Duplication Centre

Sometimes you need to ensure that data on a CD or DVD is safe. The best way to protect against any kind of damage that might take your discs out of action is to make an image of them as a backup. An image is simply a complete copy of all the information contained on a disc.

Disc images come in many formats. ISO and DMG (Mac) are the two most common, but there are many others which may be used depending on which program you choose for your imaging needs. In the end it doesn’t really matter that much what format you use, as the program you choose will allow you to manipulate it later.

Picking out a piece of software is usually a matter of deciding what you need it to do, and how much you’re willing to pay. As a basic, free Windows utility you can usually do well with is ImgBurn. Mac users will love Disco which is free using the license code posted on the main page of the site. As with many other types of software, Wikipedia provides a list of other options.

Once you have your chosen piece of software installed, it’s generally extremely simple to proceed. Most image burning programs offer a simple user interface which will guide you through the process of choosing an image format, selecting your disc source, and choosing an output. Generally you have the option to save your image file to your hard drive, or copy it to another disc.

Once you have your image, you just need to determine how you want to store it. There are far more a few ways to go about storing images you create, of course. You can burn a new disc with an image you have created, store it on your computer, move it to another system, throw it onto a USB flash drive, or even take the time to upload it onto a cloud solution.

First off, it is important to realize that the best is always a subjective concept, and that no matter what advice you receive, you’ll need to remember this rule: trial and error using the equipment you intend to use under the conditions you expect the discs to be able to withstand is the most reliable method of determining what works best for you.

With that out of the way, there are absolutely certain things which can be said for recordable CDs in general. The first is that you should never consider the CD-R a viable long term storage option. By their very nature, CD-R media degrade over time. While manufacturers will claim extreme shelf life, the truth is that most will degrade in 5-10 years. Some poor quality discs will last far less time than this. This is particularly true in extreme environments such as heat, damp, or cold.

While the available data on CD-Rs is too immense (thousands of reviews, tests, and opinions are available, some more objective, others wholly subjective) to attempt to even summarize in table form, it’s very possible to shine a light on some of the most common recommended brands. Each of them has been cited for quality. Though some are more durable and others more reliable (even among different types of CD-Rs within brands) all of these brands maintain a high standard across the board, and have been suggested time and again by multiple sources.

Often-Recommended (alphabetical):

Mitsui, Taiyo Yuden (the author’s favored brand, sometimes also labeled as JVC), and TDK. (Note that Fuji, HP, Philips, Sony, and Yamaha all generally re-brand disks from these three manufacturers, and are also reliable as a result.) Pioneer and Ricoh are second-tier recommendations, and should also be considered worth looking at.

There are also manufacturers who produce discs that are most often cited as being troublesome. Unless otherwise unavoidable it’s wise to steer clear of them.

Best to Avoid (again, alphabetical):

First and foremost: do not use “no-name” discs no matter how little they may cost. (Unless you can confirm that they’re from one of the manufacturers above, but that’s rare.) Otherwise, definitely be wary of discs from CMC Magnetics, Fornet, Gigastorage, Hotan, Lead Data, Hotan, Maxell, Memorex, Princo and Verbatim.

If a brand is not listed above there is a reasonable chance that it is a middle of the road option and should be considered potentially viable if other recommended alternatives do not present themselves.

Finally, it’s wise to remember that not all CD-R’s are created equal within a brand. There are exceptions, particularly within the recommendations to avoid. Usually these are higher-priced CD-R’s from a specific brand. (Though a higher price is not always an indicator of quality, there are many CD-Rs on the recommended list to be had for low prices.) It is important to note that in general these are no better than a typical CD-R from the recommended brands.

But following the rule we started out with, if you can secure a small variety of discs to test on your recorder(s) and player(s) before making a large volume purchase (which is always the best way to go about acquiring CD-Rs as the prices are very compelling) it can help you narrow down this broad field.

Best of luck finding your best CD-R.

