CD Replication vs CD Duplication
There are many companies in various States of America that offer retail ready CD manufacturing. But what are TRUE retail ready CD’s and how can you be sure you will be receiving these if you place your order with one of these companies?
To answer this we need to establish the difference between CD Replication and CD Duplication. In very simple terms, CD duplication is another term for CD burning. Just as you would do on your own computer to create a CD, you would take a blank CD-R (or CD-RW) and burn the required data or audio to the disc in your CD writer drive. This CD you have just burnt you could not expect to sell directly via a reputable retail outlet regardless of how well you package it! It simply isn’t seen as a professionally produced CD.
CD Replication however is an entirely different method and is the only method to produce professional retail ready CD’s. In short, the entire image of a master disc is taken and analysed to ensure within acceptable error rates and this data is transferred to a glass master from which a stamper is grown. All of this is completed within a dust free controlled environment that results in as near perfect as possible reproduction of the manufactured CD’s. Why therefore are only replicated CD’s considered professional retail ready product? Quite simply because you know they will work! By duplicating or burning a CD, there is no guarantee that same CD would work in another CD drive.
So what do you need to check to be sure you will be receiving retail ready CD’s? In any quotes you receive from CD Manufacturing companies, be sure that they do not refer to CD Duplication and to double check, make sure that the process includes Glass Mastering. You will also find that the minimum order quantity for CD Replication is 500 or sometimes 1000. Chances are if you have a quote for fewer, it will be for CD duplication.
The same applies for DVD manufacturing and again DVD duplication would not provide professional retail ready product. Look at quotes to make sure the glass mastering is included to be sure the service you receive will be for DVD replication.