A Duplication Dilemma:
Is It Time to Switch to Discs?

By Amie Hoffner

As a church leader, it’s difficult to stay at the forefront of technology. While parishioners make requests and the resident IT guru presents proposals, you’re often left to sift through the vast wealth of information and make the best decision for your church.

When it comes to CD and DVD duplication and printing, having a specialist in the field can help. “It’s really important to know the industry,” says John Krainock, president of Colorado-based Summation Technology. “We specialize in helping churches move from tape to CD and DVD duplication and printing systems. We call about three churches a week and find that most don’t even know CD and DVD duplicators and printers exist!”

That, he says, is a problem: “Church leaders should know that CD and DVD duplication systems are quickly surpassing tape as the best solution for archiving and distributing audio and video. In fact, duplicating CDs and DVDs is often less expensive than duplicating cassette and VHS tapes.”

Indeed, price was one of the reasons Dave Clouse, production supervisor at Heritage Christian Center in Denver, Colo., says he switched from tape to CDs and DVDs. He says DVDs cost the church 78 cents each — far less expensive than the cost of a VHS tape. “We produce 12,000 CDs every month, and for that volume we can put them out the door far cheaper than cassettes,” Clouse explains. “Not only that, but the quality is much better.”

Krainock says that while price and quality are a concern with finished discs, it’s also important to reach the largest number of people. “Since most cars only have CD players — and with many people switching from VHS to DVD — churches can reach more potential members and existing followers by switching from tape to CDs and DVDs.” While some churches sell discs, others ask for donations. “Either way, most of the churches we move from tape to CDs and DVDs double their volume in no time,” Krainock says.

Clouse adds that when his church moved from tape to CDs and DVDs, it increased its volume and was able to pay back the initial hardware cost in six weeks.

CD and DVD duplicators, printers and publishers aren’t exactly inexpensive — they can range from $1,500 to $10,000, depending on the model.

Krainock says church leaders usually choose one of two types of duplication and printing systems: a tower duplicator with a CD/DVD auto-printer or a CD/DVD publisher. If discs are needed right after an event or service, church leaders usually choose a tower duplicator with a CD/DVD auto-printer, he says. “Churches that require a fast turnaround often preprint their discs with an auto-printer and then use a tower duplicator for burning,” he says. “With a 10-drive tower system, churches can produce nine 750-megabyte CDs in three minutes!”

For church leaders not crunched for time, CD and DVD publishers are a simple solution. Publishers use a robotic arm to automatically burn and print discs. “The idea here is that the church starts a job and walks away,” Krainock says. “The CD/DVD publisher does the work for you; you can literally start a job at the end of the day and come back in the morning to find 50 finished discs.”

While price and quality are concerns for some church leaders, CD and DVD duplicators can certainly help get youth interested in a Christian lifestyle. “The younger generation just doesn’t listen to tapes — I’m not even sure they know what they are!” jokes Brian McLaughlin, youth pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Logansport, Ind. “We moved to CDs to reach our youth through music ministry and to help promote a Christian-college experience.”

But presenting CDs and DVDs to young people is only one way to reach them. “Most young people enjoy music, so we plan to have several students create their own Christian music CDs,” McLaughlin explains. “For those youth interested in graphic design, we’ll have them create the graphic images to be printed on each disc.We expect that some of these teens will even make their own music videos that we can duplicate on DVDs.”

Many other church departments can use CD and DVD publishers as well. Since complete systems can record audio, video, photos, music, data and images, almost any content can be archived and distributed on a CD or DVD. Many churches use CD and DVD duplication-and-printing systems to present Bible-study classes and special speakers to homebound members, or to those who can’t attend an event. Church leaders can also present a disc to couples getting married, distribute syndicated television and radio programs or record video of mission trips and sell the DVDs as a fundraiser.

Heading up a company that sells CD and DVD duplication and printing equipment, Krainock sees firsthand how churches are using their CD and DVD duplicators and the issues associated with their purchase and use. Overall, he says, when leaders of large churches discover that bringing CD and DVD duplication in-house is less expensive than duplicating tapes — and that the quality is superior and they can reach a greater number of potential members and members — it’s “really a no-brainer.”

For smaller churches, justifying the hardware cost can be more difficult, he says, but using it in multiple departments can help. “If all else fails, we’ve had smaller churches ask for donations to recruit new members by giving away CDs and DVDs,” Krainock says. “And they’ve been successful.”

Amie Hoffner represents Primera Technology, Inc., in Plymouth, Minn. To learn more, log on to www.primeratechnology.com.

Telex Communications recently introduced its PrintWise™ 2000i combination-CD/DVD printer and duplicator — and the stand-alone printer, the PrintWise 480i — for desktop applications. Both use advanced ink technology to provide precision ink application for fast drying and smudge-proof graphics. The PrintWise 2000i combines a duplication drive with the 480i printer to create a desktop-publishing solution for CD or DVD formats. The 480i printer component uses innovative technology to produce a small inkdroplet size, resulting in bright, vivid graphics quality. Small ink droplets eliminate common printing problems such as pooling ink, smudging and over-saturation. Additionally, highly controlled ink placement means a faster, more efficient print process, all while using less ink.

Stylish features like chrome and black molding — combined with practical technology, such as the clear LED screen for project monitoring — make the PrintWise attractive and reliable. PrintWise 2000i is fully contained and requires no configuration; simply plug in three cables and load the Office-Net® software to begin duplicating and printing. Within 15 minutes, the unit should be ready to go.

Microboards Technology recently announced the addition of a 10-recorder duplicator to its award-winning tower-duplicator line. The affordable, professional-level CD/DVD copying system is designed for ease of use and is fully contained, operating without being connected to a computer. The CopyWriter Tower series of duplicators combines a stable design, feature-rich controller technology and robust recorders to give users access to advanced abilities without sacrificing reliability.

Advanced features include the ability to store disc images, change recording speeds, keep job counts, and perform audio-track extraction. A two-line LCD display and simple two-button interface make accessing those features easy, even for novice users. The CopyWriter Tower series comes with a two-year limited warranty and unlimited phone support.

DiscMakers’ Autograph6 CD and DVD inkjet printer is an affordable, high-volume inkjet printer designed to work with automated disc duplicators. Reps say its droplet size of three picoliters is the smallest on the market, creating exceptionally sharp images and the vivid colors. The Autograph6 reproduces at 4800 x 1200 dpi on any inkjet printable CD or DVD. It’s compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME and XP, and DiscMakers’ award-winning Elite family of automated disc-duplication systems. Testing shows it can produce as many as 70 prints per hour with most designs.

For laying out the graphics to be printed on the disc, the Autograph6 comes with easy-to-use Discus software. Adaptor kits for printing on CardDiscs, and three-inch discs, are also available.