Transporting media collection for an overseas move

[mande2013]

Hello all:

It looks like I’ll possibly be moving back to the US from Europe in the next year to year and a half. Transporting my Blu-rays and books are my main concern. I have no furniture to transport but will maybe bring back a few minor pieces of cookware. I understand things like books and Blu-rays are the sorts of things people are encouraged to offload during an overseas move but I’d rather not part with all those 4Ks and Criterions along with discs from Carlotta, Arrow, Radiance et al if possible. I have plenty of books I’d rather not part with, as well.

According to this site, my collection is at around the 300 mark, and there probably are at least a few dozen I could leave behind.

This is all just to ask if anyone has advice on how to transport a media collection this size across an ocean. Granted, some people on here have much bigger Blu-ray collections than I do, but a few hundred is still a lot to transport.

Also, is it worth bringing back my Panasonic UB450 with me? I only ask because it’s a Europe-only model, and I’m afraid due to different voltages it could start smoking if I plug it in overseas.

Lastly, what would be a Blu-ray drive capable of doing UHD backups? Thanks.

[bhampton]

I think the player should be capable of voltage detection and should work but I would read up on that and make sure.

I would either bring the discs in your luggage or ship them. A collection that size would be easy to move if you abandon the packaging but I guess you don't want to consider that because they are limited editions. You could take the discs and ship the packaging separately. Three of these would make your collection fit in a luggage.



I won't address the backup question apart from saying if I was going to I would suggest the LG UB40N. Making disc backups is no longer something I find worthwhile but you have to make your own decisions.

[roar]

The books are going to be heavy and the movies will take up a lot of volume, the two things that make shipping expensive. With that said, if you want to keep the stuff, pack it on up an in a box, call FedEx and get a quote. It is likely to be more than a couple hundred bucks, but probably cheaper than a thousand. If it is big enough and heavy enough it will need to be strapped to a pallet then you are probably going to get you closer to thousand bucks... so it begs the question, can you replace what you're shipping for less? Unless you've got rare, out of print or autographed books, I can't imagine shipping them being a great investment.

Do you have plans to come back to the US periodically over the next 18 months? I'd start throwing a half dozen or more blu rays in your luggage when you visit if you have someone that can hang on to them for you. I'd be getting right up to my weight limits on each trip to save on the eventual bigger shipment.

[meremortal]

Good luck. I injured my back for months just from moving in the same area.

[bhampton]

Physical Media is not for the weak.

When it's time for the nursing home, it's time for streaming. Thankfully when the eyes and ears and brain goes it hardly matters how compressed the source is or if it has commercials.

[mande2013]

Originally Posted by roar

The books are going to be heavy and the movies will take up a lot of volume, the two things that make shipping expensive. With that said, if you want to keep the stuff, pack it on up an in a box, call FedEx and get a quote. It is likely to be more than a couple hundred bucks, but probably cheaper than a thousand. If it is big enough and heavy enough it will need to be strapped to a pallet then you are probably going to get you closer to thousand bucks... so it begs the question, can you replace what you're shipping for less? Unless you've got rare, out of print or autographed books, I can't imagine shipping them being a great investment.

Do you have plans to come back to the US periodically over the next 18 months? I'd start throwing a half dozen or more blu rays in your luggage when you visit if you have someone that can hang on to them for you. I'd be getting right up to my weight limits on each trip to save on the eventual bigger shipment.

I have thought about transporting little by little over multiple trips. The last time I crossed an ocean I lugged about 40 or so DVDs and Blu-ray’s with me in the plane, and it was doable. 250-300 is obviously more of a challenge.

I don’t have a lot of “rare and out of print” books, but I do have things like an Everyman’s Library edition of War and Peace or The Gabler Edition of Ulysses, and I don’t want to have to offload them and then buy them again

[samuelkhan999]

I'm planning to move to the US for maybe a decade or so. I was overwhelmed with leaving our lives behind and then my wife(who is annoyed of my 4k Blu ray collection) asked me what are we going to do with your movies. Some of them are from Japan (Blade Runner 4k, Avatar 4k CE, GOTG 3) US/Canada and UK/EU.

I might offload the UK lot with my family for safekeeping but take along the Disney Signature/Diamond edition blu ray collection with me for the kids.

It will be a hard job as to what to keep and what to let go for safekeeping.

[Bill Codesen]

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[Bill Codesen]

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