CD/DVD Storage Solutions?

My CD and DVD collection has now got out of hand. I currently have 3 tall CD tower units, but they’re all full, and the piles of CDs lying around is starting to drive the mrs (and I) crazy.

Does anyone know of anywhere that sells CD/DVD storage solutions that are stylish, practical and don’t cost the earth? Probably looking to hold 600ish CDs.

I’m not quite ready to get rid of the jewel cases and put the CDs in wallets – I like being able to browse. Same goes for networked media player.

I suspect a good few STW’ers must have found themselves in the same situation – what solutions did you go for?

K

Ikea have loads of different solutions for this sort of thing. We use the Billy Book cases, with nice glass doors on them for my DVD collection. Looks nice in the spare room.

Had looked at getting something from here Red Displays[/url] in the past. Although I have always made do with regular DIY shelves.

My ultimate solution is that I’ve just completed putting the contents of around 900 CD’s onto a hard drive. The whole lot has easily fitted on a 1TB drive as uncompressed files and is now easier to play and search through. the hard drive cost half as much as one of the shelf units. Although factoring in the time it took to copy all the disks would make it pretty expensive.

Although factoring in the time it took to copy all the disks would make it pretty expensive.

This sort of thing does turn in to a bit of a labour of love, but worth it. I did a similar sort of thing with my DVD’s and ripped them all so I can stream them through the PS3 – took me ages. I still want to keep hold of all the original dvds and boxes though.

Had a look at the Ikea ones. We thought they looked a bit flimsy to be honest. The Red Display ones seem a bit too clinical and office-like. We like the CDs to be in the sitting room, so something a bit more contemporary would be needed I think. (Not to mention the price! I could buy a new bike for that! 😉 )

I’ve also struggled with this, good CD storage is expensive, there’s no way around it, I’ve got 4 of the 2 Metre skinny ikea ones, they fit nicely in an alcove, cost about 85 quid for all four

jon1973,
The real labour of love will be transferring the vinyl collection, I can’t imagine getting through more than about ten a week, so that could take a few years!

As for keeping hold of the boxes, I just took delivery of a load of cardboard cd/dvd archive boxes, all the disks are going to be packed up and stuck up in the attic just in case I ever need them again. Can’t say I ever read the sleeve notes so for me the loss of easily accessible cases is a small price to pay for the ability to search through the music more easily than i ever could before.

you need one of these. currently £170 on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/primera-auto-cd-printer-and-burner-publisher-/160516724102?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_Printers_Printers_JN&hash=item255f8ad586

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/realworld/362734/the-rapid-way-to-rip-a-cd-collection

Is it something like this you’re looking for:

(Not the slightly uncomfortable looking Gambo in the foreground)

Before going down the iTunes route, I struggled to find anything reasonably priced that looked kind of like a bookcase but was the right dimensions to fit CD’s, which is why I always ended up with regular shelves.

Muppet – possibly something like that, or maybe something with doors on like some sort of cabinet. Just noticed Argos seem to have extended their range- this looks good. This one looks not bad, though I’m always a bit sceptical about the quality of Argos furniture.

Doors is a good idea, the little grooves on jewel cases do seems to harbour a disproportionate amount of dust.

I think you’re right to be sceptical about the quality but if it’s a design that you like then I wouldn’t worry too much, put the thing together carefully, plenty of extra glue and you should be OK.

Just noticed, that particular one only hold just over 400 cd’s so it might be a bit small for your needs.

All my CDs (and there are a hell of a lot of them) are now in the attic having been ripped to the computer we got as a media computer about 4 years ago. Great decision as we now listen to the music much more as it’s so easily accessible. Also random play brings up some tracks that I’d never think to play but which are great to hear.

I’m not quite ready to get rid of the jewel cases and put the CDs in wallets – I like being able to browse. Same goes for networked media player.

Do you ‘browse’ online bike forums? If you really must see the covers then a HTPC with MediaPortal?

I see all my covers – admittedly in smaller form – on the screen when I browse by album. Most CDs set up automatically. A few needed to be done manually but again, it’s a one off task that wasn’t too bad.

The thing is, I’ve got a hi-fi in most inhabited rooms in the house, and like to be able to just grab a CD and take it to wherever I’m likely to be, pop it in the CD player and get on with what I’m doing. I really can’t be doing with having to sit down in front of a PC and faff about logging before deciding what I want to listen to, and then no doubt getting distracted online. Not to mention the cost of said media player and wireless clients in each room to pick up the media stream. And the time it would take – I done it once to rip my collection to my iPod, and that was painful enough 😕

sorry, minor thread hijack.

clubber, You’re not using iTunes are you?

I’m having trouble getting some cover art to stick. I can add it to file(s) in the info panel but then when I close the panel it loses the cover art. Most have been found automatically but there are about 5% of files that need to be done manually.

clubber, You’re not using iTunes are you?

Good god, no, hate it. Only use it in order to get music onto my jesus phone.

Most of the time just use WMP or media center though I’ve tried various others over the years.

bugger!

minor thread hijack complete.

Kevin – I have the computer set up so I can just use my mobile (iPhone but any decent smartphone will have apps to suit) to control it via the wifi network. There are also various ways to allow computers in different rooms to sync so that you can play it around the house. You can do that cheaply enough with a second hand PC if you’ve only got the one computer and want to have it in different rooms.

Or just stick with a pile of CDs and many HiFis round the house 🙂

The thing is, I’ve got a hi-fi in most inhabited rooms in the house, and like to be able to just grab a CD and take it to wherever I’m likely to be, pop it in the CD player and get on with what I’m doing.

That’s what an iPod dock is designed for! Pick up iPod, pop in whichever dock, play music.

For the Guardian reader this is the best I’ve seen on the high street of late, although I’ve not bought it yet as I have all my CD’s neatly in a box still – just living with the ipod till I feel flush enough to buy a solution of some kind.

Benno from Ikea.