Category: cd duplication

Differences Between CD DVD Media

Even though both CD and DVD disks have the same
media size and shape, the things they have in
common ends there. There are many different
things between the two, such as what they hold
and how much they hold.

Data pits and lasers
A disc has microscopic grooves that will move
along in a spiral around the disc. CDs and
DVDs both have these grooves, with laser breams
applied to scan these very grooves.

As you may know, digital information is represented
in ones and zeroes. Inside of these discs, very
tiny reflective bumps known as lands and non
reflective holes known as pits, which can be
found beside the grooves, reflect both the ones
and the zeroes of digital information.

By reducing the wave length of the laser to 625mm
or more infrared light, DVD technology has
managed to write in smaller pits when compared
to the standard technology of CD. This will
allow for a greater amount of data per track
on the DVD. The minimum length allowed for a
pit in a single layer DVD-R is .4 micron, which
is obviously more than the .0834 micron that a
CD offers.

The tracks of a DVD are narrower as well, which
allows for more tracks per disc, which also
translates into more capacity than a CD. The
avaerage single layer DVD holds 4.5 GB of data,
while a CD holds a mere 700 MB.

Layers
As stated above, a DVD has smaller pits and the
lasers need to focus on them. This is actually
achieved by using a thinner plastic substrate
than in a CD, which means that the laser needs
to pass through a thinner layer, with less
depth to reach the pits. It’s this reduction in
thickness that’s responsible for the discs
that were only 0.6mm thickness – which is half
that of a CD.

Data access speed
DVDs will access data at a much faster rate than
a CD can. The average 32X CD-ROM drive reads
data at 4MB a second, while a 1X DVD drive reads
at 1.38MB a second. This is even faster than
an 8X CD drive.

Universal data format
The recording formats of CDs and DVDs are quite
different, as DVDs use UDF, or the Universal
Data Format. This format allows data, video,
audio, or even a combination of all three to
be stored in a single file structure. The
advantage to this is any file can be accessed
by any drive, computer, or even consumer video.
CDs on the other hand aren’t compatible with
this format.

()

PPPPP

CDR Brilliance

Several years ago, CD-R media and CD burners were
never imagined. Computers were just reached the
GHz speed, with Pentium 1 just starting to reach
the horizons. Floppy disks were the ideal way to
store data, even though it took several of them to
store most types of information. Looking at things
today, you can see at a glance just how far technology
has come over the years.

These days, computers are in 2 out of 3 homes
across the world, with almost everyone owning one.
CD burners and CD-RW drives are just as popular,
with everyone realizing just how much money they
can save by burning their own disks and copying
their own media.

There are so many benefits to CD duplication and
CD-R disks that it’s mind boggling. If you’ve
never owned a CD-RW drive or dealt with CD-R media,
you’d be amazed with everything you can do. CD
media helps to simply life as we know it and make
things easier than ever before.

The theory of CD-R duplication is priceless. Writers,
those that are self employed, musicians, small
businesses, hobbyists, and even fortune 500
companies can all benefit from the brilliance
behind CD-R technology. Not only to do they
save you quite a bit of time, but they are
also very affordable while providing you many
different services.

CD-R media is used to store files and important
security documentation. The media disks are
widely used in the computer field to conveniently
backup software and data on disc. Musicians
as well choose to use CD-R duplication as an
affordable marketing and promotion tool to get
their music out to those who want it.

Even the corporate world as well, uses CD-Rs as
a cost effective way of mass producing training
videos and as an aid in converting to the
ideal paperless office. You can also use CD-Rs
as a business card, as they are smaller than
a credit card and store all of your memorable
business card information.

With everything they offer you, CD media is
truly something you can’t live without. The
disks are small and easy to store, yet they
will hold an impressive amount of information.

For all of your audio, storage, or backup needs,
rest assured that CD-R media can help you meet
your demands. The disks will last a lifetime,
making them perfect for special memories. If
you have the need for storage or saving data
and pictures, CD media is the way to go to
ensure that your precious files will be there
each and every time you need them.

