We are going to talk about various topics around CD DVD duplication and replication. From the design, mastering, duplication and pacakging.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Money and time saving tips for DVD replication

Most people might think that all DVDs are created equal, so why not find the cheapest place you can find? The truth is, not all DVDs are created equal. Never ever just go for the company with the lowest price quote. It cannot be more wrong. The list below serves as a guide on how to find professional duplication / replication services at a reasonable price.

  1. One-stop-shop: By doing the authoring, package design, duplication / replication in one place, you can negotiate a packaged deal, which will in turn save money. Keeping it all in one place will also cut down significant time in shipping and communication back and forth.

  1. Get referrals on services: when you are in a time-crunch, the tendency is to go with the first or cheapest company that you can find. Ask around for referrals because with time and financial constraint, you have less room to risk for errors.

  1. Go local: Working with a company cross country can be quite frustrating because of time zones and shipping times. In a time-critical job, it’s better to work with a local company who you can contact and meet face-to-face. Any problems can be resolved faster if you are just a few miles away. Keep in mind that most replication quotes do not include shipping time and charge.

  1. Trust the pros: It might save you a few hundred dollars to author the DVD yourself, or have your roommate do it. Keep in mind that professional authoring houses and replicators do this day in and day out, what they can do in a few days without errors may take you longer to complete. A DVD not properly authored causes more damages than the money you save. This might be the worst decision you can make in order to save money.

  1. The artist’s touch: Find someone trustworthy with print experience to design your packaging may make all the difference in retail sales. It is the first thing customers see even before opening the DVD. Make your product stand out among all the competitors. The payoff will definitely be worth the cost. Also remember that a web design may not do well in print and vice versa.

  1. Proof again and again: It takes time whenever changes are to be made to the master and artwork when it is already in production. Printers often charge for additional print proofs and additional stamper is needed if a problem is found in check disc. Either case it delays the schedule and increase the overall project cost. So do yourself a big favor, before you send everything off to the replicator, check all materials thoroughly.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Secret to planning a DVD authoring replication project

So here let me give you an insight of the sometimes long process of getting a DVD made. Many of our clients are first-timers and often do not have a clear understanding of what's involved in the DVD authoring/replication process. This is a typical and realistic timeline of what goes on:

2-3 months prior:
- shop for a DVD replication / authoring vendor. The reason to start this early is that replicators can tell you exactly what they need as the master. It affects who you use for authoring and how much it is going to cost. It's also good to get a general idea of the time needed for replication. The specs for every project is different, therefore getting a replicator involved early and having a good account rep will help you save time and money.

2 months prior:
- finishing up with the editing to the final version of the video
- make the final decision on DVD authoring and replication vendor
- determine the specs for DVD authoring: types of menu, number of menus, menu design, video sources, music, DVD-ROM content
- general rule of thumb, the longer the video and more complex the menus are, the longer authoring will take
- start design process for DVD packaging (label and amaray case cover)

7 weeks prior:
- get a first draft of DVD menus to view navigation, revise as needed
- video components are being encoded

6 weeks prior:
- first edition of authored disc with video content is created (if menus have been approved)

5 weeks prior:
- continue with fine-tuning content and navigation
- continue with design for DVD packaging

4 weeks prior:
- finalize DVD content
- generate DVD master, review thoroughly and give final approval
- let replicator know when DVD master is ready
- finalize DVD packaging, proof read thoroughly and get print-ready files

3 weeks prior:
- DVD master is submitted for replication
- DVD artwork is submitted for digital proofs
- review digital proofs thoroughly for die line, missing font and any typos
- stamper is being made by mastering department

2 weeks prior:
- receive DVD check disc from replicator
- DVD packaging is being printed
- approve DVD check disc after viewing from the same TV/stereo setup

1 week prior:
- DVD discs are pressed(molded) from stamper
- DVD label art is printed on discs
- DVDs are packaged into cases with covers

0 week:
The DVDs are finally READY to be shipped or picked up!
- also notice that I did not include shipping in this time line. Most replicators do not including shipping in their turn time. So if your products need to be distributed cross country, push the time line back at least a week.

