For those on a budget this holiday season, finding gifts for all your loved ones can start looking like a huge pile of money flying out the window of a car as it speeds down the highway at 80 mph. Fortunately, it’s possible to save dough and still give thoughtful, impressive gifts. And the best part? You can make them at home with the right materials.

1.    The Classic CD Mixtape:

Handpicked Music

Everyone’s familiar with the classic romantic mixtape, which used to be recorded on tapes and given out shyly to any romantic interest. Well, tapes are obsolete, and I’m not so sure any romantic partner would too impressed with receiving old technology – but the idea is still a good one. Giving someone close to you (not necessarily a romantic interest) a CD of hand-chosen songs can be extremely meaningful. Introducing someone to new music, maybe some of your favorites or some you think the receiver will especially enjoy, can be one of the best gifts. It conveys an understanding of the receiver’s tastes, and music can be one of the best conduits of feeling. Making Mom or Dad a CD of their favorites mixed with some of yours can be a great way to bond.

Personalized Disc Labeling

However, rather than just handing over a blank disc with some Sharpie scribbles, make it a real gift with professional disc labeling. For example, Lightscribe disc labeling is a cost-effective and high-quality way to make a plain disc stand out (and you can use it for many different recipients). Using a Lightscribe disc labeler and Lightscribe discs, which are coated with a reactive dye that changes colors when combined with the laser light, creates beautiful discs that look store-bought, but are personalized with the flair you give it. You can add pictures, titles, lists or even transfer real photographs.

Personalized CD Sleeve

Finally, creating a personalized sleeve to go in a CD case can really seal the deal. This is where you can write a personal message, add a photo or insert lyrics. If you go the mixtape route, go the extra mile with professional disc labeling and a personalized message in the sleever; this really make the recipient smile.

2.    Handpicked Photo(s) in Frame:

Most people are going to cherish fond memories more than an expensive toy, especially if they know you’re on a budget, so giving the recipient a picture of you and him/her in a handmade or simple frame can be a great way to go. As they say, a picture’s worth a thousand words, so it’s best to make sure that the picture you choose is going to recall a fond time or memory. In order to really wow them, print the picture on high quality photo paper, preferably on an inkjet printer, in order to really make a clean, crisp shot stand out.

For the frame, any simple wooden frame will do to make a personalized mark. A raw wooden frame (before paint or lacquer) can be a great canvas for even the most modest artist. Using oil-based paints, a simple pen or even colorful Sharpies or markers can bring the frame to life. Or if you want to avoid the chance of shaky hands all together, you can use a handy labelmaker, like the one Epson just put out recently, that offers a plethora of colored paper, colored ink, fonts, sizes and pictures. Printing a message or a favorite quote related to the picture can be a simple way to astound them. It looks great, and it’s something they can display proudly in their home.

3.    Photo album on disc:

For those people on your list with stray photos lying around who always say things like, “I’ll get to making that photo album one of these days,” a DVD or CD full of their favorite family or vacation photos can be just the thing they need to spark that flame of memory. Choosing a selection of the best photos from different special events is a great way to organize the pictures for them all in one disc. You can also use a slide show program of your choice if you’d like to offer them a nice way to display the photos from their TV or computer screen.

Like the CD mixtape, using disc labeling technology can really turn this gift from cute into a keeper. Inscribing a personal message means a lot more to most people than anything store-bought. Similarly, enclosing the disc in a case with a personalized CD sleeve can have the same “wow” effect.

Never underestimate the power of a little thought and effort. Especially because these gifts combine professional appearance with a tailor-made approach to rekindling the recipient’s memories, thoughts and feelings, they’re sure to be a hit. With the right creativity, materials and knowledge, a “budgeted” gift can actually be much more meaningful than anything you can find in stores. The stores don’t know your recipient – you do, and they’ll appreciate your showing it.

This one’s a no-brainer: a good presentation is key to success.

First impressions may not be the absolute be-all, end-all, but a first impression lasts, and a bad one certainly stinks. No interviewer in his or her right mind is going to hire the sloppy Joe with grease stains covering his slacks, that is, unless he happens to have a genius IQ or just invented a time machine. But even if he fits both of those criteria, he may not even get the chance to make his case since he might be dismissed based on an unprofessional appearance. Initial judgments may not always be correct, but few busy people have time to waste looking at something that seems like it was thrown together at the last minute. Professional folders, packages, resumes and portfolios all endure a higher likelihood of survival on the cutting block when presented neatly, thoughtfully and professionally.

A professional-looking disc label is sure to impress.

When presenting a CD or DVD (which may contain anything from a resume to statistical data to music and videos) to a high-level executive, a job interviewer, potential clients or even possible fans, it is vital to spend a little extra time and money on its appearance. Once the CD changes hands, its first task is to entice the receiver to open it and give it her full attention.

