01491 63 63 73
“Excellent Service, Excellent Products and Competitive Pricing, and the
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Well done to CD Team."
Westpoint
Disc Replication
CD, DVD & Blu-ray(BD) Disc Replication Service
High volume runs of CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs are produced using our complete copy and print disc replication service.
What is Disc Replication?
For runs of 1,000 upwards the most cost-effective method is
disc replication. Disc Replication is a complicated process and requires a sterile manufacturing environment, which is why it is
only considered for larger runs.
At high volumes, disc replication produces
the lowest per-disc cost and offers the highest possible readability
levels. In fact, all commercially distributed entertainment and
software CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs are produced using disc replication which is a process where raw materials are used to make the discs
from scratch.
The technical bit...
A glass master of your disc is produced, from this glass
master stampers are made, from the stampers your formed plastic discs
are injection moulded, the discs are then coated with a thin reflective
layer of aluminium and a protective lacquer to coat them, this is
hardened with ultra violet light. The data is part of the disc itself
and not added in a separate process unlike duplication. Replication
print options include silkscreen printing using pantone colours or litho
full colour printing.
Our
excellent customer service and expertise ensure your project is in safe
hands. Call our experienced account managers for advice on 01491 636373
Duplication v Replication
Firstly, what's the difference between duplication and replication?
As explained above, Replication (or pressing) is where your data is
physically pressed into the polycarbonate during the disc manufacturing process and Duplication (or burning) is where your data is written to blank
recordable discs using high speed CD/DVD/Blu-ray writers, similar to those
found in your PC (see our
Disc duplicators).
When choosing which method is right for your project there are 3 main factors to consider:
Quantity of discsAs a general rule...
- Up to 500, discs will be duplicated
- Over 2,000, discs will be replicated
- Between 500 and 2,000 discs can be either duplicated or replicated
- Over 1000 will tend to be replicated, depending on timescales
Your timescales
CD and DVD replication can take up to 10 days, whereas duplicated discs can often be turned around same day. So the tighter your timescales, the more likely the discs will need to be duplicated.
Unit CostThere comes a point where it costs more to duplicate a CD, DVD or Blu-ray disc than replicate it. You then have to decide whether cost or time is more important.