Anyone else think Blu-ray steelbooks aren't as nice as the DVD ones? - Blu-ray Forum

Jonno2009 · 12-04-2009, 09:10 PM

I'm talking only about R1/Canadian steelbooks, i don't know if other countries have cooler looking blu-ray steelbooks.

Anyone agree that Blu-ray steelbooks aren't as awesome as their DVD counterpart? I still love steelbooks no matter what but besides the sometimes different artwork on the cover and back they still all look the same in their presentation. I remember buying DVD steelbooks and they have a shinier finish or embossed letters or whatever.

Like the X-3 steelbook with the embossed claw marks or the Cloverfield one with the kick ass 'broken' finish. Or hell what was cooler than the embossed Autobot and Decepticon logos for the Transformer 1 steelbooks!

I still collect any kind of steelbook available but i just had to share my thoughts on the blu-ray steelbooks! It just feels like they put less effort into the blu-ray ones than the DVD ones.

I still love blu-ray steelbooks since i love special editions of movies i love and it's great to have different artwork in a cool looking case.

I'm not bashing them! Just wondering if anyone else thought that.

Thanks!

TM2-Megatron · 12-04-2009, 09:14 PM

Maybe they should try going back to embossing on some of the releases in Canada... it might be cool. That probably increases the expense to Future Shop, though, and would result in more expensive Steelbooks at retail. When appropriate, though, I"d be willing to pay another dollar or two on the price for an elaborate case like that.

As far as the cover art goes, there've been DVD steelbooks I've seen pictures of that I really liked, and others I didn't. Same for the Blu-Rays... although the steelbook cover art is almost always cooler than the standard release.

jw · 12-04-2009, 09:21 PM

Import them

TM2-Megatron · 12-04-2009, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwbbud

Import them

I've only recently started buying the Steelbook releases in Future Shop... still not sure about bothering with imports. For anything but the UK, wouldn't the primary audio track be something other than english?

And what are the bonus features like on foreign Steelbook releases? If they have less than the North American, I wouldn't want to buy them personally.

tiger_qc · 12-04-2009, 09:53 PM

DVD Steelbooks sucks!
They are too tall, a dead format and worthless.
I just hate the fact that I own so many of them.
I haven't watched a DVD in years and probably will never again.

TM2-Megatron · 12-04-2009, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiger_qc

DVD Steelbooks sucks!
They are too tall, a dead format and worthless.
I just hate the fact that I own so many of them.
I haven't watched a DVD in years and probably will never again.

What about things that aren't realistically possible to make HD transfers of for a Blu-Ray release?

tiger_qc · 12-04-2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TM2-Megatron

What about things that aren't realistically possible to make HD transfers of for a Blu-Ray release?

I'll skip them.
American Beauty, BTTF trilogy and JP trilogy are my biggest want right now, I own the DVDs but wait to get them in blu. (if it ever happens)

I use to visit them at least twice a year but haven't watched any of them in 2 years...

Upscaled DVDs are no match for me.

JudasPainkill3r · 12-04-2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TM2-Megatron

I've only recently started buying the Steelbook releases in Future Shop... still not sure about bothering with imports. For anything but the UK, wouldn't the primary audio track be something other than english?

And what are the bonus features like on foreign Steelbook releases? If they have less than the North American, I wouldn't want to buy them personally.

I'm not sure about DVD SteelBooks if thats what you're reffering to but the primary audio track on foreign Blu Ray SteelBook releases may be set to German if it is a german release, but seriously 2 clicks of a button and its in english. Lots of the German releases even have english menus etc. But i find with some imported SteelBooks that are region free and come with a second disc of bonus features will be region locked. The only releases of SteelBooks that are not really international friendly are many TF1's from France. Really nice SteelBooks but most are region locked with forced subtitles, so even if it only comes with an english audio track it will have french subtitles throughout the movie with no way of getting rid of them.

If you are going to import a SteelBook from overseas, Germany has tons of really good ones where most are region free.

Back to the topic. I think DVD SteelBooks are a waste of time. They're too tall and really not worth anything more than a regular DVD of the film. At least in my opinion.

Jonno2009 · 12-04-2009, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wings of Steel

Back to the topic. I think DVD SteelBooks are a waste of time. They're too tall and really not worth anything more than a regular DVD of the film. At least in my opinion.

Yeah for sure, since switching to blu-rays i can't watch DVDs anymore and i would definitely choose a blu-ray steelbook over a dvd one for sure. But looking at my DVD steelbook collection and my small blu-ray ones i find that the DVD ones were just better produced.

And i don't want to import any. I don't want to double or even triple dip on a movie because it's in a German steelbook. My primary reason to buy a steelbook is if i like the movie.

