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Duplications and Replications

When you need a DVD or CD copied keep in mind that not all DVD and CD duplication and replication services are the same. For example, some companies use discs made so cheaply that they physically fall apart within 3 years. Other companies will attach sticker labels to the discs the render the disc unplayable within 3-5 years. When you need professional DVD or CD copies you can depend on, give us a call.

For over 15 years, Sunray Video has strived to provide the best quality media available for copying DVDs and CDs. We treat every clients' duplication project as if they were our own.

We've always tried to keep the public up-to-date on the latest trends in our industry and inform them on how to keep from being ripped off by competitors. In fact the local television news media has chosen us on 3 separate occasions to help them with stories intended for consumers.

Below you'll find some information we've compiled to help you become familiar with many of the options available today for copying your DVDs and CDs.

Here is a link to our DVD FAQ page:

Frequently Asked Questions About DVDs

Sunray

Did you know that Sunray Video offers discounts on duplications when you have us produce your video for you? Give us a call today to find out more.

Check out our new lower prices and package specials.

LIMITED TIME SPECIAL! 10%-15% OFF DVD & CD DUPLICATION ORDERS OVER 100 COPIES!

ORDER 100 or more DVD OR CD COPIES AND SAVE 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: Order 100 or more DVD or CD copies of one disc and receive 10% off your duplication order. Offer requires a minimum of 100 copies of the same disc. Offer expires January 31, 2012. Offer not valid on previous orders. May not be combined with any other offers.

ORDER 300 or more DVD OR CD COPIES AND SAVE 15% OFF YOUR ORDER: Order 300 or more DVD or CD copies of one disc and receive 10% off your duplication order. Offer requires a minimum of 300 copies of the same disc. Offer expires January 31, 2012. Offer not valid on previous orders. May not be combined with any other offers.

DVD Duplications & Replications

The following information is designed to help you decide whether duplication or replication will better suit your needs.

Question: "What is the difference between Duplication and Replication?"

Answer:

Duplication: Discs are manufactured and then written to (burned) individually. This is the most common process used for quantities under 1,000 copies.

Replication: Requires the creation of a "glass master". Once the glass master is created, it is used to stamp out the DVD discs themselves, where the information is put onto the disc as the disc is being created. Most of the Hollywood movies are copied onto DVDs using this process. Most commonly used for quantities over 1,000 discs. Replicated discs are less expensive to create, due to the larger quantities required and are the most compatible disc for use in DVD players.

Replication has one undeniable advantage over duplication, replicated DVDs are capable of being played on virtually all DVD players out there. DVDs that have been copied or "burned" may not play in every DVD player. This is a result of the different manufacturers wanting to create their own formats. Panasonic developed a DVD format known as DVD-Ram. Phillips supported DVD+R and DVD+RW, while Pioneer and Sony tended to prefer DVD-RW. You don't need to concern yourself with knowing what the differences are between these various formats; all you need to know is that, as of this writing, DVD-R is the most compatible format for playing on most brands and models of DVD players being used today. For this reason, Sunray exclusively uses the DVD-R format of DVDs for duplication.

Question: "What format of DVDs are used for replication?"

Answer: DVD 5 and DVD 9 are the most commonly used DVDs for replication. They do not have the same compatibility issues as the previously discussed DVD formats but, they are only available for replication. The other DVD formats listed above are only used for recording (or burning) of DVDs.

Question: "If replicated DVDs are more compatible with DVD players than duplicated, why wouldn't I want my DVD replicated?"

Answer: Cost. You have to have a minimum of 1,000 copies made in order to use the replication process. Using duplication, we can make any quantity of copies up to 1,000 DVD copies without any minimums to order.

Question: "Should I be concerned that my video won't play on other DVD players if I duplicate my video onto DVD-R?"

Answer: Not really. We've found that most of the players out there are playing DVD-R just fine.

Question: "What if MY DVD player won't play DVD-R?"

Answer: You can buy new DVD players that will play DVD-R for less than $50.

DVD and CD Duplication

For order less than 1,000 copies, there are several factors that determine the cost.

Consumer ALERT: NOT ALL PRICE QUOTES YOU RECEIVE ARE THE SAME! As you call around for pricing, you will notice quite a fluctuation in pricing. Here is the main reason for this, let's look at DVD duplication for example.

If you have a typical Hollywood movie DVD that you've purchased from the store, it may be useful to have it in front of you so you can follow along and see each of the items we're about to go over.

Quantity: The number of copies you need will affect the price. The quality of the DVDs themselves may also be a factor. Please note that cheap DVDs WILL begin to fall apart within only a few years, so we don't use them.
Labeling: The printing on the face of the disc will affect the price. Black letters on a white background is included in our pricing. Color printing and graphics will add to the price.
Packaging: Paper sleeve with a clear plastic window are usually included. Other option include a CD jewel case or slim jewel case, a clam-shell case, a cardboard sleeve, a custom-printed cardboard sleeve, a standard (amary-style) DVD case, or a pouch that is to be inserted or attached to a larger binder or package with other materials inside.
Custom printing: The custom-printed cardboard sleeve or the casewrap insert for the standard (amary-style) DVD case are two examples of where printing may come into play. If you will require this type of printing, do you plan on having another company do the printing or do you prefer to have it done by the same company that is doing the duplication or replication for you.
Do you need each DVD/package to be individually shrink-wrapped? This involves wrapping the DVD package with a clear plastic wrap. DVDs being sold commercially will usually have this type of wrap around the outside.
How soon do you need it? Most companies will charge more for rush jobs.

And, finally, do you require the services of a fulfillment house? If you plan to sell large quantities of the DVD program, a fulfillment house will process orders and ship them out for you so you don't have to worry about boxing them up and taking them out to be shipped yourself. They can save you a lot of time.

