February 3rd, 2008

The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) and Ecma International announced today that the International Standards Organization (ISO) has approved ISO/IEC 10995, a global standard for optical media archive life testing for recordable and rewritable DVDs. The standard will enable the optical storage industry to offer reliable archival-grade optical discs to help end-users select the media life expectancy best suited to their application requirements.

Approval of the new standard is the culmination of joint development efforts by OSTA and ECMA to define standard procedures for media archive life testing and classification, and then fast track the archival-grade optical disc testing specification through the ISO process.

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January 29th, 2008

North Coast Interactive is proud to announce the immediate availability of UltraPrint-D™ Diamond Everest Printable Media. UltraPrint-D™ media is the latest addition to NCI’s industry leading line of Everest Printable Media products. The unique feature of the “D” series of CD-R media is the Diamond or “TrueSilver” data side. This is achieved through a specially processed dye layer which removes the greenish tint found in typical CD-R media. The end result is a disc which more closely resembles mass replicated or “glass mastered” discs.

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January 8th, 2008

Primera Technology, Inc. today announced the availability of its new PTRip Software.

PTRip gives users of Primera’s Bravo-Series Disc Publishers the ability to automatically load CDs into their Publishers’ built-in CD/DVD drives for importing audio tracks into Apple® iTunes or Microsoft® Windows Media Player. The program is simple to use and requires just three steps:

1. Place CDs into a Bravo-Series Disc Publisher’s input bin,
2. Launch PTRip,
3. Click “Load to iTunes” or “Load to Windows Media Player.”

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January 1st, 2008

We thought we’d take a second to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2008. Happy New Year!

We have many new features planned for the site as well as the addition of several guest authors, so stay tuned for more CD and DVD media news!

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December 21st, 2007

Going automation or going manual is the first question most consumers ask themselves before buying a duplicator. There are two primary motives for why a consumer would choose one over the other. Price and time. Lets take a look at what a CD duplicator autoloader has to offer verse what a CD duplicator tower has to offer.

Lets consider these factors in several examples below.

It’s fairly obvious a CD duplicator tower will be far less expensive because the components used to manufacture the product are lower cost and easier to obtain. However, the purchase price shouldn’t be the only factor when calculating the ‘cost’ of a product. A manual tower needs an operator for the duplication process. That is a cost. In addition there are opportunity costs.

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December 11th, 2007

Taiyo Yuden filed a patent suit in the United States against two Taiwanese makers of DVD discs for violation of manufacturing technology for DVD-R discs.

Taiyo Yuden filed a suit at a California district court against Prodisc Technology on Oct. 30 and Ritek on Nov. 21, Taiyo Yuden spokeswoman Rieko Kimoto said.

Taiyo Yuden said the two Taiwanese firms infringed three patents regarding the manufacturing process for recording functions of DVD-R and had refused to pay patent fees.

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December 4th, 2007

As mentioned in a previous post we don’t usually talk about manufacturer specials, but when we hear about deals that go above and beyond we have to pass it along. One equipment manufacturer is offering a substantial gift for their December special, so we thought it was worth mentioning.

MF Digital is offering a 2 drive upgrade on their 2 drive Scribe duplicator when purchased with a Teac P55 Dye Sublimation printer. Given the price point of a 2 drive automated system to that of a 4 drive automated system, this December special saves you about $2,000. Not only is the special for a drive upgrade, but the new model increases your capacity from 300 discs to 500 discs.

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December 1st, 2007

PC Magazine’s article about the format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray was something that I somehow overlooked and didn’t comment on here. Let me get caught up right now. From the article:

The two technologies don’t work together, and it is very unlikely that both formats will survive. Both kinds of players will work with “old-fashioned” DVDs, but if you want a high-definition video experience on a disc, right now you will have to choose one or the other. The next PC you buy may come with the option to include either an HD DVD drive or a Blu-ray drive. And with standalone players selling for $500 to $1,000, guessing wrong could be expensive.

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November 26th, 2007

Not a whole lot of news in the CD recordable industry lately, but this latest release is an exciting one. Soft-R Research LLC has announced today the release of a new security solution based on its Self Recordable media technology, called the the CDSoft-R Cryptex.

From their site: “CDSoft-R Cryptex is the first “all-in-one” digital safe box. Which means; a strong security application combined with a Self Recordable media based on a CD-R. This new security system from Soft-R Research is allowing end-users an uncomplicated and inexpensive way to encrypt and secure their files.”

In a matter of just a few seconds after inserting a CDSoft-R TM Cryptex simply select your files, and then just click on the Record button, and that’s it all your file are automatically encrypted and saved. Now at any time you can securely browse your files directly from the CDSoft-R TM Cryptex and update them or view as required.

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November 18th, 2007

Q: What causes a bad master disc error message in my CD DVD duplicator?

A: Master disc(s) that are scratched, smudged or that have marks such as fingerprints or marker residue on them can affect the quality of the disc. Also, burning errors which result in data being misplaced during the burning process can also contribute to the making of a bad master disc.

Another cause is using cheap/discounted media for your master copies. You may save a few bucks by buying the lesser know brands, but the amount of coasters you’ll end up making will normally outweigh the savings. Stick to manufacturer recommended blank CD DVD media, or you’ll end up wasting money and time.

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