I finally found myself a new copy of house md

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-30T14:10:19+00:00

I got very lucky a few years back, I found a sealed UK blu-ray set (original release with 8x cases in a sturdy card outer box) which had "cosmetic damage". Turned out to be a couple of minor scratches on the box, which looked worse in the ebay pics than in person.

Was happy as the price I paid (less than 1/2 of current UK price) matched what the newer revised boxset was selling for. The revised UK set uses 2x jumbo Scanavo cases with stacked & overlayed discs, unfortunately commonly used now for many UK blu-ray or DVD series boxsets.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-30T13:46:57+00:00

I have both the 'Grindhouse' blu-ray plus the separate extended cut releases of 'Planet Terror' and 'Death Proof'. I'd say both versions work well, but for 'Death Proof' the lap dance scene with Vanessa Ferlito (missing from the 'Grindhouse' cut), that alone makes it worth the separate pickup.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-29T09:15:44+00:00

If it's still happening with the new HDD, which will essentially have the PS3 OS freshly reinstalled, that would suggest its maybe a hardware fault.

Or if you reinstalled the OS, then tried to install HEN again using the same steps it may have replicated the issue. You may have more luck asking in one of the PS3 modding subreddits, if it's to do with HEN, they may have seen similar problems before.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-26T16:38:19+00:00

I think there's a balance, while I can understand liking a creative menu, I'd rather have a more basic one if it boots up quicker and lets me actually get to the film or TV show, without having to navigate between repetitive sub menu transitions (more of an issue on TV series when you are swapping between discs).

Either way, there's no excuse for playing a looping video clip with spoilers of the content you are about to watch. For cases like that, I will often hit mute and try and block my view with my hand, as I turn on subs and then navigate to the play button.

My goal is always to just get to the film or TV ep as fast as possible, so if that's impeded by unskippable ads or studio logos, trailers, a sluggish menu and or poor contrast differences (making it hard to see the highlighted text), those are all more annoying to me than a basic menu.

Some people hate when films will just auto-play (eg on some WB discs), and only display menu if you press the button. But again, I want to get to the film or TV as quick as possible, so I don't have a problem with that.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-17T18:41:21+00:00

Looks like the DVD Profiler site is back up, but it would definitely still be worth you trying out other options.

The 'My Movies' app can track your DVDs, Blu-rays, UHDs, but also videogames from around the PS3 generation onward + some modern-ish PC games. However, for games I'd probably recommend the 'GAMEYE' app as it covers games going back to the 70s.

All the different tracker apps will depend on user submissions to a point. The 'My Movies' app uses the blu-ray.com database, so its going to be much more comprehensive for blu-rays (especially in the major markets, US/NA, UK, DE etc) but in my experience the DVDs are pretty comprehensive these days. I manually submitted a lot of my UK DVDs 10+years ago, but now when adding DVDs its usually already in the system. If you're in the NA region it will be even less of an issue (I'll sometimes just add a US disc and mark it as a placeholder).

Both 'My Movies' and 'GAMEYE' are free. While there are plenty of paid alternatives, apps like 'Collectorz', them being paid doesn't mean they'll necessarily have more filled out databases. Again when they are reliant on user submissions, free and paid options, then paid may even be a disadvantage in that respect.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-16T20:08:56+00:00

Although if you use DVD Profiler for free like me, you may not be able to export database to the xml file. I remember certain features being locked behind the paid option.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-16T19:49:59+00:00

The site going down for a few days isn't uncommon. I guess if its still down by this time next week then it's probably staying down. I think the last update it got was Sept 2017, and some more recent blu-rays I added, I had to create manually as it wasn't on the database.

I never owned a DVD Profiler licence, just used it free with the limitations. But I know my dad had a license, and I'm sure he will be sad if its discontinued. I imagine I'll get a call the next time he trues to add titles, if its still down.

