DVD storage -- tell me about using Binders instead of Jewel Cases...

[Pen]

As part of my decluttering, I am trying to deal with DVD storage.

 

They are not really "cluttered" right now, in that they are reasonably organized in their original (most of them) jewel cases. But it takes a lot of space up in a book case.

 

I am thinking of switching to loose leaf storage pages (which I only just learned existed!) kept in a binder. If you have done this, has it worked well for you? Any tips to share? Or have you regretted getting rid of the jewel cases?

 

[aggie96]

We moved all of our DVDs to a binder years ago.  I bought an extra large one made for DVD/CD storage (as opposed to loose page/binder).  It made life so much easier.  Everything is in one place and kept under on the bottom shelf of coffee table so out of sight.  Then, we just grab the case for road trips or to the game room for sleep overs, etc.  I do not miss matching movies to cases, or opening a case with the wrong disc in it.   :)

 

We have a kid/family movie case and an over-18 movie case.

 

Hope that helps.

 

ETA:  Ours is like this: http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Nylon-DVD-Binder-Capacity/dp/B00DIHVMEA/ref=sr_1_5?s=audio-video-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1452791801&sr=1-5&keywords=dvd+binder

 

 

Edited January 14, 2016 by aggie96

[Aiden]

We use binders instead of jewel cases because we have an obscene number of movies, and the jewel cases simply take up too much room. It works well for us. We use sturdy, locking "vaults" instead of traditional binders so that they're more secure during our frequent moves and because the vaults provide better protection from physical damage. We also create digital copies of our movies--for our use only, no selling or giving or transferring anything--and usually watch the movies from those digital copies, keeping the physical disks as backups.

 

On those rare occasions when we have needed to find a physical disk, I have regretted that we did not organize the vaults, or at least that we didn't keep them organized as we added to and deleted from our collection, and that we never made a record of where any particular movie is. (We have 4 vaults, each with a capacity of 200 or so disks--they're not all quite full, but I meant it when I said that we own an obscene number of movies.) When I have time for a time consuming project--in about 20 years--I intend to label each vault with a letter and each slot within the vault with a number, then create a spreadsheet of what movie is in which slot. If you do switch to binders, I suggest you do something similar from the start.

 

 

ETA: This is what we use: http://smile.amazon.com/Vaultz-Locking-Capacity-Accents-VZ01076/dp/B00063E26Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452792709&sr=8-1&keywords=locking+dvd+binder

Edited January 14, 2016 by Aiden

[Spryte]

Love our binders. We throw all jewel cases away immediately.

 

A second vote for coming up with a system for finding them easily though. We made that mistake, too.

[Pen]

We use binders instead of jewel cases because we have an obscene number of movies, and the jewel cases simply take up too much room. It works well for us. We use sturdy, locking "vaults" instead of traditional binders so that they're more secure during our frequent moves and because the vaults provide better protection from physical damage. We also create digital copies of our movies--for our use only, no selling or giving or transferring anything--and usually watch the movies from those digital copies, keeping the physical disks as backups.

 

On those rare occasions when we have needed to find a physical disk, I have regretted that we did not organize the vaults, or at least that we didn't keep them organized as we added to and deleted from our collection, and that we never made a record of where any particular movie is. (We have 4 vaults, each with a capacity of 200 or so disks--they're not all quite full, but I meant it when I said that we own an obscene number of movies.) When I have time for a time consuming project--in about 20 years--I intend to label each vault with a letter and each slot within the vault with a number, then create a spreadsheet of what movie is in which slot. If you do switch to binders, I suggest you do something similar from the start.

 

 

ETA: This is what we use: http://smile.amazon.com/Vaultz-Locking-Capacity-Accents-VZ01076/dp/B00063E26Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452792709&sr=8-1&keywords=locking+dvd+binder

 

 

Thanks.  I am feeling like a dinosaur, but hw do you make digital copies? I think that could help a lot too, to only have the actual disks as back up and not used all the time.

 

I was thinking maybe to use the "looseleaf storage" pockets because maybe movies could be arranged in some logical way and it would not be so hard to insert more if more were added to the collection.

 

What is a logical organization, I wonder? Maybe alphabetical by title? Or to start with also have a genre grouping?

 

We also have a lot, a lot of nonfiction like Great Courses, Connections and art related titles and so on. Plus things like CD roms for educational programs, tax programs, and so on.

 

Thinking ahead to organizing as I do it in first place, rather than wishing I'd organized better afterwards, what do you think might be a good way?

 

I think that some organization that is inherent to the system more than a master list that has to be looked at would help us.

[Aiden]

Thanks.  I am feeling like a dinosaur, but hw do you make digital copies? I think that could help a lot too, to only have the actual disks as back up and not used all the time.

