside of the USA is as bad with some tiny exceptions, and often they involved ethnic feelings of superiority and biases, and not the systemic consensus that WE ARE #1 IN YOUR FACE 356/24/7 as in US of A. We can agree to disagree, and to those who think downloading of music and h/d storage is the future (already is in many quarters) of music sales - I AGREE but still buy hard media anyway because I'm a dinosaur.
I run a pair of scissors up the strip of tape on the edge, split it up the middle. It cuts the wrap and tape in one move and the tape peels off easily.
and it only took me several years to figure this out!
Well, Byegolly, I agree with you 100%. Just today I received a 4-disc set, and the case was destroyed! BTW, this is not the Audio Asylum, and so it is fair game for anyone to express an opinion. Personally, I think anyone who is into vinyl is nuts, but I wouldn't condemn them for that "quirck". Do you guys feel better now that you've done your whining, too?
I never understood the tape on the jewel case. It's only on the top and the jewel case can be opened without removing it. If it's an anti-theft measure it doesn't work.
I've always had way more issues with the user unfriendly packaging of CDs than I do with the sound quality. As a corollary, if I could convert all my records magically to digital in one fell swoop, I would still keep the records mainly for the packaging, artwork, etc. even though I would probably never play another record.
Yes, the tape leaving residue on the jewel case to pick up lint and dirt totally sucks, some come off real easy leaving no residue, others are just a dirty sticky PITA. Just buy the vinyl!
Now, more importantly, why is that Californians get the super high powered Prius model that the brakes cant even slow down, right up to top speed. I'm so envious, I cant even get my flashed 545 to overpower the brakes. Dang Californians, a pox on y'all, ya cant even find Neutral without a 911 call.....;-]
Elizabeth where I hail from, the only cell call you can make in your car legally is 911. I have to assume it's the same in Cali, and this thing is just an excusae to use the phone.?
Elizabeth. Shame on you for revealing your sectional prejudice. That bill of rights that protects us all, and provides the same rights to the immigrant, was the work of that slave owning Virginian, Thomas Jefferson. On occasion, when I go to the NorthEast, I have to "prove" that I am worthy of respect (being an ignorant Southerner). At least I can point out that my ancestor (who lived in Boston, by the way) signed the Declaration of Independence. Most of those whom I have met who do the complaining are recent immigrants who received the right to complain as a gift. Read a bit more History and you will feel a lot better about what we have here.
My OP went beyond my beef - the falling customer service and Costco buy big or get outta my face mentality in US of A.
Don't pull Humanities 101 on me Elizabeth. I lost plenty of relatives to fascism. I'm also a vet who has seen the good and the really ugly of GI's up close.
If some think not speaking-up about what bugs one is AOK, go ahead and crawl along settling for mediocrity.
I speak my mind. Those who can't take it - bugger off.
" later that night come and burn your house down... THATS 'Southern Hospitality" Do provide me with examples and I will have the attorney general of said state, and/or the attorney general of the USA investigate the matter. Lies simply do not help anybody.
Judging from many of the snarky repartee's (mine included) to other's posts, I see I really don't have to know the age of the forum posters here, 'cause I can reasonable assume that many of us are no spring chickens with our little not so pretty axes to grind in our wind downs in the daily grinds of our lives. At least we provide entertainment for the 20 & 30-somethings of what to look forward to when as they age.
OK, I stand corrected it's "only" 12 sentences making up one paragraph - I guess that's much better (roll eyes).
With your incessant whining about age, I figured in "your day" they taught you how to convey thoughts in reasonably grammatically correct form so that they'd make "some" sense to the reader rather than try to decipher some aimless rambling.
If that's "speaking your mind", I wouldn't advertise. Just sayin.....
So I'm driving to California now with my sticky CD's on hand. Keeping an eye out for blindingly fast Priuses (only so I can tuck in behind them and make good time.) Anything else I should look out for?
Wow, some angry people here. BTW, I am from the South, all my life. Never known anyone who had their house burned down. Never known anyone who burned a house down. Used to kind of like you Elizabeth, not so sure now.
I always take the tape off by unhinging the opposite side, opening up the case, twisting the cover free of the tape, pulling the other half of the tape off, then reattaching the hinges. Super easy, super quick, still some sticky residue, but not too bad.
Buy one of these EZ-CD Opener, works great. (Use the tool on the bottom edge of the wrapper instead of the top so you can remove the entire security seal.)
As for removing the security seal,... pull the bottom hinge of the cover of the Jewel case off of the back support pin, hinge the door at the seal and it will peal right off with ease. Just reattach the door when seal has been removed. Jim
No one seems to have mentioned that CD packaging prevents removal of a CD from the case by shoplifters - not to mention raising the price of the CD itself.
Merchandise packaging changes as much as anything are a reaction to theft loses by retailers.
Andrewscag's suggestion is right on: if you open the side of the box opposite the tape, and twist and pull on the two sides of the case a bit, the tape almost always comes off easily in one piece. Do try it! When a friend told me about this, it changed my life: I used to be a curmudgeon of digital, cursing every region of the country (including the one in which I lived) while picking haplessly at the jewel case tape with all manner of dangerously sharp household instruments. Now, people stop me on the street to ask me what I'm smiling about. The jewel case tape, I say, the jewel case tape! :) John
IMHO it is a very valid post on what is a after all a hi-fi forum, if I am not mistaken of course. There are various post's on these boards that are not related with hi-fi, such as; bikes, watches, alcoholic beverages, vehicles, what you ate for breakfast, how many times do you go potty etc etc, to name but a few.
No one seems to have mentioned that CD packaging prevents removal of a CD from the case by shoplifters - not to mention raising the price of the CD itself.
Merchandise packaging changes as much as anything are a reaction to theft loses by retailers.
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