While CDs and DVDs are subject to degradation over time, it is possible to increase their longevity through taking good care of the discs. One of the biggest ways to increase the lifespan of your media is to pay close attention to the kind of storage conditions you maintain.

First off you should do everything you can to keep discs away from extremes of heat, and any moisture. Both hot and cold can adversely effect the media, and humidity has been recorded as a major problem for many brands. As a result most people will find that the best solution is to store disks away from windows. Avoid both direct sunlight on the media as well as containers, cabinets, and shelves that receive direct sun. Do not place discs anywhere which is too close to an air-conditioner (which can reduce temperatures next to it be extreme amounts) or a heater.

It’s best to take all media out of players when it is not in use. This saves wear on the players as they spin up and down, and the discs, as well as allowing you to store the media under good temperature conditions. In particular car stereo systems are notorious for getting extremely hot, as the dashboard is exposed to direct sunlight often. Discs stored under these conditions can degrade very quickly.

Never set discs loosely on each other or place them on random surfaces. Dust and grit can easily get between the media (and the surfaces) and damage the protective layer, potentially exposing the data layer in the process. Also avoid allowing young children access to media. Even giving them “junk” discs can be a mistake as they’re later unable to discern which are the “toys” given to them by their parents, and which ones are valuable.

For better protection, storage options which offer an upright configuration are often considered preferable, as the stress of the discs’ weight is not placed on their readable surfaces. The weight is instead held by the bottom edge or the center ring, depending on the storage system’s other attributes.

The question of jewel cases (regular, slim style or long case type) vs. sleeve storage systems is one which has no clear consensus. Proponents of jewel cases insist that sleeves leave marks on disks very easily, while fans of sleeves point the finger at the hard plastic the discs in jewel cases are all too often pressed against as they are removed and replaced. No matter what you prefer, keeping dust away from your media is vital. Thus an enclosed storage system is recommended. In the case of sleeve systems, many come as binders with zippers that should be kept closed at all times. Jewel cases should not be stored on racks, but instead in enclosed drawers or cabinets. Running a cloth over a case before opening it can increase the chances that the media will remain dust free and viable over the long term.

For travel storage, impact resistance is important. Be sure to choose an option with protection (rubberized covers, internal padding, etc.) for your on-the-go needs.

In the end, your choice of storage will need to be customized to your own circumstances, but if you follow the advice in this article you should see considerably more longevity from all your media.

If you have the need to duplicate a large quantity of CD’s or DVD’s you have the option to let a professional company such as Duplication Centre take care of the job, or invest in a CD duplicator yourself. However before rushing out to buy a CD duplicator and printer there are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration.

Firstly you need to consider hardware issues of the machinery available. After a short period of usage the speed of the drives will need to slow down as they settle and bed in. Although the maximum speed may be for instance 52X, in order to reduce the number of failed discs this process is slowed down.

It’s also possible that the robotic arm could jam or incorrectly pack discs in the machine causing it to stall midstream through the job.Ink level reporting is a problem for many machines on the market.A lot of duplication and printing machines are inaccurate at showing the real ink level in cartridges. This means you may end up throwing away a half-empty cartridge or run out of ink half way through a job, wasting discs in the processes.It also possible that the inkjet nozzles could become blocked during the print run. This leaves white lines on the print and wasted CDs. The machine will not stop automatically if the quality of print deteriorates.

Cost-efficiency over quality of end result could also be a factor to consider. If consistency and quality of colour is important then the only option may beto use expensive brand cartridges to print onto the discs. Even then, depending of the compatibility of ink to printable CD surface there may be a chance that certain colours bleed into each other (particularly black and yellow). Notably, the ink used in these printers is water soluble. This means the printed disc can smudge easily either by the wipe of a moist figure or the drip of a coffee on the disc. This problem can be solved by lacquering after printing of using “watershield” discs instead; both options add additional costs to the process.