Nothing labeled in Sharpie is going to impress anyone. There are many options for professional disc labeling, such as using specialized software, specialized disc labelers or contracting professionals to mass-produce a design of your choice. Because the options for customizing are many, it is important to keep in mind a few things when designing a professional CD label:

•    Be succinct and descriptive – CDs have limited space, so the title should be clear and explicitly about the topic at hand, i.e. the company’s name and project, artist’s name and album, etc.
•    Use enticing language – If, after including the name and title, there is a good amount of space leftover on the CD, consider including a snappy tagline, quote or list of items that might arouse interest in the receiver
•    Use easy to read fonts – Don’t make your audience work hard to uncover the secrets of the CD, especially if you are trying to sell something or persuade someone to open the files. Also, make it easy to read so that later on down the road, the receiver doesn’t forget the relevance of the file and toss it out
•    Use high-quality pictures – If customizing the CD with artwork, make the sure the picture chosen is not pixilated, blurry or otherwise indistinguishable. Keep it simple. Doing a sloppy job with artwork may even be worse than not using any at all. That being said, appropriate, original and topical artwork may be the very thing to grab your receiver’s attention

If using any sort of disc publishing software or online publisher, make sure to test the design before printing hundreds of copies. There are many templates online, or included in purchased software, that can assist in the design process.

Also, including a disc sleeve or sturdy case is highly recommended. Don’t let your CD flop about!

With these simple tips in mind, your professional CD or DVD is sure to be a hit, and at least impress the receiver enough to slide it into their computer. Keeping their attention after that is up to you.

For those out there who still boggle over what Blu-Ray actually means, this short little VS. battle will help clarify some of the main features of a Blu-Ray disc, compared side by side to the familiar DVD. Price, picture, sound, accessibility and future changes to technology will all be taken into account to give a fairly full picture of which disc trumps the other in which ways. The true winner is whichever one you decide to buy.

For those with a “classic DVD” collection, the thought of Blu-Ray may be as foreign as eating upside down. Why bother upgrading when I can let my classic DVD library augment my classic vinyl collection? I already have it, so why would I switch over to something new?

But for those sitting on the edge of their seats anticipating the best and brightest new gadgets to hit the market, a Blu-ray player is probably already a permanent fixture within the HDTV home entertainment system. Owning a Blu-Ray system doesn’t mean DVDs are dinosaurs, but it does mean that Blu-Ray will be able to do certain things DVDs cannot.

Let’s take a look at the differences:

VS.

Affordability

DVD: A physical DVD now costs around $10 to $15 a pop, sometimes even less for “bargain” films (which are usually a bad idea in the first place, but oh so tempting at $6.99). DVD players are so common these days that any number of them will go for under $50.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: Films on Blu-Ray typically cost about $10 more than its counterpart in DVD. So that’s more like $20 to $25 per movie, a significant increase. That’s a quarter of a Benjamin. And in order to play that sucker, you must have a Blu-Ray player, which costs around $250-$300, though they can go up into the thousands.

Winner: DVD

Picture Quality

DVD: We all know what a DVD picture looks like. Pretty good, much better than VHS, right? No more fuzzy skipping or snow. The picture is fairly clear at 420p sharpness.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: At 1080p, Blu-Ray picture is more than twice as sharp as DVD. The higher pixel number means that two and a half times more information is being shown on the screen, giving a sharper, cleaner, more detailed picture. As most films are being shot in High Definition digital, the higher quality appears much more obviously on the screen.

Winner: Blu-Ray

Audio Quality

DVD: The DVD sound is as good as can be… for 1995. For typical singe television, the DVD sound is fine, matching the picture quality. No complaints.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: With a home entertainment system, Blu-Ray discs provide stunning sound, most equipped with 7.1 channel surround sound. This means the Blu-Ray disc was built with the capability to distribute its sound through various different channels, i.e. the many speakers surrounding a home theater. The sound comes from all around, specifically the way the movie was made, mimicking true theaters.

Winner: Blu-Ray

Content Selection

DVD: Pretty much anything you want to watch comes on DVD. VHS? Not so much. Basically, every movie ever made has been converted from VHS or its original version to DVD. DVD is the standard for all movies, and you will be hard pressed to find a movie that does not have a DVD form. Plus, your movie collection is probably already in DVD form in the first place.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: Simply put, there’s no guarantee that the movie you want will be made on Blu-Ray. Because Blu-Ray serves a smaller consumer base, only the really popular or in demand movies will be converted to Blu-Ray.

Winner: DVD

Ease of use

DVD: Most people are familiar with the way DVD players work. They’re not that different from the old VHS players, and they’ve been around so long that the technology is reliable. Play, pause, stop, skip ahead, skip backwards, eject. It’s easy, simple and the hook ups are usually straightforward.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: Since Blu-Ray is a still-developing technology, there are sometimes kink in playback, skipping or longer load times. The newer technology means the first few generations are not as reliable as tried-and-true DVDs.

