The compact disc (CD) was originally introduced to the world in 1982 and, since that switch to the 12 cm wide (standard size) disc, there have been numerous formats released in the same size and shape.  CD’s, DVD’s, Blu-Ray and HD DVDs, a multitude of computer writable discs, plus video games for consoles like the XBOX, XBOX360, Playstation 3, Wii, etc., have taken over and it seems this format will be here for many years to come.  Even though most of us didn’t purchase or begin collecting these optical discs until the mid-90’s, we all have a collection of some sort.

Organizing this collection of digital data and keeping track of what we have becomes more and more difficult as time goes on.  Storage cabinets, boxes, shelving units, entertainment centers and other furniture options are available at every store from Walgreens to Ikea and everyone has owned a few in hopes of keeping their collection organized, accessible and visually appealing.  No matter what you have to hold your data, it is most likely a temporary solution, as you’ll soon be purchasing that latest album, movie or video game.

What do we do next?

There are several options available to the TV, movie, music and game lovers of the world, but before we jump into the details, let’s take a look at the specifics of what we need to organize:

• The discs themselves – they need a home that will protect them from the elements and their worst enemy… scratches.
• The cases and artwork – depending on who you are and how “particular” you are about your collection, you might be concerned about the packaging of these discs as well.
• The contents of your collection – no matter how you store the physical discs, you’ll need a way to store the names of all of your individual titles.  At some point, you won’t be able to remember what all you have.
• New items – no matter what solution you decide on, you’ll need to be able to easily update the collection with new physical media and keep your list of titles updated.

Digitizing Your Media

If you are a techie type and really want to get organized, you can always convert your physical collection into a digital one.  Other than a familiarity with computers, there are several hurdles to this plan-of-attack that you should consider before jumping.

1. Storage – converting DVD’s, CD’s, etc. means you’ll need space for them all.  DVD’s can go over 4GB each and Blu-Rays as much as 25GB.  Of course you can shrink those file sizes, but that comes at a price.
2. Equipment – chances are you already have a computer, but do you have one that is powerful enough to rip through DVD’s?  Do you have a Blu-Ray reader on your PC?
3. Software – there are hundreds of programs out there that will help you “backup” your collection, but they each come with a price and their own limitations.  For instance, iTunes can help you back up your music collection, but you’ll find it incredibly difficult to back up your movies, not to mention time consuming.
4. Quality – Making backup copes of your media to a hard drive or storage device means you will probably need to compress the files.  Doing so can have a negative impact on the sound and/or picture quality and chances are you didn’t buy a Blu-Ray player to watch movies at a lower quality.
5. Types of Media – Assuming you get past the other issues listed above, you’ll still have one major hurdle.  Certain media types cannot legally be “backed up” or digitized.  The biggest limitation will be games for the major consoles.
6. Time – Converting hundreds or even thousands of discs could take months.

Benefits of converting your collection include easy access, limited physical space requirements (since you can now toss or store your physical media), and minimized risk of loss.  You could even free up some valuable storage space by simply backing up those older formats, like CD and DVD.  Keep your Blu-Ray discs and games in a physical storage device until technology advancements make it a little more feasible to convert them.

Verdict: It’s just not worth the hassle.

Physical Storage with Digital Cataloging

It may seem a little dated, but storing all of these discs for easy access is the least expensive route and will save you hours and hours of your valuable time.  There are several options out there, but I am going to focus on the solution I implemented.

Part 1: Storing the Physical Media

I received a discgear storage solution for Christmas last year and, at first, thought it was something I wouldn’t use.  As it turns out, this was one of the best gifts I ever received.  My Selector 120 HD (shown below) is now home to the majority of my movie collection.

Selector 120HD

My movies are kept secure, protected from scratches and, thanks to the slide out Disc Index, I know exactly what movies I have and which slot they are located in.  Software included with the unit made it easy for me to type in the names of my movies, print out a listing and insert it in the slide-out drawer located below the discs.

My Selector 120HD - Filled With Movies

The artwork that originally came in the case for each of my movies has been added to the provided book (shown below) so that I can flip through my collection visually and decide what I want to watch.

Provided Cover Book for Selector 120HD

CONS: Although this system is great, there are some downfalls that you should be aware of before you get started:

• Size – you can only put 120 movies in the holder before you’ll need more space or another holder from discgear.
• Time – I spent about 5 hours on this project, from start to finish.  Who knew it would take that long?
• Titles – There is no database or list for entering the movie titles.  You’ll have to type them all out yourself.
• Updating – I put my movies in alphabetical order (for easy location).  That’s great until I want to add a new movie to the holder.  Then I’ll have to reprint my listing and move the covers around in the book.

Verdict: At a price tag of $69.95 (unless you catch it on sale over at QVC.com – last price was $54.75) this storage unit is well worth the price.  I would have spent so much more on software and storage if I went the digital route.  Also, the Selector 120HD is attractive (leather finish) and makes a great conversation piece.  Anyone can walk up to the holder, find a movie quickly and get the disc in hand without training or technical skills.

UPDATE (posted 3-09-2011 @ 9:30am) – QVC apparently stopped carrying the Selector 120HD, but I just located another website, with a lower price.  Check out CSN Stores, where you can pick up this unit for $47.99 + shipping (a flat $7.95).  That’s about $15 off the retail price.  If you find it cheaper, be sure to leave us all a link in the comments below.

Part 2: Digital Cataloging

Because all of my movies would not fit in the Selector 120HD and I still have another 100+, including Blu-Ray discs (kept separately), and box sets (that I wanted to keep in the box they came in), my collection is still all over the place.  I need a way to catalog my list of titles, both for easy referencing and location.  After all, once I figure out if I own the movie, where do I go to get it.

There are several software solutions online that meet these requirements, but I will be going with Movie Collector from collectorz.com.  That’s right, I WILL be going with this software.  This is something that I have been putting off and now it is time to tackle it head on.

Movie Collector from Collectorz.com

Once I have my collection of movies entered and ready to reference I’ll follow up with a review of this handy software.

Tags: blu-ray, catalog, CD, collectorz, disc, discgear, discs, disk, dvd, holder, iTunes, media, moie, movie collector, Music, playstion 3, PS3, Storage, Wii, XBOX, XBOX 360

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 10th, 2010 at 11:31 am and is filed under Gaming, Online Shopping, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.