The most obscure Simpsons controversy is the one about the Homer-shaped DVD box set

The convention is that the text on the spine is right-side up on any volume that is more than about an inch and a half wide (like a dictionary or a Bible), otherwise the title should be oriented from top to bottom in such a way that if the book is lying flat with the cover facing up then the text on the spine is right side up.

It boggles my mind that there are people who have been entrusted with book cover/media packaging design who don’t understand this simple concept. Get it together, people.

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Not every piece of media is available on streaming services, and not everyone who enjoys media has every streaming service available at all times on all devices.

If you want to watch a classic movie from your cabin in the mountains or binge-watch an HBO series without paying for high speed internet and a costly streaming service then DVDs may still be your best bet.

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If only it were that simple.

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One fun thing where I live - English books have a standard of orienting spine text so you have to crank your head to the right, while French books do the opposite. That means you can quickly pick the language you are looking for out a shelf of mixed books. If only young designers knew these standards!

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This kind of odd ball packaging is fun and irritating. I have a poetry book that has a little tennis net set up across the front, standing about 3/4 inch above the cover. Very irritating.

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Purchasing the physical media generally means that one has the rights of a copyowner under the copyright law, not just whatever rights the copyright owner hasn’t figured out how to deny you with their EULA.

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I amassed a decently-sized collection back in the day. Getting rid of them feels like throwing away money. Plus, like so many others have said, not everything is readily available to stream (or even elsewhere online).

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Collections are often historic. I suspect Season 6 of the Simpsons wasn’t purchased recently.

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I find my 80’s horror and sci-fi needs have been met by Tubi. Somehow the ads make it seem more authentically 1986, like I’m 19 again and collapsed on a couch, smoking a number and laughing at the continuity mistakes.

Edited for grammar.

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Paying extra for a tv channel or service should = no advertising, full stop, but capitalists gonna capitalize.

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Oh, Tubi’s free and paid for by the advertising. Their collection is mostly B-grade but there are some great oldies and a lot of hilarious garbage.

I’m sure in a few year’s time streaming funded by ads will be called the podcast business model…

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Man, BB has changed. We’re this far down the thread and so far nobody seems to have even alluded to the possibility of piracy.

Back on topic, I’m always annoyed by the spine art on the comic series DMZ:


It was all looking so good until volume 10.

(ETA there’s a whole article about graphic novels doing this)

I keep a NAS device for such things.

I have been wondering for a while how I am going to store terabytes for decades without a data tragedy.

ETA: Hello.

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