Winner: DVD

Extra Features

DVD: As most people know, DVDs offer many more features than the ancient VHS, such as scene selection, deleted scenes, director’s commentary, trailers etc. The main menu offers some extra goodies after the movie is over.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: Blu-Ray goes a few steps further. On top of all the extra features that DVD offers, Blu-Ray allows the user to bookmark favorite scenes and access the menu without leaving the current scene. There is better capacity for special features like commentary, animated menus and pop-up tracks. Plus, BD-Live allows the user to access the Internet straight from the screen and even play video games associated with the film. The Blu-Ray system can act as a multi-purpose Internet and gaming console, and it is a great piece for a thoroughly constructed home entertainment system.

Winner: Blu-Ray

Playback Capacity

DVD: Typical DVDs hold between 5 and 10 GB of data, or enough for one film and extras. DVD players can play CDs and DVDs.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: Blu-Ray discs are made with technology much newer than DVD, and as we know, things keep getting smaller, faster and full of more room for data. Dual layer Blu-Ray discs can generally hold about 50 GB of data, or 5-10 times as much as DVD. Blu-Ray discs are also smaller, easier on packing and less cumbersome. Furthermore, a Blu-Ray player can play all media types: CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray.

Winner: Blu-Ray

Outlook for the Future

DVD: DVDs have been around for a decade now, and they are still going strong. Most films come in DVD format, and it’s much easier to build up a DVD collection than trying to begin anew with Blu-Ray. As technology advances, media will either eventually move to a mostly digital format or there will be something even better to replace Blu-Ray. In that respect, it makes more sense to stick with the DVD system until the next widespread format takes over.

Vs.

Blu-Ray: Blu-Ray is technologically superior to DVD, but what happens when movies become completely digital, or a new format hits the mainstream market? Blu-Ray may be a treat for the time being, but plainly put, it’s a niche market and probably will not become widespread. The majority of people will be looking back on today fondly remembering the days of DVD, not Blu-Ray. Once all media becomes digital, both DVD and Blu-Ray will be obsolete. So why not just stick with DVD until then? Blu-Ray may just be a minor stopping point before the next big wave.

Winner: DVD

Who will triumph in the battle between DVD and Blu-Ray?

Final Tally

DVD wins: 4

Blu-Ray wins: 4

Well, there you have it. Each media format comes with its pros and cons, evening out so that the real winner is the one that fits you best. DVD is more affordable, more reliable, has a greater selection and makes more sense to hang onto until the next technological revolution. Blu-Ray has picture and audio quality that is significantly superior to DVD, a greater selection of features and the capacity to store much more data on the disc. Hopefully this side-by-side comparison laid out some of the major advantages and disadvantages to each. Now it’s just up to you to pick your poison.

Rimage, one of the leading providers of on-demand CD/DVD/Blu-ray Disc publishing, has teamed up with XOS Digital to enable sports media organizations to work with a new platform for digital replication services.

With XOS, collegiate and professional media specialists can manage their digital video workflow from the initial content phase to final archive quickly and easily, which is imperative in this fast-paced, deadline-driven field.

Using the Rimage Sports Video Archive and Distribution solution, these professionals can directly export, distribute, and archive their videos — complete digital asset management.

“Across the sports video industry, organizations are realizing the importance of incorporating an archive solution into their digital video workflow. Using both XOS and Rimage solutions provides this ability in one comprehensive package,” said Christopher Wells, senior vice president, marketing and Strategy for Rimage Corporation.

Sports organizations can produce on-demand, professional deliverables and archives with the ease and simplicity of Rimage technology.

Making the Right Decision: Guide to the Best Duplication Service for You
If you’re not quite at the stage of being able to do all your duplication projects in house, you may have to consider farming out some or all of the job. But how do you make the right decision for you? First you need to consider all the elements of your project; that way when you’re approaching a potential vendor, you’ll be armed with the knowledge to answer their questions. We’ll break it down, step-by-step to help you approach this decision.

Choosing the Media
For music and other audio files, you’re better off selecting a recordable CD than a DVD. For larger, more complex projects with more data or those that incorporate video, the ideal choice is DVD. But if you have a very large project or for a project that demands the highest quality, you might need to delve into the Blu-ray category. In terms of cost, each medium will go up in price respectively.

Packaging
Deciding whether to go with a standard template or a customizable one will be dependent on the client’s needs or the purpose of the project. If marketing a unique product, you probably want to consider the customized option. You’ll also want to take into account your timeframe and cost; which will each increase exponentially the slimmer your requirements are. Thinking about how your project will be distributed and to whom is also key; snail mail projects may demand simpler and slimmer packaging, while on-demand, hand distributed projects afford you a little bit more creative freedom and room to go more bulky with your packaging.

