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Now that the Hi-Def Disc war is over and Blu-ray Disc has come out on top, the question to answer is “when should I start releasing my Hi-Def projects on Blu-ray Disc”.

As a video professional, there are many considerations to take into account when deciding to release on Blu-ray.

Below I would like to discuss a few if these consideration.

The first question is does the audience I am distributing to have Blu-Ray Players. Once Blu-Ray player prices come down, there will be widespread adoption, however, at the current price points, only a small percentage of households and businesses have Blu-Ray Disc players. Statistics to follow in upcoming posts.

The second question is how many Blu-ray discs do you need. This will determine whether we will be replicating(BD) or duplicating(BD-R) your discs. Typically 5000 pcs or more will warrant cost effective replicating of your BD discs.

Replicated discs will play in any set-top player on the market.

Compatibility of burned Blu-ray Discs (BD-R)
If you are in the market for only a few copies to a few hundred, then the solution will be duplication(burned BD-R). There is a concern here this early in the technology that has to be considered. Most set top players will play replicated discs, but depending on the player most need updated firmware to play burned BD-R discs. If you have a specific client in mind, for example a wedding client who wants their wedding video on Hi-Def, you can run a test disc on their player and see if it works, however, for general distribution of BD-R, you will have to consider that some players will not play the BD-R and make disclaimers accordingly. I will have more statistics when they become available with regard to percentage of players that will play BD-R(burnable Blu-ray discs).

At DVD Copycat, we can currently supply both Blu-Ray Disc Replication and Blu-Ray Disc Duplication depending on your specific needs. If you have further questions please give us a call. 415-929-1581

According to Blu-ray.com, Walmart has just announced that they will be going to Blu-ray exclusively starting in June.

Just one more domino to fall.

As the industry solidifies around Blu-ray Disc, DVD Copycat is committed to accomodate the shift from our standard DVD Duplication in San Francisco to Blu-ray Disc Duplication and Replication.

Heres just a few more indicators that the industry is solidifying on Blu-ray Disc.  After Warner Bros. started the cascade.

It looks like netflix has just announced they will be moving to Blu Ray Disc and dropping HD DVD.

Also, the most current sales data in this article is indicating that even with aggressive pricing for HD DVD players and Discs, the figures are moving pretty conclusively to Blu-Ray.

Also, there seems to be more conclusive evidence here by a reseach group that claims the Disc War will be over by 2009.

I have been following this very closely, as many of our Bay Area clients have been using High Def cameras and equipment, and would like to know what format to choose when they want to distribute their new Hi-Def projects.

Blu-Ray Disc Replication will become a prevalent in the very near future.  Now that the disc war is coming to an end, I suspect that within the next two years enough homes and businesses will have players to make Blu-ray disc a solid and viable solution to distribute Hi-def content.  Blu-Ray Disc Replication will be reliable first, and then will come the lower volume burnable solutions probably a year later.

Until then, distribution of Hi-def content by Disc will still be on conventional NTSC DVDs by DVD Duplication and DVD Replication.

At DVD Copycat, we often receive time sensitive DVD Duplication or Replication orders. Sometimes we have to go through extraordinary efforts to make sure that our customers time requirements are met.

To make sure your DVD project is completed in a timely manner you should run down the following checklist.

1. Make sure you have your artwork for the DVD face and any packaging inserts that you may need ready. DVD Copycat has templates online here. When you use our templates we can easily integrate your artwork into our process for printing the DVD Discs and any inserts needed for your packaging. This will reduce confusion and make it easier to process your project.

2. Make sure you have a working master ready. Many times master authoring, compression and design takes longer than you would think. If you think you need to deliver your master to us on a Friday, plan to have it done on the Wednesday before. You will appreciate the extra two days of “cushion” if something goes wrong with your overnight compression, or if you find a last minute change in content.

3. Make sure we have your billing information. If we don’t have you in our card file and have some secured payment information(VISA, MC, AMEX for first time customers) then it will delay starting the job until we have that information.

4. Leave one extra day to make sure that you can see a sample or color match for your dvd duplication jobs. We can provide you with proofs so you can double check your color matching needs.

