Which Doctor Who DVD template is best?

[Lance]

Region 2:

Region 1:

Same cover art. But which template is better, if any?

 

[Professor Zoom]

The grey roundrels don't do anything for me. What are they for anyway?

USA! USA! USA!

 

[kirk55555]

I have to go with Region 1. It just looks better to me, although the Region 2 design isn't bad, its just not as good.

 

[Lance]

I am in agreement, gentlemen, that the Region 1 is generally better. I like how it gives the artwork the room to "breathe". The R2 version feels constricted by the roundels, although I admit they are a reasonably clever way to give the Doctor Who range it's own unique style.

The grey roundrels don't do anything for me. What are they for anyway?

I believe it stems from the earliest Region 2 BBC releases all having a 'house style' which consisted of a grey area at the top of the cover (in which was contained the logo) and a boxed area at the bottom (containing the artwork). Various series releases followed this house style in the beginning, including the likes of Blackadder and Monty Python, but as the concept fell away a few years into DVD, only Doctor Who retained the grey area as a matter of principal.

The Region 1 style, ironically, stems from an even earlier template -- namely, the house style used by Doctor Who releases on VHS in the 1990s. Which means it retains a cute retro feel all it's very own.

 

[Professor Zoom]

The grey roundrels don't do anything for me. What are they for anyway?

I believe it stems from the earliest Region 2 BBC releases all having a 'house style' which consisted of a grey area at the top of the cover (in which was contained the logo) and a boxed area at the bottom (containing the artwork). Various series releases followed this house style in the beginning, including the likes of Blackadder and Monty Python, but as the concept fell away a few years into DVD, only Doctor Who retained the grey area as a matter of principal.

I was making a reference to Day of the Doctor.

 

[Lance]

Ah, gotcha.

 

[Worf2DS9]

Another vote for R1. I prefer how the main image extends up and covers essentially the whole area of the cover, instead of being cut off in favour of the roundels on R2. Also, the spine on R1 is much less busy-looking and therefore easier to read.