DVD Duplication versus Replication

DVD Duplication and replication are two great ways of transferring marketing material onto a disc. Both are relatively simple, effective ways to get your marketing message into an appealing and affordable package. In fact, both mediums are so effective, some people tend to think there's no difference between the two.

There are how however, a few distinctions worth knowing that will help you decide whether DVD duplication or replication is right for your marketing purposes.

DVD duplication is the traditional method of "burning" content onto a CD or DVD via a recorder. Technically, this is achieved by lasers ingraining pits into a dye, which is then built inside the disc. DVD duplication is achieved through placing a disc in a reader and then copying the data onto a hard drive. The master disc is ejected and the blank discs are loaded into the duplication drives. The data is then burned, or copied, onto the blank discs. The information is verified and the copy is either approved or denied. As DVD burning technology improves, the quality and availability of DVD duplication services broaden.

DVD replication, on the other hand, is best thought of as "stamping" or "molding" your content onto a CD or DVD. DVD replication is the method used to manufacture bulk quantities of DVD's (generally speaking, over 1,000). A "glass master" of your original is made, which in turn stamps the data onto a blank media. The disc is then printed and lacquered for protection. Replication generally takes a much longer time than duplication because there are more steps in the process, as much as one to two weeks worth. Also, DVD replication requires much more pristine working conditions than DVD duplication, as the slightest speck or hair can mar the production. You can tell a replicated CD or DVD as the non printed side is silver.

The key to deciding which medium to use actually comes down to how many marketing units you need. If you need a high volume of marketing DVDs, replication is your best choice. Replication is a more affordable alternative when dealing with large quantities because the content is built into the DVD, rather than being burned into it later. Also, a large number of DVDs is necessary to justify replications' considerably larger set-up costs With more intricate set-up costs and a lower per unit costs, replication is the obvious choice for units of 1000 or more.

On the other hand, if you need less units or you have a very short timeframe, DVD duplication is the best way to go. This is because DVD duplication involves less set-up costs and less time needed to do the job, but with a higher unit-per-capita cost. However DVD duplication is also generally quicker than DVD replication, so if you need the project done in a pinch, DVD duplication is still the way to go.

Another minor but important difference between DVD duplication and replication is compatibility. Whereas replicated discs work in any and all DVD players and computer drives, products of DVD duplication are slightly more selective. A duplicated disc can be read by any device that will read a DVD-R (recorded) disc. This includes almost all reasonably modern DVD players and computers. Since this compatibility issue is mostly a technicality, more and more companies are choosing DVD duplication because of the lower set-up costs and the quicker turnaround time. Both methods however, get the job done.