DVD Replication - Analyzed

DVD Replication services involve production of DVDs in high volumes – usually upwards of 1,000. Producing the same quantity using Duplication technique is more often than not, likely to cost more. Replication orders in volumes higher than 1,000 results in hedging off the overheads and reduction in per DVD costs.

Processing Of DVD Replication

DVD Replication process begins with the shaping of glass master of the original data – music / movie / computer based training material, marketing, promotions etc and steel stamper – a process that clones the original. Such mastering processes engage time-intensive procedure and therefore may take up to 3 days and thereby increase costs and manufacturing lead times with turnaround times hovering around 7 to 10 days. The glass master is used in producing or pressing or stamping out over 1,000 DVDs – each DVD being uniquely processed to guarantee durability as well as quality. The master DVDs are used to produce the glass master which in turn are used to build the moulds. Once ready, these moulds are placed in the injection machines. The outcome is replicas in form of plastic discs. The next stage sees bonding of the discs followed by layering with thin aluminum that produces a reflective surface. The replication concludes by the hardening stages wherein ultraviolet rays are applied followed by protecting the disc with lacquer.

One can clearly see that the precision involved requires trained and experienced technicians to manage the production process. Although DVD Duplication, if done properly and carefully, is known to produce quality as good as Replication however Replication works out cheaper and is recommended when one has time and needs DVDs – as indicated earlier - in quantities higher than 1,000. It is not surprising that people tend to use the terms Replication and Duplication without being able to distinguish between the two.

Usability Of Replicated DVD

Most players and Computing Devices are capable to play replicated discs which may not be true in the case of duplicated DVDs. One really does not need to bother with replicated or duplicated discs when playing them on newer players as these are made more versatile in terms of compatibility with variety media.

Quality And Customer Demand

With due diligence applied, it would be easy to select a reliable replication company without which one can never be sure about the quality, durability and precision in the product. The portfolio of the company generally is considered to be the starting point in one’s quest for such a company. Next comes the stage wherein you make enquiries with its customers, soliciting feedback on parameters that concerns one most – batch sizes, turnaround times, pricing, quality of the media, condition of its equipment – all are bound to give one a fair idea of the outcome that one may expect. Turn-time for some would be most dominant of the factors. The time between when the master is delivered and the whole bulk ready for shipping is the Turn time. You certainly do not wish to play with a crucial deadline. All said and done, one cannot expect to reduce the turnaround time with the current technologies in place. A standard varies between 7 and 10 days. In order to economize you may want to consider thermal instead of silkscreen printing; packaging considerations can too bring down the costs.

Lately, many businesses have been suffering adversely as their business is threatened seriously due to innumerable replication companies – most of which use poor resources and equipment – supplying recent releases - in order to cater to public looking for cheap products – who do not mind compromising on quality or durability. In the course, businesses dealing with original discs make significant losses. One of the fallouts due to unchecked growth of such companies is video piracy originating in far off distant countries.

Copyright Of Replicated DVD

As a result, reputed and multinational video companies have begun developing strategies that can provide standard quality at prices customers have got used to and thereby kill the piracy industry. Such strategy would focus on supplying the originals as well as replicated ones. All while legally reserving all copyrights and flooding the high consumption markets with quality products. There are other strategies and technologies being tried and researched to overcome the challenges of the current day. We certainly do not have to wait for long!

A Look At CD Packaging Technology

An industry that is going through the roof involving CDs, DVDs, Mini DVDs and the likes has to rely on marketing, packaging and presentation for continuing at the top, in today’s competitive business world. The current CD Printing technologies need to be acknowledged for keeping so many businesses alive and growing.

CD Printing can be done by one of four methods - thermal transfer printing, inkjet printing, screen printing and offset litho printing.

Thermal transfer technology employs printers having horizontal array. For the purpose, wax ribbons need to be dissolved to use as ink.

Modified inkjet printers are used by many CD & DVD printing service companies. These are known to produce impressive and sharp color printing. Digital technology is employed in this method.

Packaging of discs involves multiple processes that could include anything from CD printing, labeling and encasing in a box. The jewel boxes can hold single and multiple discs. There was a time when the printed matters accompanying a disc could be in form of box size foldable paper and or affixed on one side of the disc – the non-data side. Those used to be labels printed separately utilizing technologies like offset printing, silkscreen printing, thermal technologies etc.

They used to make a loss when the labels failed to be placed on the disc with precision. Many of such discs would be trashed by the manufacturer’s quality department. Some would still make it to the customers. While playing such discs, the heat would peel it off, and probably damage the player.

Enter the monochromatic thermal printing technology combined with inkjet printers. This improved the conditions greatly wherein the discs got the matters printed sans the paper part. The limitation here was that thermal printing is good only for forming the basic text and graphics in monotone including black. This technology has become a preferred choice for those wanting to start the business on a shoestring budget. Here the speed is very good for creating labels while using low-cost ink cartridges. The ink used here is indelible. It produces photographs with a resolution of approximately 300 to 600 dots per inch, giving realistic images. With good maintenance measures, such printers are capable of printing up to 120 discs per hour. The costs are minimal. The labels dry immediately - in as little as 7 seconds; impressions do not fade, are waterproof and is able to withstand extreme weathers.

Other printers are equipped to deal with multi-colour cartridges; these produce lot more lively image labels.

For bulk printing needs, one can choose from variety of automated printers. These printers provide all the features of older printer together with features that save time and human supervision. Some of the innovative features include quick expose, reductions and enlargements.

One of the more recent solutions lies in HP’s LightScribe that offers Direct Disc labeling technology. This is the answer to professional quality disc printing and disc labeling.

This has been a rage and the technology has caught up sooner than expected. This is available globally with dealers dealing with HP products. Nearly all optical disc drives manufacturers have incorporated the LightScribe technology into their products such as Moser Baer, Nero, CMC Magnetics Corp, Mitsubishi, Cyber Link Corp and many more. The key features of this technology are enumerated here:

It increases labeling speed incredibly

These are compatible with faster media with an existing LightScribe-enabled drive

An even combination of creativity and embedded convenience

Silkscreen quality

Grants at-hand freedom for combining complex text designs and graphics

The procedure involves burning the data side just as any other disc. Next the same laser that was used for burning the data is used to burn a label in a precise and gleaming manner after flipping the disc over.

What you get is a precisely-controlled light energy delivered by the laser that prints following a circular writing system. The printing is done by incorporating a visible chemical change in the dye coating.

What you do not need here is – you got it – a printer! This means no adhesive labeling and no markers.