I have been guilty of double dipping on a couple occasions though. I bought the really kick ass blu-ray edition of Wanted but i just HAD to get the DVD steelbook from futureshop. I gave the DVD discs to a friend and kept the case heh :P

Dwight Schrute · 12-04-2009, 10:17 PM

I think DVD packaging in general was much nicer than Blu-Rays... but it is what's on the disc that counts.

xage · 12-04-2009, 10:22 PM

I think it depends on the movie.

I dont think it looks cool for Ratatouille to have the rat scratchmarked the cover of the steelbook or a dwarf's tiny footprint be the extruded or embossed art for Snow white.

Your opinion is not different from a long outstanding concern by others which is the "Bluray mark on top of bluray steelbook" bruhahaha.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonno2009

I'm talking only about R1/Canadian steelbooks, i don't know if other countries have cooler looking blu-ray steelbooks.

Anyone agree that Blu-ray steelbooks aren't as awesome as their DVD counterpart? I still love steelbooks no matter what but besides the sometimes different artwork on the cover and back they still all look the same in their presentation. I remember buying DVD steelbooks and they have a shinier finish or embossed letters or whatever.

Like the X-3 steelbook with the embossed claw marks or the Cloverfield one with the kick ass 'broken' finish. Or hell what was cooler than the embossed Autobot and Decepticon logos for the Transformer 1 steelbooks!

I still collect any kind of steelbook available but i just had to share my thoughts on the blu-ray steelbooks! It just feels like they put less effort into the blu-ray ones than the DVD ones.

I still love blu-ray steelbooks since i love special editions of movies i love and it's great to have different artwork in a cool looking case.

I'm not bashing them! Just wondering if anyone else thought that.

Thanks!

TM2-Megatron · 12-04-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wings of Steel

I'm not sure about DVD SteelBooks if thats what you're reffering to but the primary audio track on foreign Blu Ray SteelBook releases may be set to German if it is a german release, but seriously 2 clicks of a button and its in english. Lots of the German releases even have english menus etc. But i find with some imported SteelBooks that are region free and come with a second disc of bonus features will be region locked. The only releases of SteelBooks that are not really international friendly are many TF1's from France. Really nice SteelBooks but most are region locked with forced subtitles, so even if it only comes with an english audio track it will have french subtitles throughout the movie with no way of getting rid of them.

If you are going to import a SteelBook from overseas, Germany has tons of really good ones where most are region free.

I play Blu-Rays from my computer, which is connected to my TV via DVI and surround via coaxial S/PDIF. With AnyDVDHD installed, region coding doesn't really matter anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wings of Steel

Back to the topic. I think DVD SteelBooks are a waste of time. They're too tall and really not worth anything more than a regular DVD of the film. At least in my opinion.

Yeah, I"d agree with that. There's an auction for the Cars DVD steelbook I have on eBay right now for $40, and someone has bid on it. If I can sell mine for that, perhaps I'll list it after the current one is over.

GreatGreg · 12-05-2009, 02:46 AM

I think I know what the original poster was asking in this question.

I remember the early DVD SteelBook days and you are right, there were more enhancements than there are now on BD SteelBooks.

My understanding would be that it is due to the current worldwide recession. There is less money to go around into investments like SteelBooks. Extra features like embossing would add to the cost of the SteelBook to produce, but not really add anything to the number of copies being sold (seeing as we buy them anyway!).

But yes, some of the designs from DVD SteelBooks are nicer than the BD SteelBooks, that I can definitely agree.

AML · 12-05-2009, 02:59 AM

I think its still early days for BD steels! Give it some time and im sure we will see more interesting steels.

One examle might be the new Jp T2 V2.0 BD steel that comes with the slip cover, booklet and embosed T2 logo on the cover

Blu Steel · 12-05-2009, 05:00 AM

Sort of agree with titles like Wanted & Departed steels. These DVD steels are way better looking than the the Bluray steels. But otherwise I am happy with most of Bluray steels.

mr. b · 12-05-2009, 05:10 AM

I think overall, dvd SteelBooks have some really nice ones out there, but there are over 1000 dvd SteelBooks worldwide, and something around 200+ blu-ray SteelBooks worldwide (some of which are completely identical from one country to another like T2 for example). The current economy has definitely played a major role in making studios think twice about releasing a dvd or blu-ray SteelBook. I do think that there are some really nice blu-ray SteelBooks from overseas.