()

PPPPP

What You Should Know

With the increasing amount of CD duplication options
for equipment, its very important that you read the
reviews for the different types of equipment you
are considering before you make that final decision
and choose your model.

The best CD duplication equipment for your project
will all depend on the volume of CDs you plan to
duplicate at a time, and the amount of money that
you are planning to invest on a particular piece of
equipment.

Your best source for reading reviews of CD duplication
equipment is on the Internet. There are many
different consumer websites out there that will allow
users to post reviews of equipment, then rate them
on a five or ten point scale. Anytime you are
reading reviews, it’s very important that you get
your information from a trusted and reliable source.

Websites that are up by the owner of the product, or
those that are trying to sell you specific hardware
normally aren’t the best to turn to when you need to
read a review. No one who is trying to get you to
buy a certain piece of hardware is going to tell
you about the flaws the equipment has, or even let
you know about a competitor who has a similiar item
for sale at half the price.

All across the internet, you can find many different
websites that offer the information you seek. There
are several that offer forums, where other users
will tell you honest opinions and give you feedback
about the equipment they own. This can be a great
way to find out about the duplication equipment
your interested in and what else is available for
you to purchase.

Another excellent place to look for CD duplication
equipment reviews is trade magazines and even
electronic magazines. Magazines will normally test
equipment then share their their opinions with their
readers. Always be sure when you are reading a
review that it’s an article sponsored by the
magazine and not a paid advertisement.

CD duplication reviews of equipment are a great
resource when trying to find a piece of equipment
to use. With so many on the market, its always
good to have resources when you need to make
an important decision. A review will also tell you
everything the label and description of the
product leaves out, which can help to ensure you
get the best piece of duplication equipment for
your hard earned money.

()

PPPPP

CD Mastering Engineers

If a recording artist or inspiring musician has
any hopes of having their songs played on the
radio, they’ll need to have their rough mix
mastered very well. The best way to do this, is
to hire a CD mastering engineer.

Professional mastering engineers can make a
decent audio mix sound great and a good mix
sound completely amazing. There are many different
things that CD mastering engineers can do. They
will work with the artist to decide what order
the songs appear on the CD, and also equalize
the volume of the different instruments in each
song and across the entire CD.

They can also help to add more definition and
clarity to the instruments in a song. Then,
they will adjust the introductions and ends of
the songs, choosing the length of time between
the songs and adding crossfades or other nice
effects if they need to.

The order in which the songs on a CD appear
can greatly affect the way the CD progresses
when it’s played. If similar sounding songs
are placed side by side on a CD, it can lead
listeners into thinking the artist has a very
limited range. It’s ultimately up to the
CD mastering engineer to work with the recording
artist and choose the order of songs on the CD.

It’s very important that the instruments in a
song and the songs on the CD be at an appropriate
volume level. Within a song, the different
elements must be mixed appropriately in order
for the song to sound like it should.

The CD engineer can also give clarity and
definition to the different instruments in a
song. The engineer will also have the task of
assuring that the volume levels across all
of the songs are the same, in order to help
the CD sound more cohesive while still leaving
room for dynamics.

The CD mastering engineer will also determine
how much time there should be between the songs
on the CD. They will also fade and crossfasde
the intros and endings of the songs to make
them have a better flow.

For an interesting career, CD mastering engineers
is a great choice. They make excellent money,
get to work with top artists, and enjoy what
they do. If you like music, this career may be
what you’ve always wanted. For those who are
already in the profession – it’s a job unlike
any other out there in the world.

()

PPPPP

Disc Quality

The high demand and dramatic increase in CD media,
plus the competitive pressures to squeeze out
every possible cost and improve the profit margins
have given rise to many manufacturers of CD related
media. To help reduce the costs of increasing
capacity, many of these firms have relocated their
old manufacturing lines and hired staff that learn
on the job.

The biggest problems with CDs occurs when discs are
produced using older equipment then end up failing
when you try to use them. Luckily, most of these
types will fail when you first try to record on
them. There is however, a likelihood that the disc
will complete a burn and the media won’t play at
all.

