When creating master discs for duplication or replication there you might think this is pretty straight forward. Well it can be but only if you stick to a few simple rules.
1. Use a good recording package – Nero or Roxios Easy CD Creator (PC) / Toast (MAC)
2. Use a good disc – When it comes to CD’s and DVD’s you really do get what you pay for. If you can see through the disc when you hold it up to the light, it’s flimsy or has no protective coating on the top then you should think again. Stick to a branded disc from Taiyo Yuden, Verbatim or Falcon Media and you will have no problems. Also there is a big difference between what you buy in the shops and what you buy from a professional duplicator. Retail grade discs are not the same as professional.
3. Recorder. So you have a great disc and you’re ready to go. Now there is no point creating your master on a 10 year old CD recorder that’s filled with dust and hasn’t had a firmware update in 5 years. The quality obviously isn’t going to be there but the main issue is that the disc you’re about to use was designed after the drive was made. This means that the drive doesn’t really know the best strategy to use when recording and it guesses. This might not be such an issue with CD but when recording DVD you need to make sure your drive firmware is up to date and your recorder is in good condition. If it isn’t you will see speed loss and poor output.
4. Do not use Windows built in recording utility. E.g. Copy and paste onto your drive in My Computer and Windows burns the files to disc for you. This is called packet writing and is the worst way to create a master disc. If you are moving a JPEG from one PC to another then it’s not to bad but for duplication you need to avoid this. The disc will need to be re-created by the duplication house and this will most likely come with a re-mastering charge.
5. Recording Software Settings – There are a few key settings you need to choose. These will be found in the options or preferences in your software. The terminology might change slightly but this should make sense in most packages.
Disc type – Disc at Once (Closed) – This means the disc is finalised correctly and cannot be added too.
File System – ISO Level 2 is the common option across most systems. ISO + UDF for DVD
Mode – Mode 1
If you stick to these options you should have no issues when creating your discs. Obviously if you are producing something slightly different then these settings might change but these are the most common settings. If you have any doubts or would like help creating you master just contact our Tech Team on support@handisc.co.uk or 01264 335118. We can guide you through the creation or pre-master your discs for you.
Remember, to ensure the highest compatibility and playback with your copied disc you need to make sure your master is right and the quality of blank disc you duplicate to is high.
Shiny Silver CD