Choosing the Right Duplicator
So, what are some things you should consider before purchasing your very own disc duplicator? Buying a duplicator is a major purchase and it’s important that you make your decision carefully. Make a list of your needs: how many discs do you need per month? Per year? Do you need only CD duplication, DVD duplication, or both? Do you need a printing system as well? Do you want to manually load lists or go for an automated version? Here’s a few things you should keep in mind.
Duplicator Drive Speed
CD and DVD duplicators come with drives that burn (record) at various speeds. For example, 1x simply means that the duplication process will be equivalent to one times the speed of playback. A speed of 4x means the duplication will be 4x faster than playback. The higher the speed, the faster the disc will record.
At CDROM2GO, we offer the latest available duplicator speeds.
CD and DVD Format
There are currently two formats of recordable disc media compatible with CD and DVD duplicators, which are the CD/DVD-R and CD/DVD+R format. There has been serious debate on which format is superior but most drive manufacturers make dual drives that support both formats, so the choice of which format is yours.
Throughput
Throughput refers to the capacity to duplicate discs in a certain amount of time. How fast do you need your order? A 1-to-1 DVD duplicator may only have a throughput of a few discs per hour whereas a high capacity 11 drive tower can duplicate over a hundred discs per hour.
You should carefully weigh what your needs are in regards to how much optical media you need and how often.
Manual vs. Automatic CD and DVD Duplicators
The two main types of disc duplicators are either manual or auto loading. A manual CD or DVD duplicator comes in the form of a drive on your PC or multi-drive tower. These duplicators are operated manually by placing discs into drives for duplication. These duplicators are built for speed since they allow you to burn batches simultaneously. However, they require the labor of a user to reload the drives during the process and then remove them when completed. There are towers that are autoloader compatible, but the cost is higher than your standard manual loading towers.
Automated duplicators are a very popular choice for those who need high volume duplication with little user operation. Stacks of blank media are placed in a hopper; the duplication process is begun with the touch of a button as an automatic arm transfers discs to their appropriate place during the process. Autoloaders range in capacity from 50 to 800 discs per run. Auto loading DVD duplicators are either PC based or stand alone. CD/DVD publishers provide both duplication and printing capabilities.
Manufacturer Brand
Choosing a duplicator from a brand you trust is important because the equipment you choose needs to be reliable, as well as have access to special features and amenities like tech help, spare parts, and warranties.
We carry CD and DVD duplicators from top manufacturers including US Digital media Accutower and AV Pro, Rimage, Microboards, and Primera with drive technology from Pioneer and Sony-NEC. All our brands are professional grade and can withstand heavy use.
Warranties
Warranties are something to consider when deciding on which equipment to invest in. You’ll want the reassurance of a healthy warranty to make sure that if anything happens, you’re covered.
All our CD and DVD duplicators come with the standard equipment manufacture warranty. Up to 2 years additional warranties are made available by US Digital Media and CDROM2GO. Rapid exchange warranties are also available. The rapid exchange warranty allows you to receive a working unit overnight while you send back the disabled unit for repairs. These have become very popular among companies that cannot afford downtime while their usual machine is being repaired.
Technical Support
Does the brand you’re buying have technical support? What do you do if you’re stuck and you have a VIP order that needs to be shipped out yesterday?
CDROM2GO offers the high levels of technical support, which is absolutely free as long as you’ve made your purchase through CDROM2GO.