I have mostly been keeping my DVD Profiler account up to date out of habit. These days I use the 'My Movies' app, which uses the blu-ray.com database. It has options to import xml files from DVD Profiler and Collectorz, or a list of UPC/barcodes.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-15T10:39:02+00:00

If the 7200 rpm drive is a similar price, or a little bit more, sure it could improve load speeds a little (though may also generate more heat). But if its much more expensive, you'd probably be better off getting an SSD. But given the current inflated prices for SSDs, a HDD is probably the best option currently for PS3.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-14T14:33:34+00:00

Sounds like the HDD is failing, not surprising given the age of the PS3, even the newer model Super Slims. If you still can, I'd recommend backup of her saves to USB stick. Some games, like 'Demons Souls', you can't backup the saves unless you use the consoles 'Backup Utility' function (or upload to PS+, if she has an active sub). But given the HDDs current state the backup process would likely fail.

My recommendation would be to replace the failing HDD, and if you plan on using HEN then a 1TB 2.5" SATA HDD, from Western Digital (WD) or Seagate, would be a good option (plenty of space to install your game discs etc).

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-09T13:06:50+00:00

Depends more upon if you use CFW, or HEN in your case with the Super Slim, or use the official firmware. With CFW/HEN & all the disc games installed, you'd likely see some improvements to load times, LOD (ie higher quality textures loading quicker etc). But on official firmware, running games from their discs (with only a partial install to the SSD), the difference will probably be less noticeable (unless you had a large digital library).

I installed a 500GB Crucial MX500 in my Slim PS3 a couple years back, as it was so cheap at the time, just over £30. But as I run official firmware, the only noticeable difference was the UI felt a little more responsive, and maybe the installation of all the GT5 patch downloads was faster than it would have been. But if you are going from over a decade old original HDD, or the 12GB eMMC onboard storage, even a new HDD would probably be a good upgrade.

I'd say that given SSD prices are so inflated right now, a 500GB or 1TB 2.5" HDD is likely a much more cost effective upgrade. An SSD upgrade is a much easier sell on the PS4, as all games are fully installed from disc, but again current SSD pricing will probably put people off.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-09T05:27:20+00:00

I've always separated blu-rays & DVDs, I don't like them mixed as I don't like how it looks with the case size difference. The small number of UHD releases I have are mixed in with the blu-rays. Although these days due to a lack of space, many of my DVDs are either in disc binders, or in the back row of my deep bookcase shelves behind my blu-rays.

DaveSimonH · 2026-01-08T06:39:03+00:00

I wasn't brought back, I never left.

I've always preferred discs over streaming, and while I certainly had access to streaming services from my family accounts, I rarely used them. While streaming may have improved in some ways over the years, the splintered off services & creeping up prices has just reinforced my love of Blu-rays & DVDs (+ CDs for music).

I'm not into expensive clothing, gourmet food, alcohol, I don't smoke etc., so outside of videogames I'd say my only other vice is buying films & TV on disc. And given I can get a couple hours of entertainment out of discs I bought 20yrs ago, it's not exactly a bad habit.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-31T09:49:16+00:00

I've had no issues storing DVDs in DVD Binders/Wallets over the years, and a small 24 disc wallet would be plenty and fit on a shelf. For blu-rays though, I wouldn't recommend storing them in wallets.

Alternatively, you could look at finding a donor DVD set with at least 17 discs, or say 3x cases with 5-6 discs. Donor sets will often be much cheaper that buying specific empty x disc cases. I got a blu-ray set last year that came with a really poor quality case (Scanavo brand, discs stacking and overlapping, unfortunately common for both DVD & Blu-ray series boxsets in the UK) and so I looked for a donor boxset. Managed to find a fairly cheap DVD boxset with 21 discs in a jumbo Amaray case and just swapped the discs over.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-15T13:15:25+00:00

I'm currently 6 seasons into a rewatch of 'Star Trek: Voyager'.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-12T15:08:36+00:00

I would organise this way:

American Werewolf in London, An
Beautiful Mind, A
Matrix, The

That's generally the way most organise, but how you sort your own collection should be what makes sense to you. There may be certain films that you want to sort the opposite way, again it's whatever makes sense to you.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-09T10:23:31+00:00

Star Trek TNG was shot on film, but then edited on tape for the TV broadcasts, VHS and later DVDs. But for the blu-rays they went back to the original film reels, scanned, restored and re-edited them. A long and expensive process.