If you follow these 4 steps, I can assure you that at DVD Copycat, we will have no problem processing your order on time, reliably, and stress free.

Blu-ray continues to gain momentum.

In Japan the associated free press recently released and article stating that for the months of October through December,  90% of Hi-Def players and discs were Blu-ray format.

Amazon seems to be trying to accelerate conversion by deeply discounting their “Top Drama Hits” on Blu-ray this week. source article

According to number from Nielson on the top 10 best selling hi-def discs, blu-ray has captured all top 10 spots and represents 85% of total hi-def disc sales.

He is some supporting info from the High Def Digest, that also supports the move to Blu-ray.

It looks like the momentum is continuing to gain since Warner Bros. announced their move to exclusive Blu-ray.

For Blu-ray Duplication and Replication call us at 415-929-1581 and ask for Brian or Joe.

Preserve your Vision! Don’t Choose Inferior Duplication!

Choose DVD Copycat:

Because we care about the sweat, tears, blood, and genius of your Marketing/Music/Film vision.

IF you are looking for DVD and CD Duplication or Replication in San Francisco or the Bay Area, then look no further.

We guarantee:

The most reliable copies

To meet your deadline

Fastest standard turn times in the industry

The most compatible and trouble free discs

At DVD Copycat we don’t compromise. We offer the best in cases, inserts, media, and always deliver on time.

Ask us to explain the quality differences in our products.

Blu-ray (BD-R, BD)

I just read another article which stated that Paramount may be moving exclusively to Blu-ray, following Warner Bros. decision on Jan 4 to back Blu-ray. Link

IF Paramount goes this direction, Blu-ray will be the clear winner in the Hi Def wars.

At DVD Copycat we have embraced this decision and will begin producing Blu-ray Disc Duplication and Replication in 2008. We currently are capable of producing Blu-ray Disc replication and Duplication.

For more information visit our website on Blu-ray Duplication or Replication

or contact us at 415-929-1581 or 1-866-210-8768

ask for Brian or Joe.

Well, it looks like the industry is approaching a final decision on Blu-ray Disc versus HD-DVD. On Jan 4, 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment (TWX) has announced that it will begin releasing High Definition titles exclusively on Blu-ray Disc format. source is business week

With Warner Bros. casting their vote, the industry is now decidedly approximately 70% in favor of the Blu-ray Disc format.

DVD Copycat will begin offering both Blu-ray Disc Duplication and Blu-ray Disc Replication in San Francisco in 2008.

The RIAA has recently pursued a law suit against an Arizona man for downloading purchased CDs to his computer.

Fundamentally, DVD Copycat believes strongly that copyright protection should be adhered to and enforced. Illegally downloading music will eventually result in taking money from the artists and those that promote the artists. This will make it less attractive for those artists to pursue careers in music. Ultimately, it thins out the talent pool and does have a significant impact on the amount of quality artists willing to pursue an already difficult career.

On the flip-side, I think that there are two tools that should be used by the music industry regarding copyright. First and foremost there should be continuing efforts to educate the music listening public about the legal and ethical ramification of piracy. Not just the legal penalty, but also the logic behind the law, and the impact it will have on the very musicians the public enjoys listening to. Secondly, there should be enforcement of the copyright laws, but only after there has been clear and significant education defining the “do’s and dont’s” of downloading music.

I believe that in this particular circumstance, if music is legally purchased and then downloaded to a computer, it can be confusing to the consumer whether this is in fact legal or not, since iPod loading is a very similar and legal process to electronically save music.

When this case does come before the courts, whichever way the decision is handed down, I believe that an education first, enforcement second policy is the best way to for all parties.

I was recently interviewed by KPIX CBS channel 5 regarding this topic. The report can be watched here

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=29800@kpix.dayport.com

On behalf of DVD Copycat Inc., I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

My very best wishes for success for all of the Film, Video, Music and Data projects that you will be undertaking this year.

I Hope that DVD Copycat will be your supplier of Top Quality DVD and CD Duplication and Replication products.