On a basic level if you wanted printing for example 500 CDs using a single all-over colour, considering a single tri-colour cartridge last only 40 discs, combined with an output of 25 discs an hour, it would appear to be a slow and expensive process.

As a professional duplication company we deal with these issues for you and we want to copy your  discs for you. Using the serves of Duplication Centre could save you a lot of headache and unnecessary expanse, and our service is not only inexpensive but we deliver fast.

In the words of Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, “We need to bring copyright into line with people’s expectations and update it for the modern digital world.”

For many people ripping CD’s onto a computer is nothing new, otherwise the iPod would not have taken off as it did. However, most people are unaware that make a digital copy of something you’ve legitimately bought isactually illegal. However,no one in the UK has ever been prosecuted for ripping CDs or DVDs for personal use, and in many countries there does exist a “fair use” policy for copying content.

Business, Innovation and Skills spokespersonexplained that the current rules obstruct advances in business and that the new reform was aimed more at businesses. ‘There are some businesses that are being hampered by the way the existing law works at the moment. With these changes, the government is thinking of ways of creating the right conditions to encourage innovation and growth.’

Thankfully the government has caught up and is planning to reform existing copyright law, finally making it legal for consumers to make digital copies of their CDs and DVDs, as long as it is for their own and immediate family’s personal use.

However it has never been easy to “rip” a DVD. In most cases the consumer has to download “illegal” software in order to get past the encryption placed on the DVD by movie studios.

Will the government’s final proposals actually include the ability to rip films and TV shows from DVDs? If so, will movie studios be required to get rid of the copy protection from their DVDs and Blu-rays in order for their customers to be able to make a digital copy? Or perhaps software such as iTunes will enable the consumerto eradicate this encryption for themselves?

It comes as no surprise that the film industry is strongly against format shifting, even for personal use. Lavinia Carey, director general of the British Video Association, says it would be ‘extremely damaging’ and that ‘it’s for the rights owner to decide how to offer the [digital] copy’.

Most of us are aware of the basic economic model of supply and demand. It would appear that when a popular product comes out it is the bellowing of the masses that makes a shop supply it. Likewise if the price is too high, it is the resistant consumer’s unwilling to pay that indeed drives the prices down in store in order to get the sales.

It would appear that sometimes this message takes a long time to be heard or acted on. Recently the boss of HMV, the UK’s largest entertainment retailer, stated that by 2016 they will stop stocking CD’s all together.

It is not uncommon for many people nowadays to no longer buy music as a physical media, preferring downloads (whether legal or illegal) or other means of listening. So it would seem a legitimate question for music fans whether the Compact Disc (CD) is indeed on it’s way out?

If we look at the in industry in general, with the advent of on-demand services and available downloads, it’s evident that DVD’s still retain their value with customers and are continuing to go strong. Generally priced between £10-£15 for a new release, it’s possible that CD’s just do not offer enough to justify their cost. The price of CD’s doesn’t decline as quickly as that of DVD’s despite the special features and extra content available on a DVD.

All this said it this does not mean the end of industry or even necessarily the physical medium. CD’s can still be the best way for a band to sell their music direct to fans at shows and gigs. And there are many hug fans out there which are willing or even prefer to buy a physical copy of the music they like. You just have to observe the renaissance in popularity of vinyl records for evidence of the affection towards the physical medium of music.

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but what about a CD?

Some album’s artwork has become as memorable as the album itself. Who doesn’t recognize the Rolling Stones’ tongue logo that came out for the first time on their ‘Sticky Fingers’ album? Or The Beatles’ Abbey Road album!

As an artist your CD cover is your calling card to the record industry and to the consumer. As a music artist you should realise the importance of the graphic design stage in preparing your music for the marketplace. A well designed cover, along with other details of information put on the packaging of your CD album or single could be the key to determining whether or not a record label boss even listens to what’s inside. It may as well be what turns off or on your potential customer. Therefor having a good album cover is important.