 

I was thinking maybe to use the "looseleaf storage" pockets because maybe movies could be arranged in some logical way and it would not be so hard to insert more if more were added to the collection.

 

What is a logical organization, I wonder? Maybe alphabetical by title? Or to start with also have a genre grouping?

 

We also have a lot, a lot of nonfiction like Great Courses, Connections and art related titles and so on. Plus things like CD roms for educational programs, tax programs, and so on.

 

Thinking ahead to organizing as I do it in first place, rather than wishing I'd organized better afterwards, what do you think might be a good way?

 

I think that some organization that is inherent to the system more than a master list that has to be looked at would help us.

 

I sent you a PM.

[aggie96]

Thanks.  I am feeling like a dinosaur, but hw do you make digital copies? I think that could help a lot too, to only have the actual disks as back up and not used all the time.

 

I was thinking maybe to use the "looseleaf storage" pockets because maybe movies could be arranged in some logical way and it would not be so hard to insert more if more were added to the collection.

 

What is a logical organization, I wonder? Maybe alphabetical by title? Or to start with also have a genre grouping?

 

We also have a lot, a lot of nonfiction like Great Courses, Connections and art related titles and so on. Plus things like CD roms for educational programs, tax programs, and so on.

 

Thinking ahead to organizing as I do it in first place, rather than wishing I'd organized better afterwards, what do you think might be a good way?

 

I think that some organization that is inherent to the system more than a master list that has to be looked at would help us.

 

I tried to keep a master list, then alphabetical order when no one but me would use the master list (and maintain it).  Neither worked because no one else would use it!  Grrrr...

 

Thus, I resorted to the kid binder and adult binder.  :)

[Pen]

Thanks.

 

I started in, but found it even harder than I thought I would since I tried fiction/nonfiction distinction to start and found myself with things like the Young Indian Jones series which has both fiction and also documentary parts to it.

[Pen]

I tried to keep a master list, then alphabetical order when no one but me would use the master list (and maintain it).  Neither worked because no one else would use it!  Grrrr...

 

Thus, I resorted to the kid binder and adult binder.   :)

 

 

I see how that might help--for example, Indiana Jones could be in kid binder whether fiction or documentary. But I am not sure I actually own anything that kids cannot watch...though some they would want to more than others.

 

I am now thinking maybe to use fairly small binders and have one binder for Great Courses since there are a lot of those and they are clear and distinct.  One binder for other non-fiction. One binder for fiction including any accompanying special features and documentary materials. One binder for CD rom type stuff.  

 

I'm thinking to use 3 ring 1" wide with the loose leaf type inserts, so that would cut the whole collection down to aprox. 9x12x4.5"

 

 

In the ones I did earlier I ended up holding on to the paper inserts and either tucking them into a DVD pocket or maybe I'd 3-hole punch them and put them in the ring binder that way. It feels easier to rid myself of the plastic cases than the paper inserts.

 

6" of lateral DVD space have just consolidated into a few pages of binder inserts, but, WOW, I still have a long way to go. I sure do want to get it "right" the first time and not have to go back and redo it.

[Rebel Yell]

As part of my decluttering, I am trying to deal with DVD storage. They are not really "cluttered" right now, in that they are reasonably organized in their original (most of them) jewel cases. But it takes a lot of space up in a book case. I am thinking of switching to loose leaf storage pages (which I only just learned existed!) kept in a binder. If you have done this, has it worked well for you? Any tips to share? Or have you regretted getting rid of the jewel cases?

 

This is one of the few "cleaning tips" or decluttering things I have done that I have massively regretted.

 

If NOBODY bothers to put the DVD (or CD) back in the case and then on the shelf, NOBODY is going to put it back into the binder, either.

 

I would much rather have DVDs (mostly in cases) floating around than a bunch of DVDs sitting around loose, with the binder "lost" under the couch.

 

Also, a binder is a MASSIVE pain in the @$$ if you keep your DVDs in alphabetical (or any) order and then you add to the collection.

 

If my DVDs and CDs took up too much space, I would get rid of some before I put them in a binder again.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Rebel Yell

[Baseball mom]

Put ours in DVD/CD  binders years ago.  Best thing ever. 

 

I used the smaller zipper binder (holds 100 I think).  I typed up the name of movie and rating on address labels, printed them off and stuck on the sleeve after I put the movies in.  The labels make it easy to know if something has been taken out and not put back in.   I do not put anything in alphabetical order.  Just as I grab them I put them in. 

 

I do separate movies by "categories"  And put numbers on the spine of the cases.  Each binder holds a certain kind of movie.

   

#1 -- cartoon type movies 

#2 -- kids/early teen movies

#3 -- older teen/adult movies

#4 -- horror movies

#5 -- holiday movies

 

To start it off I divided all the movies into piles by movie type (how I was going to put in binder).  Typed up the list for each pile,  Then stuck them in the binder, stuck on sticker, used a shape on the binder, stuck on shelf.  It really didn't take to long.  Then if we get a new movie it goes in the next available spot in whatever binder.  If I can't print a label right then I just write it on a label and stick it on the spot.

