I see the term thrown around a lot. I looked on PJ Discography, and I see it listed for most albums, but not Binaural (which was packaged just like Yield and Riot Act). They also use it for Vitalogy, but that packaging was very different from Yield and Riot Act. Someone help me! Is it cardboard pack w/ a little plastic CD holder? Does it apply even if the CD slides in and out of a cardboard packet? It is ANY CD case? Please, oh please, educate me, someone.

Also, include a definition of "gatefold" if you can.

You got it right the first time (cardboard with plastic case). I never understood why it's called "digipack". Was there something digital about it?

-Sunny

So, by that definition, Vitalogy and Rearviewmirror are not in digipacks, right?

Uhh...er...um.....hmm....

LIVE ON TWO LEGS IS A DIGIPAK, GOODBYE!

-Sunny

I dont have a fucking clue

I think this is a gatefold:



CDs like the Beastie Boys Hello Nasty and To The Five Boroughs are gatefolds I believe. There's a pretty good explanation here

Not sure about the digipack thing but I'll go with what everyone else here says

As far as i know the plastic holder is what makes a digipak. So even if the box size is different it can still be a digipak

have a look at their website: http://www.digipak.com/

so if i understand correctly, Digipak is a brand name, specifically referring to the type of cardboard cases with plastic disc holders and can come in a variety of shapes/sizes...one of those being "gatefold" which opens like a book...its all making sense now.

personally i like digipak CDs. They feel more like vinyl packaging and look far superior to traditional plastic CD cases with inserts...however just looking at my collection, digipaks don't seem to stand the test of time as well (a few worn edges in there )

Alright, I've been examining these things all day and this is what I've come up with. Tell me what you think ...

I think a GATEFOLD is a case w/ a little cardboard envelope for the CD or Album: aka No Code, Merkinball, Vitalogy, and Rearviewmirror.

I think a DIGIPAC is a cardboard case w/ a plastic piece that holds the CD: aka Yield, LO2L, Binaural, Riot Act, Lost Dogs

That leaves ECO-PACK for the early copies of Vs. and a regular JEWEL BOX for Ten and later copies of Vs.

The ecopack Vs is sitting beside me, I could stand to see a lot more albums like that. Its a shame cardboard cases break down so fast though.

Gatefold is a term that goes back to vinyl records. Any record sleeve that opens like a book to expose inner artwork and isn't just a sleeve to slidethe recod in and out is a gatefold. No Code is packaged as a very fancy 4 panel gatefold sleeve (both CD and vinyl). So I would say that RVM qualifies as a gatefold sleeve, because you slide the disc into the sleeve like a record.

Digipack (I don't know if that is a brandname or not) has always meant to me a paper CD case with the plastic tray glued to the cardboard. Yield, LOTL, Binaural, Riot Act would all qualify, although the recent singles are more of the "classic" digipack design as I understand it.

Eco-pack, I'm pretty sure is a brand name, and that shitty pacakging for the first run of Vs. is the only album I've ever seen with that design.

--PunkDavid

David, you rock.

I knew that eventually someone would clear this up. Eco-pack = shitty? I love the eco-pack. I wish there were more companies making this stuff. I wish every CD had different packaging.

I just thought it was shitty because the plastic that holds it shut broke on mine almost immediately, and it has never closed properly since then. I also find it hard to believe that a package with cardboard and plastic integrated so much could possibly be any more "eco" friendly than either the standard digipack or a jewel case.

--PunkDavid