I have almost stopped buying dvd SteelBooks, but I still pick them up every now and then. I have been sticking with ones that don't have a blu-ray SteelBook release so that I can make it a hybrid later. Some examples of some really nice looking dvd steelies I have that I want to add the blu-ray disc to are:
Smokin Aces (Germany or Italy)
Bourne Identity (Spain, still need this one to do the trilogy)
Bourne Supremacy (Sweden)
Bourne Ultimatum (US or Belgium)
Reservoir Dogs (Netherlands)
I, Robot (Germany)
King Kong (Sweden)
Passion of the Christ (Sweden)
Underworld I and II (Netherlands)
The Crow (Sweden)
The Machinist (Germany)
White Noise 1 and 2 (Netherlands)
Punisher (Netherlands)
Man on Fire (US)
Boondock Saints (US)

I still like my dvd SteelBook collection, which is around 175 or so. I don't think it'll be growing much, but if it doesn't look like a movie I like is going to get a blu-ray steelbook, and there's a dvd one, then I"ll probably pick it up. I'm also sure that we will be seeing some nice blu ones coming out next year now that they have pretty much blown up in the market. I just hope the market doesn't get flooded with new ones, 'cos it might then be hard to get all the ones I like.

Blu-Boy in BKK · 12-05-2009, 03:41 PM

I used to actually prefer DVD Steelbooks (I thought Blu-ray Steels were too squat and I didn't like the blue banner). I even passed on a Blu-ray IAL for a dvd version (I wasn't watching Blu-rays then) do the words eee orrr come to mind. Now I much prefer Blu-ray Steelbooks, and they look a lot neater in my rack. Just wish we didn't have Jumbo's tho.

Morphine · 12-05-2009, 03:53 PM

BD > DVD, perfect size

sephiroth61787 · 12-05-2009, 06:44 PM

I prefer the finish of the DVD steelbooks...but I still like the Blu-Ray steelbooks.

SethRex · 12-05-2009, 07:33 PM

The sad thing about this, is that you just can't find a decent BluRay Steelbook in America. If a great movie comes out these days, it seems to be a Future Shop Blu-Ray exclusive, and FYE nabs DVD Steelbook exclusivity. But stores like Best Buy, and others, they get exlusives that are anything but Steelbook.

12-04-2009, 09:10 PM	#1
Jonno2009 Special Member Member since:Dec 2009 Location:Montreal, Canada Trading Score:6	Anyone else think Blu-ray steelbooks aren't as nice as the DVD ones? I'm talking only about R1/Canadian steelbooks, i don't know if other countries have cooler looking blu-ray steelbooks. Anyone agree that Blu-ray steelbooks aren't as awesome as their DVD counterpart? I still love steelbooks no matter what but besides the sometimes different artwork on the cover and back they still all look the same in their presentation. I remember buying DVD steelbooks and they have a shinier finish or embossed letters or whatever. Like the X-3 steelbook with the embossed claw marks or the Cloverfield one with the kick ass 'broken' finish. Or hell what was cooler than the embossed Autobot and Decepticon logos for the Transformer 1 steelbooks! I still collect any kind of steelbook available but i just had to share my thoughts on the blu-ray steelbooks! It just feels like they put less effort into the blu-ray ones than the DVD ones. I still love blu-ray steelbooks since i love special editions of movies i love and it's great to have different artwork in a cool looking case. I'm not bashing them! Just wondering if anyone else thought that. Thanks!

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12-04-2009, 09:14 PM	#2
TM2-Megatron Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Dec 2009 Location:Toronto, Canada 4K collection:1394 Blu-ray collection:5564 DVD collection:140 Trading Score:2	Maybe they should try going back to embossing on some of the releases in Canada... it might be cool. That probably increases the expense to Future Shop, though, and would result in more expensive Steelbooks at retail. When appropriate, though, I"d be willing to pay another dollar or two on the price for an elaborate case like that. As far as the cover art goes, there've been DVD steelbooks I've seen pictures of that I really liked, and others I didn't. Same for the Blu-Rays... although the steelbook cover art is almost always cooler than the standard release.

12-04-2009, 09:21 PM	#3
jw Blu-ray Archduke Top contributor Member since:Apr 2007 Location:USA Trading Score:519	Import them

12-04-2009, 09:53 PM	#5
tiger_qc Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Quebec City, Canada Home Theater Gallery:69 4K collection:171 Blu-ray collection:1420 DVD collection:221 Digital collection:86 iTunes collection:73 Trading Score:84	DVD Steelbooks sucks! They are too tall, a dead format and worthless. I just hate the fact that I own so many of them. I haven't watched a DVD in years and probably will never again.

12-04-2009, 10:17 PM	#10
Dwight Schrute Senior Member Member since:Oct 2009 Location:The Schrute Farms Fact: Bears can climb faster than they can run. Trading Score:1	I think DVD packaging in general was much nicer than Blu-Rays... but it is what's on the disc that counts.

