A DVD duplicator holds between 1 and 15 Recording drives in bays that are within a single enclosure. With the CD Dimensions Disc Commander you can daisy-chain a large number of 10 drive units together allowing you to control and use one disc image for all the CD Dimensions Disc Commander DVD duplicators.
DVD duplicators have a special disc duplication controller. This is really the brains of the DVD duplication tower system.
The controller manages the DVD recording drives, track extraction, disc image extraction and discs per job. Most DVD duplicators have multi language support and on-board diagnostics. Additional features like dynamic partitioning for the hard drive allow all the space on the hard drive to be utilized and not limited by set fixed storage rules. Some specialized units like the MF Digital Live Event DVD duplicator have an on-board PC running a Windows OS. This is used for live recording situations and not in production duplications for the most part. Additional MF Digital expansion units can be added for increased disc output.
Recording Drives: The DVD recording drives are multi-format meaning they can record DVD-R, DVD+R and dual layer (some call it double layer) recordable DVD media. DVD recorders can also record to recordable CD-R and CD-RW media. Most drives are changing over to SATA (for Serial ATA) which is a new faster bus then the old Parallel ATA (now called PATA). The speed advantage is more for the built in hard drive then the recording drives but the smaller cables help air move more freely through the DVD duplicator.
Hard Drive: The option for a hard drive is highly recommended for a DVD duplicator. Hard drives provide a buffer (when using a disc image instead of disc to disc) which allows the duplicator to record faster and more accurately. It is possible to record disc to disc but success is based on the ability of the reader (ROM drive) to keep up with the recorder. Often a sketchy proposition for error free recording. The additional advantage of a hard drive equipped DVD duplicator is that multiple disc images can be stored in the duplicator for on-demand duplication. Just enter the disc name and the amount of discs you want to record and you are running your job.
DVD-ROM Drives: Depending on the DVD duplicator system, a DVD-Rom drive is included for reading CDs and DVDs. The alternative is using one of the recording drives and copying a disc image over to the hard drive before recording to all the drives. Of course the master needs to be removed to utilize the recorder.
Cooling: DVD Duplicators produce heat. Between the power supply and the DVD recording drives the DVD duplication tower becomes very hot. Efficient cooling is a must. At least one fan for the power supply and a fan for every two additional drives in a DVD duplicator.
Power supply: The power supply in a DVD duplicator is important in that it provide enough power to run all components. There is no advantage to over-powering a duplicator and indeed it produces more heat, the enemy of any electronic equipment.
Warranty:Standard warranty for a duplicator is one year, return to depot. This means the unit has to be returned to the manufacturer at your cost. The return of the unit is typically paid by the manufacturer. This is why it's recommended to hold onto your boxes. Shipping a DVD duplicator can cause more damage if not packed correctly. They are heavy and the box awkward enough that it can get rough treatment on its trip. The factory does not repair cosmetic damage so it's in your best interest to protect your investment. One last piece of advice is on the length and terminology of a warranty. Many manufacturers like to use the wording "two-year limited warranty" that is actually one year return to depot warranty for all components and the second year is just for the enclosure, power supply and controller. The drives are not covered. As drives are the number one consumable part of a duplicator this type of warranty is just about useless as a "second year" warranty. It's far better to take an extended warranty for the second year that covers the drives, components and sometimes shipping.