When designing your CD cover it is important to critique it in a professional manner, suggesting any improvements you think would help make the graphic design an effective introduction of your music to the industry and your fan/customers.
The following are some questions and suggestions to help create an effective CD cover design.

Front Cover
Is the artist name (and logo) clearly visible and distinguishable from the title of release? Consider the art or graphics used. Does it hint to the genera of music?

Back Cover
Consider what information needs to be there;  Label name, catalog number, barcode, song titles/ times, contact info, (website URL, email address,) production credits, Producer’s name, etc. Is this information clear and is the text and colours user clear.

Disc Label
Is the artist’s name (logo) present and clearly visible, or is it kept blank for artist reasons. If there are any graphics on the disc, do they match/compliment the CD case?

Booklet/Tray card

Decide what sort of booklet you would like, if at all. Then think about what graphics. Is the artwork and design consistent with the rest of the artwork and design of the front and back covers. What additional information do you want to include; photos, more credits, song lyrics, ect.

Spine
What specific information is on the spine of the CD?
( Label name/logo, catalog number, artist name, release name)

As an artist you have spent a long time writing, rehearsing, performing, and recording your music. It would be advisable to take some time to consciously consider the information and graphics, however subtle,  that go into creating your CD release. Once approved and sent to the a duplication company such as duplication centre it will be too late to correct any second thoughts you may have had.

Although there are copyright laws in existence today, copy protection is a much-needed requirement. Unauthorised CD duplication and piracy is a flourishing illegal business and you are well within your rights to ask for video protection, CD copy protection, data protection, copy protection for important and/or sensitive data. It goes without saying that unauthorized copying can cause untold harm to the business in question or even to your personal information.

There are a number of copy protection solutions available dependent upon the type of media to be used and content (data or video) to be protected.

CDs and DVDs may be copy protected, using a security software package. Currently, there are two methods used to secure a copy protected CD or DVD. The first method involves creating a physical mark (watermark) on the CD or DVD during the burning process. The second method involves encrypting the CD or DVD data in a “pre-master” version of the resulting disc. Copy protection software may use one of these methods, or may combine methods for added security. Some low cost options include CDShield and CrypKey. Both of these packages encrypt the CD or DVD data to prevent copying. Both of these offer trail versions for evaluation, so it’s easy to give it go.

Copy protection may be a worthwhile step to take when duplicating CD and DVDs for your business to distribute. However it is worth mentioning that this will never guarantee you against unauthorized copying of information. The internet is full of forums with advice on how to rip copy protected CD/DVDs  as well as downloadable software created especially to decrypt almost any type of encrypted CD/DVD, including the latest Blue-ray movies.

Before duplicating your work on CD or DVD it is most certainly worth considering copy protecting it, especially if you are going to sell and distribute the end product.

When it comes to storing your CDs cheaply and efficiently, CD sleeves are your best bet.

• Made of Transparent plastic
• Plastic CD Sleeve comes with a foldable flap
• Scratch Resistant Protects From Dust, Scratches, Sun

• Takes up less storage space
• Ideal for promotional discs, low cost applications, or where you wish to achieve a minimalist feel with your discs.

Why CD Sleeves are a popular choice?

If you’re looking for a storage solution that’s cost effective but with a bit more durability than a Cardboard CD sleeve, plastic CD wallets offer an increased level of protection. Plastic CD sleeves offer a rigid layer of defence between your disc and the damaging elements of the outside world.

All our cd wallets are excellent 120 micron. Guaranteed that the CD does NOT split when you put your disc into them.

Cost Effective Solution

CD Plastic Wallets are, durable and have become a cost effective method for storage and transportation.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to print on the wallet surface, although you can add a simple full colour 2 page leaflet inside to help promote your product.

CD Wallet Specification

• Quality 120 micron.
• 127x165mm
• Smooth edges
• Protects your CD from scratches