 

[Garga]

We have both. For the movies in the binders, we leave a few spaces blank at the end of each letter of the alphabet and we can also add a sheet when needed.

 

As long as all the As are together and the Bs are together, we don't worry that they're in exact order. If you're looking for a movie that starts with an A, it's easy to flip through all the As. If you hit the Bs then you know you don't have that movie. (We're always forgetting what we have.)

 

DH keeps his 700 Doctor Who episodes in their own binder. If I were you, I'd probably separately out documentaries or school courses. I would separate based on how it's marketed, so Young Indiana Jones would be in fiction.

[kbutton]

We do this for music CDs, but have not done it for movies yet. I think we are going to move that way.

 

We do not alphabetize or anything--we file our music by personal preferences. The stuff I listen to most is in one binder, hubby's favorites in another, kid stuff in a third, and so on. We would do movies in a similar way. We might keep some of our TV series in their cases as each case usually holds several DVDs.

 

If you have problems with movies going back to their cases, I agree that no one will put them away in binders either. I think you could work around that in some way though by having a designated area or something. We use something like this for loose CDs until they can be filed--it typically ends up filled with favorites that we use often enough that we don't like putting them away. http://www.amazon.com/HitCar-Holder-Storage-Organizer-Sunshade/dp/B00RL8VD4G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1452832659&sr=8-3&keywords=sun+visor+cd+organizer 

 

 

[Ravin]

All ours are backed up to hard drives and stored out of the way in bins.

 

They get scratched in binders, but that is less of an issue if they are not in frequent physical use.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Ravin

[happi duck]

I couldn't commit to binders for several reasons but while I was researching I found a lot of info online. I think I ended up on some collectors forums.

 

 

Dh found an inexpensive app that lets you scan the barcode and end up with a list of your DVDs. I think it's called "my movies pro".

 

You can also see your collection on a webpage which helps when we're at the used bookstore and can't remember if we already have a certain DVD.

 

You can also print a list which might help for binder organization.

[heartlikealion]

We currently have several dvds in a Merax case. http://www.amazon.com/Capacity-Blu-Ray-Storage-Aluminum-Leather/dp/B008E3EQ14

 

I bought these, but I haven't had time to use them.

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/goodies-120-disc-cd-dvd-storage-box-clear/9752961.p?id=1218185060461

 

They are not sold there anymore, but I have seen them on the container store website.

 

I don't know if this is any better than binders, but just throwing it out there as another option.

[Pen]

All ours are backed up to hard drives and stored out of the way in bins.

 

They get scratched in binders, but that is less of an issue if they are not in frequent physical use.

 

 

Hmmm.   I am not sure I am techy enough to manage the back up to hard drives.

 

Maybe I should leave heavy use DVDs like the Young Indiana Jones group in their cases for more protection.

[Guest]

All our music are in binders. Our movies are in their factory cases, except for a travel case we fill if we travel.

 

The one thing I realized after putting the music in binders is that it is a complete puzzle to me how to then give away/donate the CD if we want to remove it from our collection. Because of this, there is quite a lot (A LOT) of music I have on CDs languishing in those binders, never to see the light of day.

 

I have not done this will movies mainly because of this disadvantage. Without their cases, how do you pass them along? How do you do anything but throw them in the trash? I can't throw away perfectly good movies because I don't have the case anymore. :/

[MomtoCandJ]

I use a photo box and those white cd sleeves to store our DVDs (we keep the original cases in a storage tote shoved in the back of our closet should we decide to sell them).

[Aiden]

All our music are in binders. Our movies are in their factory cases, except for a travel case we fill if we travel.

 

The one thing I realized after putting the music in binders is that it is a complete puzzle to me how to then give away/donate the CD if we want to remove it from our collection. Because of this, there is quite a lot (A LOT) of music I have on CDs languishing in those binders, never to see the light of day.

 

I have not done this will movies mainly because of this disadvantage. Without their cases, how do you pass them along? How do you do anything but throw them in the trash? I can't throw away perfectly good movies because I don't have the case anymore. :/

 

We don't intend to give away or sell any of our DVDs, which is why we didn't keep the original cases or papers. However, if we ever were to give one away, we'd use a plain, clear jewel case. We keep a few on hand for those rare instances when we need to transport a single movie to a movie night away from home. We also keep a couple of smaller zip binders so we can take our daughter's movies on vacation with us, especially when we know we'll be doing a lot of driving and intending to rent a minivan with a DVD player. Yes, those spare jewel cases and binders take up some room, but nowhere near as much as jewel cases for the whole collection.