Shoestring Solutions
CD/DVD Duplication On a Budget

By Amanda Sahliyeh

Tom Mitchell, music and ministry leader at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, records about five worship services week, then distributes them among people who are unable to attend. “We started like everyone did — with cassettes,” Mitchell explains. “When CD technology became financially in our ballpark, we moved from tapes to CDs.” Like many churches, Covenant Presbyterian burns its discs in-house using a duplicator.

Burning a CD or DVD can be done on any computer with a compatible burner. Most computers come with burners that quickly copy a CD or DVD, and software that automates the process for you. A drawback of this method is that only one disc can be burned at a time. Depending on the number of discs that need to be burned, you might want to invest in a duplication system that can burn multiple discs at one time.

Be sure to research your options when buying a duplication system. Check a duplicators’ write speed, which is very important and can have a dramatic effect on the time it takes to duplicate your discs. Years ago, you had to pay a premium to get a faster writing drive, but as these devices have become more common, prices have dropped. Depending on the features and model specifications, they can range from $500 to $20,000. Look for speeds of 4x, 8x and 16x. The higher the number, the faster your discs will burn.

The price of discs has dramatically decreased, and the more you buy, the less each disc costs. If you’re creating a CD that will only be burned once, make sure you buy CD-Rs, not CD-RWs. CD-RWs, or “re-writables,” allow you to burn multiple sessions to one disc, but they’re substantially more expensive. A pack of 500 blank CD-Rs cost about $125 — just .25 per disc. Buying DVDs in bulk is also inexpensive at about .40 per disc.

The software you use to create your multimedia masterpiece has a huge effect on the output, especially when you’re burning to disc. Be sure to research your options when purchasing software. Look for features like fast video rendering, audio and video editors, and built-in menu systems. Some vendors also offer free trial copies of their software so you can test it out before you buy.

It’s easy to make your finished disc look professional by creating a simple one-or two-color label for the discs. There are a number of ways to print a label for a disc, the least expensive of which is to simply print on pre-cut disc labels and place them on each disc. A less labor-intensive, but pricier, solution is to buy a printer that will print directly on printable discs. Also, some high-end duplication systems will do the burning and printing for you.

Amanda Sahliyeh is a public relations specialist for Photodex Corp., a leading publisher of multimedia creation software. For details, log on to www.photodex.com or contact her directly at Amanda@photodex.com.