[Katalex]

I think Noah is right.
The jump from the DVD-5 or DVD-9 we know now to a mere 25 or 50 GB is a big jump, but that means the DVD`s capacity is now only getting up to pace with iPods and the like… So this also leads me to think that the life-cycle for these products could be very short?
The succes of HD-or Blu Ray will all depend on content and when and how fast it will become available. The big numbers of consumers is not waiting for a new format but for new and more and only in third place better looking content.

We master a lot of DVDs that go with magazines or are sold by these. The best selling DVDs being those that are fully packed (4hours on a DVD-9) with original content that readers/viewers cant find easily anywhere else, but sometimes part of the content comes from VHS, or (older)low quality material on beta sp. This makes the DVD not less succesfull, on the contrary.

As an authoring facility we will need to be able to offer both standards; but the consumer will decide who is going to win.
The time to market (of the HD or BD content not of the HD or BD machines) will be one of the biggest issues that will decide which format will lead the way. Having two competing formats coming out at the same time could be a negative factor for both the formats.

I look forward to seeing the developments at NAB.

grz,
Jan

[Katalex]

Hi Leslie,
As a duplicator the Bravo Pro we have is very reliable. The duplication side of the machine has never crashed in the year we have the machine. The set-up is easy and the copy software (Sonic`s Prassi Primo) interface is very straightforward. We linked the Primera to one of our older computers that has only usb1. Even then output speed is fairly good (+ 10 full 4.7 Gb discs per hour).

Only recently we got several times a warning `it seems that multiple discs have been inserted in the print tray` while this was not the case. A robotics calibration tool provided by Primera solved this issue.

On the duplication side we only had 2 jobs where we had discs that were rejected. The first one was due to a scratch on the suface of the master DVD-disc. and the second one was because of bad media. So the Primera did a good job by rejecting in both cases. Using good media we never had any returns of DVDs not functioning properly.

as mentioned above the printing side of the Primera is a totally different matter. I think it would help a lot if there would be a more professionel label printing software that came with the machine. The color matching that is carried out by Primera also gives me nightmares, we just are busy with a job: 300 discs, only printing (company logo only)
The first 40 go well and then suddenly the color turns red, while the info says that the color cartridge can still print 600 copies of the last disc before running out… aarrgh

So for duplication it`s a good buy, and the first 9 months the printing also was OK..
hope this helps,

Jan

[Katalex]

using the same duplicator I have the same story to tell, unfortunately. The local distributor for Primera keeps claiming that there is nothing they can do for the better. The only advice they can give is changing the ink cartridges more regularly, because then you change the print heads as well.. This helps in some cases but makes my production costs go up offcourse.

I will be looking for a second unit shortly, but I am in doubt if it will be Primera. The robotics proved reliable though.

For DVD we always use the media from Taiyo Yuden and sometimes TDK Industrial grade. We never had any returns from the Tayio Yuden DVD`s, and we made copies +6.000 of them.
For CDR we use both TDK and Tayio Yuden, both are OK.

grz,
Jan

Katalex

[Katalex]

As Rob says, it`s a limitation in the DVD specs, not in Scenarist. We use scenarist since 14 months on a daily basis. Our recommendation: put your creativity in the menu layout and in creating cool motion menus and transitions, but NOT in motion of button overlays, etc. this will also help you improve the overall compatibility of your final disc. Look at some Hollywood-made DVD`s. The simplicity of the overlays, and selection/active state is sometimes overdone, but I guess they also know why.
grz
Jan

Katalex