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As a manufacturer of CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays, we hear one question almost every day: What is the difference between replicated and duplicated discs?
If you’re thinking about producing a project on a CD, DVD or Blu-ray, understanding the differences will help eliminate confusion and can potentially save you quite a bit of money.
First, let’s get the basic lingo out of the way — replication and duplication are the two different processes of making discs. The simplest rule of thumb that we suggest to our clients is that if they will potentially require any more than 500 units, then they should probably go the replication route and anything less than that is a job for duplication.
However, there are other important points about quality and time frames to consider when deciding which process is right for your project.
Duplication Facts
Duplication means that the manufacturer is using a laser to burn data from your master onto pre-made blank discs called CD-Rs, or Compact Recordable Discs. The Flow Motion, Inc. duplication process takes between one to four business days and is typically a cost-effective route for short-runs of less than 500 discs. However, we can duplicate much more than that if a client needs, but it is not typically cost-effective to do so.
It is important to note that duplicated discs do have limitations. Not all CD, DVD and Blu-ray players on the market are compatible with a duplicated disc — which means that some consumers may have trouble accessing the content. Also, the printed graphics on duplicated discs are typically of photo quality, which is the best possible quality available in the industry for this type of disc. Flow Motion, Inc. provides the highest-quality graphics possible for duplicated discs by employing a thermal printing process.
Replication Facts
Replication means that the manufacturer is copying your original master onto a “stamper,” which is mounted onto an injection mold machine that then clones the data onto plastic discs. The discs are then covered with a micro-thin reflective layer or aluminum, coated with a protective lacquer and then hardened by ultraviolet light. The Flow Motion, Inc. replication process takes between one to 15 business days.
Replicated discs never have compatibility issues with different players on the market and are suitable for a higher-quality of printed graphics that are typical of store-bought products. Flow Motion, Inc. provides the highest quality graphics possible by employing a silk-screening process that can only be performed with replicated discs.
All CD, DVD and Blu-ray manufacturers require clients to place a minimum number of units for a replication project, as there is more involved in the manufacturing process. The Flow Motion, Inc. minimum is 500 units. We typically suggest to clients that if they think that down the line they will have a need for more than 500 units, buying in bulk is the most cost-effective option as opposed to doing multiple duplication short-runs.
To Summarize
As you can see, duplication and replication serve clients well depending on what a projects’ requirement.Duplication can be the answer for clients who need a product quickly or do not require large volumes, while replication works well for those looking for mass quantities and want to avoid any issues with discs’ compatibility for different players on the market.
If you have any questions about replication versus duplication or you want to place your order, give us a call at 888-818-3569 and we’ll be happy to help!
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