The agony of taking your photo or video treasures
and putting them on CD or DVD and then deleting them
from your camera or computer only to realize that
the copy is corrupted is far too much to risk. The
brand name company’s such as Verbatim choose to
guard their reputation for quality and durability
by using only advanced recording dye and other
types of technology to produce high speed discs.

The stability of the recording dye is very critical
as heat, humidity, oxygen, and even UV light can
degrade the dye. Verbatim research has also proven
there is a strong correlation between the production
and bonding processes of disc quality.

For data and personal pictures that are important,
you should always buy quality CD media. Then,
before you go ahead and delete the source file,
trying playing the disc back to ensure that it
copied correctly. This way, you won’t have to
worry about losing your precious files and photos
when you remove the source from your computer.

()

PPPPP

Intro To CD Duplication

The first thing you must know, is that there are many
different types of CD duplication. Some of them happen
to be illegal, which is why you’ll need to make sure
that the CDs you are duplicating are allowed by local
laws and regulations.

The CD duplication process is basically taking one
CD and making a copy of it, or if you prefer, many
copies of it. A CD can store information of many
forms, such as pictures, movies, data, and even
music. Therefore, you’ll need to determine which type
of duplication you are interested in.

You’ll also need to think about how many copies you
plan to make as well, as the costs of equipment will
vary. Most computers that you buy these days will
come with a CD-RW drive, and the software you’ll
need to make copies of the CD disks.

CD duplication is very easy to do, as you all you have
to do is a few clicks. Even if you are new to
computers, you’ll find that duplicating CDs is one
of the easiest things you’ll do with your computer.

With the common software, you can copy an audio or
even a data disk in just a few minutes. The most
common program is Nero, as it does wonders for CD
duplication and CD-RW drives. If you have access
to Nero, you’ll find it very easy to use and very
handy to have installed on your computer.

Once you begin to copy CDs, you can make copies of
your audio CDs, back up your computer, even make
copies of your pictures. The sky is the limit with
CD duplication – which is the main reason it has
become so popular over the years.

()

PPPPP

CD Terminology

Below, you’ll find the most common terminology that
relates to CD duplication. Even if you are new to
duplication, the terms below may help you learn more.

BLER
Block Error Rate. This is the raw digital error rate
before any type of error correction.

CD
This the Compact Disc, a digital medium that’s formed
of a 12cm polycarbonate substrate, a reflective
metalized layer, and a protective lacquer coating.

CD-R
Compact Disc-Recordable. The term CD-R is used to
describe the technology of recordable CD along with
the equipment, software, and media that are used to
make the recordable disks.

Data layer
With CD-R media, this is the organic dye that is
sandwiched between the polycarbonate substrate and
the metalized reflective layer of the media. CD-R
disks don’t have any data on them at all until the
are recorded.

Injection Molding
This is a manufacturing method where the molten
material is forced into a mold, normally under
high pressure, then cooled so that the material
will take on the shape of a mirror image in the
mold.

Media or blanks
CD-R media are the disks that are used to record
digital information using a special recorder and
premastering software with a computer. These discs
are made of a polycarbonate substrate, a layer of
organic dye, a metalized reflective layer, and a
coating of lacquer for protection.

Organic dye
The data layer of CD-R media is made from a dye
that is melted during the process of recording.
Where the dye is melted, becomes opaque or
refractive, scattering the reading laser so that
it isn’t reflected back into the reading sensors.

Reflective layer
This is the metal later that sits on top of the
dye that reflects the laser beam back to the
reading assembly. This is normally 24k gold in
CD-R disks, although it can be silver as well.

()

PPPPP

Musicians And CD Duplication

These days, technology is always available for any
inspiring musician to record, create, and even
duplicate CDs. The duplication of CDs will involve
CD-R media. CD-R media prices have dropped a lot
over the last several years, making them affordable
for anyone who wants to use them.

If your band is ready to start selling CDs, your
best option may be to have your CDs replicated.
Replicated CDs are the same CDs that you’ll find
in music stores by major label artists. They all
have excellent artwork printed on the CD inserts,
nice tray card inserts, screened art on the CD,
and they are even shrink wrapped.