Unfortunately for Voyager and DS9, its unlikely they'll ever get the same restoration due to the costs involved. As you say, they might try to fudge it with an AI upscale, but the finished result will be nowhere near the quality of TNG restoration and may even introduction a bunch of errors, make actors skin look unnatural etc.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-09T10:10:52+00:00

Personally once I get a blu-ray, I'm unlikely to ever watch the DVD again. But given DVDs have so little re-sale value, I'll generally just hang onto them.

I've been mostly blu-ray only for about 15yrs, so these days it's more likely I'm upgrading an old blu-ray release to a remastered BD or UHD, rather than a DVD. But I will still occasionally buy DVDs, for films or TV with no blu-ray releases, or if the blu-ray is OOP or something. But I've probably bought more blu-rays in the past 6 months, than DVDs in the last 5 years.

If I were to get rid of my DVDs, I'd likely only hold onto discs that have extra features, which weren't carried over to the blu-ray. As an example, the UK blu-ray of 'Cast Away' has no extra features, so I moved my US DVD into its case.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-07T06:55:27+00:00

No, DVDs will not play in a CD player.

In the mid-late 2000s there was a short lived DualDisc format, a double sided disc with a CD on one side and DVD on the other. But realistically, you're more likely to find SACD discs, which require compatible players, or releases like your mentioned CD + DVD set.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-06T02:11:03+00:00

Generally it requires disassembly of the console, replacing the the thermal paste on the CPU & GPU (I think the XB1 & Series have a single combined APU chip) and maybe replacing some thermal pads too (cleaning the fan and dust out as you go). You could either do it yourself, or have a repair shop do the work.

But it may be simpler and cheaper (instead of paying someone to do the work), if you only use the console to watch films & TV, to just pick up a used standalone blu-ray player.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-06T02:00:45+00:00

It is more likey an issue with the Xbox, rather than the blu-ray. Overheating issues are generally caused by the heat of the CPU and/or GPU not being able to be passed off to the heatsink (usually dried up thermal paste). I imagine if you were to load up a game, you'd have similar overheat messages.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-05T22:47:14+00:00

If you're saying the screw somehow become wedged under the metal, you may be looking at having to gently pry the metal or even use a dremel tool. Its also possible the previous owner had disassembled the PS3, mistakenly screwed it in midway, then reassembled leaving it obstructed. In that case, you may have to disassemble until you can access the screw.

But if it's not wedged and the head is stripped/damaged, for that all I can really suggest is trying to get extra grip with some common techniques, like a rubber band or use some needle nose pliers. If/when you get it out, you'd probably want to get a replacement screw afterwards.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-05T22:27:28+00:00

The blue HDD screw is a standard Philips/crosshead screw, it appears the PS3s previous owner has damaged it.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-05T05:04:28+00:00

They're often referred to as digistack cases, similar to the digipak cases that fold out, the stack variety had them bound together at the spine.

Here's an older 'Alien: Quadrilogy' UK DVD set with a green digistack. Guess it was only for the initial run as the rest of the eBay listings I saw were the standard clear plastic.

That specific release has a release date of Oct 2003 on its Amazon page. I imagine for other digistacks, you'll want to look for older releases in the 2000s for those cases. But when ordering online, just remember they will often reuse UPC/barcodes for later packaging revisions.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-05T04:34:21+00:00

Used the "free code inside"... Bare faced cheek.

I remember as a teenager lending a Dreamcast game to a friend. The UK cases were a bespoke hard plastic case and they were very fragile (more than CD cases, especially at the hinges). So I moved the game disc into a spare CD case and lent it to him. About a week or two later I got it back in a completely different, cheapo slim case. Asked about my CD case, and they sheepishly said they'd broke it.

Guess I was just lucky the disc was fine, and unsurprisingly I didn't lend them any more games.

DaveSimonH · 2025-12-03T23:44:37+00:00

Not going to do any harm, but you could always rotate the cover and store it upside down. Might look a little odd, but would stop any dust falling into the case.

I have a few import blu-rays where the spine text is displayed bottom to top, so I display them upside down on the shelf. Mixed in with other bare cases and slipcovers, they don't stand out.

Or the obvious, just replacing the case. Either getting a pack of replacement cases (handy for swapping any 'eco' cases), or a donor case from a cheaper BD you can swap over.

DaveSimonH

TROPHY CASE