Desktop Dynamics:New Freedom and Utility in Low-Cost CD/DVD Publishing

Advancing the Ar t of Digital Deliver y.

There are several options available to users, ranging from an

individual CD burner within a PC to expensive replication

processes for mass distribution. But how do you find a solution

that matches the specific needs of your particular environment?

A MARKET OVERVIEW

The entire CD/DVD duplication market covers a broad range of

products—at one end is manual duplication towers (dup towers)

and at the other end is high-volume production equipment.

Dup towers are inexpensive and certainly suffice for creating

multiple discs. But they are limited to duplication only. Dup towers

also require a dedicated person to constantly coordinate the

effort, and they don’t offer label printing capabilities. If you require

disc labels, you will incur added expenses and increased turnaround

time.

The opposite end of the market offers automated, heavy-duty

‘production’ equipment with tremendous throughput capabilities.

This expensive equipment can produce hundreds of discs per hour,

as well as customize CD content and labels, all with minimal

human intervention. So, if you operate in a commercial or produc-

tion environment, this is the solution you may want to consider.

FINDING BALANCE IN THE MIDDLE

An internal CD burner may be adequate for the average PC user,

and mass-quantity disc replication is appropriate for firms like Sony

when releasing the latest music CDs or DVD movie releases.

But your situation is probably more unique. If you need more than

In today’s increasingly digital landscape, the need for most organizations to find a simple, cost-effective wayto create and reproduce CDs or DVDs has become a necessity. Practically every professional environmenthas a unique set of needs for the management of digital assets. From Word and PowerPoint files to graphics, audio and video clips, it has become imperative to have the ability to archive,manage and distribute digital content in a variety of formats.

New Freedom and Utility in Low-Cost CD/DVD Publishing

one-off CDs, but less than millions of discs, then your

needs may best fit within the middle ‘Desktop (or Office)

Market’.

The middle desktop market encompasses the widest

variety of users from a vast range of industries, and

typically includes small- to medium-sized organizations.

The abundance of digital assets has essentially turned

CDs into ‘digital paper.’ From an ease-of-use and

functionality standpoint, desktop market users need the

simplicity and equivalency of a copy machine for managing

their digital assets.

OPTIONS WITHIN THE MIDDLE MARKET

There are three primary categories within the middle

Desktop Market:

• Limited Use Autoloaders

• Front Office/Desktop Solutions

• Specific Demand Solutions

DESKTOP MARKET: LIMITED USE AUTOLOADERS

Like the name describes, Limited Use Autoloaders are

quite limited in their usefulness.While they are an inex-

pensive option for CD automation, they have extremely

slow throughput speeds with low disc capacity, thus

requiring significant human intervention. Because they are

not network compatible, they cannot be shared in the

organization. Nor are they expandable, meaning Limited

Use Autoloaders cannot evolve with your company.

DESKTOP MARKET: FRONT OFFICE / DESKTOP SOLUTIONS

The largest category within the middle desktop market is

the Front Office or Desktop solution.These products

offer the perfect blend of automation, fast recording and

throughput speeds, large disc capacity for uninterrupted

workflow, reliable robotics, plus an attached print technol-

ogy for seamless production of every disc.The vast

majority of businesses needing CD/DVD replication

capabilities will find their ideal solution here.

DESKTOP MARKET: SPECIFIC DEMAND SOLUTIONS

The third type of desktop market solution addresses very

specific requirements, such as integration with databases,

accounting processes, music production or automated

asset archiving, to name a few. Regardless of specificity, the

solution must be feature-rich and meet the requirements

exactly. If you need flexibility and integration with existing

software or simply increased throughput, look for a

partner that can also offer software development,

integration and customization.

SELECTING THE RIGHT DESKTOP SOLUTION

To help you better understand the variables before start-

ing the selection process, we have compiled a list of 10

questions you should ask before making a decision.

The most important information to know is what you

need now—and into the future—from your CD/DVD

solution. How many

discs will you

produce in a week,

a month, the entire

year? Do you have

disc capacity require-

ments, like less than

100mb, more than

650mb or several

Gigabytes?

The Rimage 1500 CD / DVDDesktop Publisher

CONSIDER YOUR NETWORK

Could a solution with networking capabilities benefit your

department or company as a whole? Network-ready

CD/DVD solutions function similarly to a network printer

that multiple people can access. Most CD/DVD solutions

are not network-ready, so be sure to inquire. Networking

your solution is not only convenient, but in most cases,

critical. Ask if the client interface (how users send files

across a network) allows an unlimited number of users,

or if you have to pay for each user. Also, make sure the

interface is multi-platform (Windows and Mac friendly).

