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 [email protected]
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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