Duplications & Replications 
Sunray Video specializes in DVD and CD duplication and replication.
Sunray
Duplication Incentives
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.
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Check out
our new lower prices
and package specials.
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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 & 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 & 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.
VHS Duplications
Our VHS copies include face AND spine labels along with a black cardboard
sleeve at no extra charge.
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!