DUPLICATING VS. PUBLISHING

Products in this category are often called ‘duplicators’

because they simply duplicate CDs or DVDs—producing

exact replicas of an original. But beyond duplication is

‘publishing’, offering more freedom and functionality to a

broader audience. Publishing allows you to create multiple

discs with unique content, in addition to exact replicas.

Do you want the freedom to publish CDs (customizing

content and labels) in addition to simply duplicating?

TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FUTURE

Because technology is constantly evolving, it’s important

to choose a solution that will adapt to your organization’s

growing needs. Learn about the future upgradability and

flexibility of the solution you’re considering. Ask about

upgrade options and also about service and maintenance

agreements. Choose a manufacturer that is committed to

preserving your investment.

CONSIDER THE USERS

Make sure the solution you consider is easy to use and

offers a straightforward, intuitive user interface that

virtually any computer user can recognize. Ask questions

about the label creation and editing software. How easy is

it for anyone in the company to create a good-looking

CD label? If you are a graphics professional, can the CD

solution accommodate various file formats?

10 important questions forchoosing a CD/DVD Publisher

1.How many discs do you plan to produce

in a day? A week? A month? A year?

2.Do you anticipate that number will grow

in the next several years?

3.What is the average amount of data?

Under 650mb? Several gigabytes?

4.Would a network-ready solution be beneficial?

5.Will other departments need to access the unit?

6.Do you want the ability to produce full-color,

high-resolution labels?

7.Do you need a system that anyone can operate?

8.Does your environment have a need for a

cross-platform client interface? (ie. PC and MAC)

9.Will you be duplicating (making exact replicas)

and publishing (customizing) CDs/DVDs?

10.How important is the consideration of cost?

New Freedom and Utility in Low-Cost CD/DVD Publishing

UNDERSTANDING LABEL PRINTING

The quality of the printed CD/DVD labels is often over-

looked. Many solutions offer a label printing capability, but

the print quality is mediocre at best.When you distribute

digital assets from your company, you want the quality of

the discs to reflect your professionalism. Here are some

questions to ask: Will labels be printed in full color?

Does it have first-class ink and color management?

What is the print speed, image resolution, pixel density

and color gamut? Are there dual ink cartridges?

Most critical, what is the pico-liter size? Avoid printing

technology that uses a pico-liter size of more than five,

since you may experience problems with the ink migrating

and pooling on the media coatings, shifts in the color and

excessive label drying times.

CONSIDER THE COSTS

The cost of the hardware and consumables is an impor-

tant consideration when choosing a CD/DVD solution.

Everyone likes a bargain and they are certainly easy to

find. But before you make a purchase, make sure you

assess all of your needs and directly compare features and

costs.You may choose one manufacturer to save money,

but end up without some features that you really need.

Look for a solution that offers quality, versatility, flexibility,

upgradability and ease of use. In addition to the up-front

hardware investment, know the media pricing, the

per-label print costs, maintenance and more.

DEMANDING FEATURE SETS

For companies that need a

customized solution

integrated with exist-

ing systems and

processes, it is vital

to choose an

appropriate manu-

facturer with the

development tools

and talent to fulfill

this demand.

If you would like more help in defining your CD/DVD

publishing needs and determining which solution is best,

please contact us.

Call Rimage at 1-800-445-8288

Email Rimage at info@rimage.com

Visit www.rimage.com

SOME INDUSTRIES AND USERS:Federal Government Law EnforcementState and Local Government MusiciansCorporate Training MIS/IT DepartmentsMedical Clinics and Hospitals Software DevelopersDocumentation Customer SupportK-12 Education UniversitiesReligious Organizations Service BureausContent Management ManufacturingRecording Studios EngineeringPhoto Studios Video ConversionVideo Post Production Accounting/FinanceSales/Marketing General OfficeHuman Resources And much more!

SOME APPLICATIONS:There is an endless list of uses for digital asset management.

Marketing and Sales communicationsDistribution and storage of graphics and filesCustomer presentations and quotesCustomized information distribution Digital press kitsCorporate training materialsDistribution and archival of CAD drawings,Master setup of software applicationsBeta testingDistribution of updatesArchivalCustomer supportFinancial reportingDocumentation and content management

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Minneapolis, MN 55439 USA

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