12-05-2009, 02:46 AM	#13
GreatGreg Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Oct 2009 Location:Canada Blu-ray collection:- Trading Score:21	I think I know what the original poster was asking in this question. I remember the early DVD SteelBook days and you are right, there were more enhancements than there are now on BD SteelBooks. My understanding would be that it is due to the current worldwide recession. There is less money to go around into investments like SteelBooks. Extra features like embossing would add to the cost of the SteelBook to produce, but not really add anything to the number of copies being sold (seeing as we buy them anyway!). But yes, some of the designs from DVD SteelBooks are nicer than the BD SteelBooks, that I can definitely agree.

12-05-2009, 02:59 AM	#14
AML Active Member Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Yokohama, Japan Blu-ray collection:194 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:8	I think its still early days for BD steels! Give it some time and im sure we will see more interesting steels. One examle might be the new Jp T2 V2.0 BD steel that comes with the slip cover, booklet and embosed T2 logo on the cover

12-05-2009, 05:00 AM	#15
Blu Steel Senior Member Member since:Jan 2009 Location:SteelBooks™ # 1000 4K collection:141 Blu-ray collection:1274 Digital collection:455 Trading Score:55	Sort of agree with titles like Wanted & Departed steels. These DVD steels are way better looking than the the Bluray steels. But otherwise I am happy with most of Bluray steels.

12-05-2009, 05:10 AM	#16
mr. b Special Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Texas 4K collection:41 Blu-ray collection:839 Digital collection:142 Trading Score:32	I think overall, dvd SteelBooks have some really nice ones out there, but there are over 1000 dvd SteelBooks worldwide, and something around 200+ blu-ray SteelBooks worldwide (some of which are completely identical from one country to another like T2 for example). The current economy has definitely played a major role in making studios think twice about releasing a dvd or blu-ray SteelBook. I do think that there are some really nice blu-ray SteelBooks from overseas. I have almost stopped buying dvd SteelBooks, but I still pick them up every now and then. I have been sticking with ones that don't have a blu-ray SteelBook release so that I can make it a hybrid later. Some examples of some really nice looking dvd steelies I have that I want to add the blu-ray disc to are: Smokin Aces (Germany or Italy) Bourne Identity (Spain, still need this one to do the trilogy) Bourne Supremacy (Sweden) Bourne Ultimatum (US or Belgium) Reservoir Dogs (Netherlands) I, Robot (Germany) King Kong (Sweden) Passion of the Christ (Sweden) Underworld I and II (Netherlands) The Crow (Sweden) The Machinist (Germany) White Noise 1 and 2 (Netherlands) Punisher (Netherlands) Man on Fire (US) Boondock Saints (US) I still like my dvd SteelBook collection, which is around 175 or so. I don't think it'll be growing much, but if it doesn't look like a movie I like is going to get a blu-ray steelbook, and there's a dvd one, then I"ll probably pick it up. I'm also sure that we will be seeing some nice blu ones coming out next year now that they have pretty much blown up in the market. I just hope the market doesn't get flooded with new ones, 'cos it might then be hard to get all the ones I like.

12-05-2009, 03:41 PM	#17
Blu-Boy in BKK Blu-ray Guru Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Staines-upon-Thames: UK Blu-ray collection:427 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:11	I used to actually prefer DVD Steelbooks (I thought Blu-ray Steels were too squat and I didn't like the blue banner). I even passed on a Blu-ray IAL for a dvd version (I wasn't watching Blu-rays then) do the words eee orrr come to mind. Now I much prefer Blu-ray Steelbooks, and they look a lot neater in my rack. Just wish we didn't have Jumbo's tho.

12-05-2009, 03:53 PM	#18
Morphine Blu-ray Guru Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Lake Mary, FL Steelbooks™: 100+ Blu-ray collection:298 Trading Score:15	BD > DVD, perfect size

12-05-2009, 06:44 PM	#19
sephiroth61787 Special Member Member since:Oct 2007 Blu-ray collection:94 Trading Score:43	I prefer the finish of the DVD steelbooks...but I still like the Blu-Ray steelbooks.

12-05-2009, 07:33 PM	#20
SethRex Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jan 2009 4K collection:6 Blu-ray collection:7 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews: 6 Trading Score:127	The sad thing about this, is that you just can't find a decent BluRay Steelbook in America. If a great movie comes out these days, it seems to be a Future Shop Blu-Ray exclusive, and FYE nabs DVD Steelbook exclusivity. But stores like Best Buy, and others, they get exlusives that are anything but Steelbook.

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