Peter's experience is the same as mine. I do not remove the CDs from their original cases and store them any other way, I don't store them in a climate controlled environment and like Peter some of my CDs, (I must have at least 15k but I haven't counted them in years), are rarely if ever touched while other ones are played regularly. The first CDs I purchased, (in 1982), still play as well today as they did on day one. Certainly I'll agree with those who will counter that CD players have extremely efficient error correction so that even though the CDs may not be perfect anymore, they will still sound like new. LPs, however, that have been on a shelf for 30+ years will likely have added noise from surface deposits or deterioration, even if they haven't been played.
db
On Monday, March 31, 2014 1:48:06 PM, Peter Hirsch <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I don't have any real opinion on the eventual disappearance of the CD,
>though my vantage point as a library-person would confirm that they are
>still circulated in large numbers, for now at least.
>
>What moves me to comment is the many postings stating how fragile CDs are
>and how important it is to keep the surfaces out of contact with anything
>for fear of damaging the disc.
>
>As some may remember, whenever the discussion of disc storage comes up on
>the list, I have related my personal experience with tossing the jewel
>boxes and using a combination of Tyvek inner sleeve and plastic (I don not
>know its composition) outer sleeve to house the disc with its tray card and
>booklet. I apologize for tiresomely repeating this one more time, but my
>point is that I have not experienced any signs of damage, de-lamination or
>deterioration of ANY of my discs in the close to 20 years that I have have
>stored them this way. I am talking about a few thousand (I really have no
>idea how many that is, but pretty certain it is over 5K)
>
>Am I just lucky, has the fragility factor been overstated or maybe there
>are some additional facets regarding handling and storage that haven't been
>commented on yet. I suppose that the fact that the number of items I have
>may reduce the likelihood of any one disc having to see much action over
>the years, though I have plenty that I do return to on occasion.
>
>Not a criticism or commentary on anyone in particular that has contributed
>so far. Just some thoughts.
>
>Peter Hirsch
>
>
>
>On Mon, Mar 31, 2014 at 11:32 AM, Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
>> The Japanese have a nice compromise design I've seen a few times. It's a
>> "mini-LP cover," but not so small and tight as to crunch the CD as Roger
>> describes. Inside the cardboard jacket is soft inner sleeve, sometimes
>> lined with a fabric and sometimes just a soft plastic like is used for some
>> LP inner sleeves. Sometimes the cardboard jacket is also covered in clear
>> plastic, like most of us do for our LPs.
>>
>> This kind of packaging likely costs $$$, but the Japanese CD market is not
>> commodity-priced like in the US and Europe. With CD price for back-catalog
>> items now down around $5-7 for single discs and $1-4 in reissue many-disc
>> box sets, you get what you pay for as far as protective packaging. Expect
>> even flimsier if oil prices head up again.
>>
>> Regarding Roger's question about libraries and submerging media, I think
>> that will be a problem when the day comes, but there are still billions of
>> CDs manufacturered every year. In theory, I can see everything going
>> "virtual" at some point, but I'm sure not going to predict when the last CD
>> production plant is going to close down!
>>
>> -- Tom Fine
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Kulp" <
>> [log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Monday, March 31, 2014 10:47 AM
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Jewel cases
>>
>>
>> What's the consensus on those "gatefold" cases that are part
>>> plastic,part paper,that have a plastic tray inside for the CD?I don't know
>>> what they are called,but they seem very poorly designed to me.
>>>
>>> The cardboard covers you speak of are no doubt the ones called "mini LP
>>> covers".It can be difficult to get the CDs in and out of these covers.I
>>> think a big attraction of these for labels is they are very cheap to
>>> produce. I know a lot of CD collectors who do not store their CDs in the
>>> original cases,no matter what the design.The discs are all stored in
>>> envelopes with plastic widows and flaps,with the envelopes inside soft
>>> plastic pouches.
>>>
>>> CDs are actually as brittle as LPs,if not moreso.Like styrene 45s,CDs
>>> crack,very easily.Especially when removing the disc from the center hub.I
>>> have seen this too many times.
>>>
>>> Speaking of libraries,what are libraries,especially public
>>> libraries,going to do, when the CD is no longer a mass produced item,but a
>>> high priced niche product for audiophiles and collectors?This is definitely
>>> where all physical media is headed.
>>>
>>> Roger
>>>
>>>
>>> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 23:45:04 +0200
>>>> From: [log in to unmask]
>>>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Jewel cases
>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>
>>>> Agreed
>>>> בתאריך 30/03/14 11:15 PM, ציטוט Tom Fine:
>>>> > The big problem with the original jewel case design was using
>>>> > hard/brittle plastic. All of the librarians on this list know what I'm
>>>> > talking about. The jewel cases don't stand up to hard use like library
>>>> > circulation. The Gaylord cases, made of soft plastic, are much better.
>>>> > However, they are more expensive than commodity-priced jewel cases. I
>>>> > for one do not like cardboard slip-covers for CDs. They don't protect
>>>> > the disc surface well (neither do jewel cases that have been mangled).
>>>> >
>>>> > The SACD-style jewel cases have a more rigorous center-spindle holder,
>>>> > so they are probably less likely to get broken in that place from
>>>> > heavy use. However, they still have brittle plastic hinges, and that
>>>> > is a prime weak spot in the design.
>>>> >
>>>> > I have offered, several times, to do a free seminar for librarians in
>>>> > the local county-wide library system, about proper handling and care
>>>> > of CDs and DVDs. No takers. I guess it's cheaper to replace broken
>>>> > ones (or just keep them in circulation) than to get educated and
>>>> > educate patrons about proper handling. Of course, the record companies
>>>> > did a bad job on this from day 1 by saying CDs were "more robust" than
>>>> > LPs. They're not except in very specific cases like straight-line
>>>> > center-to-edge scratches.
>>>> >
>>>> > With so many titles going out of print on CD, and with budgets tight,
>>>> > libraries should strive to take better care of their media assets, and
>>>> > insist that patrons do, too.
>>>> >
>>>> > -- Tom Fine
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Cheers
>>>> Shai Drori
>>>> Timeless Recordings
>>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>> בברכה,
>>>> שי דרורי
>>>> מומחה לשימור והמרה של אודיו וידאו וסרטים 8-35 ממ.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
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