Conclusion:
I hope this helps you understand why the overall production process take longer than you might think. This is a typical timeline and it may vary from project to project. Each proof or check disc is needed to ensure no mistakes is made every step of the way. If there is any mistake, it will be a very costly one!


Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Copy protection: Is it worth your money?

Everyone in the industry, from the RIAA, record labels to individual filmmakers are trying to put a stop to illegal downloads and pirating of movies and music. It is no surprise that copy protection technologies are such hot topics among them. We are asked all the time, does it really work? Let's first talk about how to apply it.

Preparation/Cost
Copy protection is usually applied in the DVD authoring stage, and requires a DLT (digital linear tape) to be submitted at the time for DVD replication. Nowadays most masters can be submitted as a DVD-R, but if you need copy protection DLT is stlll required, which means additional cost for generating a DLT. Some copy protection will incur a flat fee and some charge per disc, this also added to the total cost of replication.

Does it really work?
The rate that copy protection is hacked is faster than the blink of an eye. A true story that I've heard: someone incorporated copy protection onto his DVD, he was given a check disc to verify during replication, he could not copy it in anyway. However, by the time all his DVD were produced, he found a way to hack it. So you'll be the judge.

Are we doomed?
While it could be fairly easy for someone who is computer savvy to download or copy a disc effortlessly, for the rest of the population, copy protection is still somewhat effective. If you have the budget and concern, copy protection is still a good option and give you the peace of mind. Alternatively, invest in unique packaging, create a collector's edition for the DVD. Pirates rip movies, but they rarely can afford to copy the packaging too. Design a customized DVD box and inside packaging, give people some good reason to buy the DVD.



Thursday, July 06, 2006

Is replication better than duplication?

This is probably the no. 1 most frequently asked question that I get. Many people think that they are the same and use these 2 words interchangeably. Some people say one but actually mean the other. It creates a lot of confusion because each method has its pros and cons. If you are trying to get a price and time estimate even at the same quantity you might get wildly different answers.

Duplication
CD/DVD duplication (a.k.a burned CD/DVD) is the process to create the content using CD-R / DVD-R media. In other words, a duplicator is used to create or "burn" the source image to another pre-manufactured CD-R/DVD-R.

Replication
CD/DVD replication (a.k.a pressed CD/DVD) creates a glass master from a pre-mastered image. Stampers are subsequently created from glass master. The stampers will then be used to press the discs with injection molding made of raw polycarbonate plastic.

What's the big deal?
Now you might be asking, "So what's the big deal? So they are different process". A big deal if you ask me. Replication is the de facto process for higher quantity manufacturing, say 1000 pieces and up. With replication, there is usually a setup cost because stampers and films that need to be made. A longer production time is also expected, most stampers need the entire day to make. We get a lot of wows when clients hear about how long it takes to replicate discs, the truth is, it is a much more complicated process that requires careful quality control and monitoring. The more you make, the cheaper it is with replication.

Lower quantities (we call it short-runs) are mostly done with duplication. With this method the setup is much quicker, since all we will be using is a duplication tower. It is also more economical because of little to none setup cost. That is why companies are able to have a very low minimum (such as 10 or 50) with duplication. You will get your products much quicker, usually within a few days time, but you do pay a higher per unit price for each disc.

Is duplication lower quality than replication?
The short answer is no. The quality of the products is only as good as the original master. What most people are concerned with is the compatibility of discs with CD/DVD players. It is not the same as quality. Nowadays about 90-95% of players are compatible with CD-R/DVD-R, with the exception of Playstation and X-Box. Just remember, the key is to thoroughly test the original master, otherwise problems will still arise no matter which method you use.