The retail CDs that you buy aren’t duplicated, they
are replicated. This means that an exact replica
of your master CD has been stamped out on all of
the other CDs. If you are serious about selling
your music for profit, replication is the way to
go.

The fact is, most stores simply won’t sell duplicated
CDs. Duplicated CDs can be against the law,
which is the main reason retail stores simply
won’t carry them. Replicated CDs let the stores
know that the CD is legit, and they will almost
always carry those CDs.

For musicians and inspiring bands, CD duplication
can tend to be a bit more expensive than that
of replication. To duplicate CDs, you need a
computer with a CD burner, your CD-R media, cases,
and a lot of man hours.

With CD replication, you can get many more copies,
professional artwork, a barcode for inventory, and
cases included. Replication is obviously to
expensive for those looking to simply back up
pictures and data on a personal computer, although
the prices are just right for musicians looking
to make profit off of their CDs.

()

PPPPP

Music CD-R And Data CD-R

People who are new to computers and duplication, will
sometims confuse CD-R music media with CD-R data
media. While confusing them is easy to do, the
two are different indeed. Even if you have some
experience with computers, confusing them is very
easy to do.

As you may or may not know, there are differences
between music CD-R and data CD-R disks. The obvious
difference is, of course, the name. With one
named CD-R music and one named CD-R data, you
know there has to be some type of difference
between the two.

What’s known is that there are indeed technical
differences in what is embedded in blank music
CDs when compared to blank data CDs. These
differences center upon bytes that are within
the sub channels of the blank music disks.

This doesn’t affect the quality, as both audio
and data can be duplicated onto both music CD-R
disks and data CD-R disks. You can burn data onto
music CD-R, and music onto data CD-R media
without any problems. Keep in mind, whether or
not you get data on a music CD-R will depend
on what type of hardware you use to duplicate
the CD.

If you plan to use a PC to do all of your burning,
it won’t matter. A PC doesn’t differentiate
between music CD-R and data CD-R. PCs will see
a blank media CD and duplicate information on it
that pertains to the settings you have outlined
in the software you plan to use to burn the CD.

If you plan to use a seperate CD burner, it
may or may not let you burn data or music on
a generic blank or data CD-R. Some hardware
are funny like that, as they only want you to
use blank media with well known brand names
that they have approved of.

If you plan to do most of your CD duplication
on a computer, it really doesn’t matter which
type of blank CD-R you use. They will both
work fine in most cases when you store either
music or data. When storing data, you have a
limit of 700 MB, while music will have a limit
of a little over an hour of tunes.

For your duplication needs, computers are the
ideal way to copy media. You can use equipment
outside of a computer and CD burner, although
you’ll need to check the operations manual
and see what they recommend for media. If you
have a computer or access to one, it can do
wonders in the areas of music and data CD-R
duplication.

()

PPPPP

Benefits Of CD Duplication

The process of CD duplication is the means of making
several copies of CDs of various types without
doing a replication of many. The term is used to
describe the need and use of short run quantity
copying of various types of CDs. Most CD
duplication is done for quantities under 500.

The value and quality of the duplicate is high,
with the sound quality being very good and matching
the quality of the original. There are many benefits
to CD duplication, including:
1. Its less expensive to do CD duplication
than it is to do a full replication, especially when
the demands are much lower.
2. In most cases, during a replication there
will be a minimum amount that is actually more than
needed. By using CD duplication, you can actually
eliminate this extra replication.
3. Believe it or not, it can actually be
much faster to use CD duplication than a full CD
replication run.

There are other things that can cause you to take a
second look as well. With most cases, CD duplication
will cost more per CD than that of a full run
replication. In the long run however, this may still
be much lower. Not all will look like the original
either, as some will have blue or even black
burn marks on them that make them appear to be
duplicates.

CD duplication, never the less, is a widely used
system of replicating CD’s in a very effective and
timely manner. The technology is always improving
as well, so you can look for updates in the quality
of CD duplication systems as well – which is great
news for those who enjoy CD duplication.

()

PPPPP