We recommend that you decide exactly what you want before you start calling around and then be sure to ask about pricing for EXACTLY what you want. Otherwise, you may find yourself using a company that quoted you a lower price for duplication but ends up charging you more for the rest of the process and end up paying more overall for the final products you're ordering.

In addition to knowing how many copies you'll need, we'll need to know the answers to the rest of the questions above in order to give you a more accurate estimate for your job. For this reason, we only offer quotes by phone. Give us a call today.

If I have a DVD burner in my computer, can I make DVD copies myself?

As long as you have the appropriate software, yes.

WARNING: Here are the most common problems you need to be aware of that have actually happened to people who have duplicated DVDs.

A. They used the wrong format of DVD and it won't play in some players.

B. They use cheap blank DVDs that start falling apart within a few years.

C. Most people who make their own DVD copies have been using press-on labels

If the labels are not perfectly centered on the disc, the DVD will be unbalanced, causing it to "wobble" during playback. This can lead to read errors by the DVD player that may keep the disc from playing correctly.
Labels make the disc thicker than a normal DVD and some DVD players, like the ones in laptop computers, don't have enough room for the extra thickness and the disc will get stuck in the player with the disc being unable to spin, rendering it unreadable. There's also a possibility of damaging the disc when you attempt to remove it from the player.
After several plays, some labels have started to separate from the disc. Since the disc spins at several hundred RPMs (revolutions per minute), the label may separate even more while spinning inside the player. This increases the possibility of the label getting snagged inside the DVD player. If this happens, it will not only ruin the disc, but could damage the DVD player as well. Sometimes, just the separation of the label from the disc can cause the disc to become unreadable by a DVD player. Once a DVD is damaged, there is no way to fix it.

D. Some people choose to use a marker to label their DVDs. The chemicals in markers have actually reacted with the materials in some discs causing the materials in the disc to break down to the point of becoming unreadable in a DVD player. For this reason, WE STRONGLY DISCOURAGE THE USE OF MARKERS ON THE FACE OF DVDs and CDs.

DVD and CD Replication

Replication is only available for order of 1,000 discs or more. Pricing for replication will also be affected by the each of the items mentioned for duplication (above), although the cost per disc should be less. The labeling on the discs will usually involve some type of screen printing. Replication may take longer to complete due to the process involved. 95% of the companies offering replication don't actually do the work in-house, themselves. They will typically sub-contract the work to another company. Since the replication industry is so competitive, quality sometimes suffers. It's important to choose a company that will ensure the product will be your specifications. A good company will serve as "project manager" and confirm that everything gets done according to plan. The extra work involved as PM is why some companies need to charge more to cover their time. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.

DVD Duplication and Replication

Whether you need several DVD copies of your video to distribute to employees, customers, or just share with family and friends, let Sunray help you with all of your DVD duplication needs. Once you have determined the number of copies you need, we'll just need to know the following:

Do you want the DVDs labeled with simple black text on a white background or do you prefer a full color design?
What type of packaging do you need for the discs? Paper sleeves, jewel cases, slim jewel case, or the standard DVD cases like the ones that movies typically come with? We can design and print full color DVD case inserts for the traditional DVD cases to give your DVD that professional look.
How soon do you need them?

Paper Sleeve Jewel Case Slim Jewel Case DVD Case

Give us a call for pricing information.

Additional Related Services

Sunray offers the following support services to help you with your project:

Authoring for DVDs including setting up the DVD menu/s.

Graphic design for DVD labels and case covers.

Handling arrangements with a fulfillment house.

Marketing advice on how to sell or distribute your videos.

Converting clips of your video to put onto your website.

Many of the companies that offer duplication services have never actually performed every step of the process themselves, so they try to fake it. Sunray actually has the experience of duplicating videos, designing and printing the artwork, as well as, packaging the product. Give us a call today to discuss how we can help you!

Proudly serving the communities of San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Poway, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Chula Vista, Cardiff, El Cajon, Santee, Orange County, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, Marina Del Rey, Manhattan Beach, Palm Springs, Temecula, San Bernadino, Riverside for over 15 years!

Other communities we serve include: Clairemont Mesa, Mission Beach, North Park, Pacific Beach, Torrey Hills, Torrey Pines, University City, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Miramar, Mira Mesa, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Pe�asquitos, Sabre Springs, Scripps Ranch, Sorrento Valley, Kearny Mesa, Mission Valley East, San Carlos, Serra Mesa, Tierrasanta, Hillcrest, Linda Vista, Morena, Ocean Beach, Old Town, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, Shelter Island, Sunset Cliffs, University Heights, Balboa Park, Bankers Hill, Lemon Grove, Lakeside, La Mesa, Leucadia, Eastlake, Bonita, Vista, Imperial Beach, National City, Solana Beach, Alpine, Fallbrook, Jamul, Harbison Canyon, Borrego Springs, Casa de Oro, Mount Helix, Spring Valley, Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Corona, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Foothill Ranch, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Yorba Linda

Including zip codes:

92007, 92009, 92014, 92024, 92025, 92026, 92027, 92029, 92040, 92064, 92065, 92067, 92069, 92071, 92075, 92078, 92091, 92111, 92117, 92119, 92120, 92121, 92122, 92123, 92124, 92126, 92127, 92128, 92129, 92130, 92131

92656, 92698, 92801, 92802, 92803, 92812, 92821, 92822, 92823, 90620, 90621, 90622, 92625, 92626, 92627, 92628, 90630, 92629, 92650, 92609, 92610, 92708, 92728, 92831, 92840, 92842, 92846, 92605, 92602, 90631, 92637, 92630, 92690, 92658, 92856, 92672, 92675, 92701, 92780, 92885