You’ll be presented with a variety of options to choose from:
- covers/booklets/inserts – the more complex the cover, the more complex the case
- sleeves (cardboard) – ideal for easy shipping
- cases (plastic and jewel) – offer the option to showcase disc or cover artwork
- bulk wrap – an affordable option for large scale and/or widely distributed projects

Print Style
Matte, high-gloss, full color, black and white… there are so many options. High-gloss will look the most professional, but is that the look you’re going for? Are you printing images or text only? Do you want to use silkscreen printing — best for spot color printing —or offset printing — used for photographs and full-color prints? Answering these types of questions will determine where you go with your project.

Duplication vs. Replication
You’ll need to take into account the three most relevant factors: size of your order, your budget, and your deadline. Duplication is ideal for projects with a run order size of 100 to 500 with a 3-5 day turn around time. The cost will go up as volume increases. Replication is most often used for a mass production project up to one million discs, because instead of making a copy from a burner drive, replication services make a master “mold” of your original disc and stamps the copied information onto the new discs. The turn-around time is longer, 10-15 days, and comes with a lower cost-per-disc ration.

At Gotmedia we’re all about providing our customers not only with the highest quality products and service, but we like to throw in some industry and product information for good measure. Today we’re going to look at the longevity or shelf life of a DVD product.

The Gist

With record keeping and memory saving transitioned, in most part, to the digital realm, it’s more important than ever to be aware of potential deterioration of the medium you’re using to store data and the risks of data loss or damage.

Unfortunately, when it comes to DVD data storage, there’s no catchall answer for how long your DVD will last. Your DVD’s ability to stand the test of time relies on quite a few factors, including:

- The quality of the DVDs manufacturing process
- The quality of the conditions the DVD is stored in
- The material used to make the DVD

For instance, extreme heat and humidity can create hazardous storing conditions for your DVD, as well as the sensitivity of the top surface of the DVD, which is where your data is actually stored. While most discs are manufactured with a silver material, studies have shown that a “gold” brand may last longer. Specifically, the MAM-A Gold DVD lasts upwards of 2,200 hours, compared to its silver competitor, which lasts just 1,300 hours. And, discs that use cyanine dye tend to deteriorate quicker.

What you can do to make your disc last

We don’t just give you the facts; we want to arm you with the knowledge to make informed decisions. So here goes.

- Store discs in individual cases
- Keep discs shielded from heat or humid areas
- Periodically clean stored DVDs with a soft dry cloth (wiping the underside in a radial motion inner to outer direction)
- Store in cardboard containers that include silica gel packets to absorb any moisture
- Make multiple back ups of your discs as a safety precaution

It takes more than just equipment to be able to burn DVDs like a pro.

You will need a DVD ripper to compress your video into an mp3, wav, or ogg files, as well as the capability to compress audio in order to duplicate or replicate your files.

When considering speed, burners are measured in how much faster DVDs will burn than they play, but computer CPU capacity will also play a factor in how well your computer can keep up with the speed of the burner. Keep in mind that your machine will have to be able to convert burned data to DVD-r media on your hard drive. For optimal burning speeds, make sure you have at least 40GB of free space on your machine.

Now that you know the basics, here are some tips for getting the most out of your ripping equipment.

1. Use reliable media. The quality of the DVD-R disc you use will make all the difference in the quantity and the quality of your duplication project. Just keep in mind that price doesn’t always equate to quality in the duplication world, although the cheapest usually isn’t the best.

2. Review your discs. Every batch of discs will include a few faulty or unusable discs even n packs from the most reputable manufacturers. Look for scratches, cracks, spots, or blotches on the underside of every DVD-R disc; any of these physical defects will cause flaws and playback distortions.

3. Keep everything clean. Dust the outside of your DVD burner regularly and make sure to keep the area you handle and store discs clean and uncluttered free of dust, grime, or grease.

4. Research and test-drive software and hardware. When you’re starting out don’t worry about getting the top-of-the line equipment; you’ll want the most user-friendly software with a simple user interface. Also pay close attention to the customer support offered with your equipment.

5. Stay updated. No matter how expensive your equipment is, make it a priority to keep on top of all software and equipment upgrades required and available to you. Burning errors due to software bugs are not something you want to get hung up on in the middle of a job. Register each piece of new equipment to get automatic updates for your system.

6. Pay attention to compatibility. Using a Universal Disc Format (UDF) 1.02 program won’t limit the playability of your replicated discs as opposed to a UDF 1.5, which may experience playability issues on certain systems. Search your program drop-down list to select the right format.

7. Keep it simple. Avoid running other programs or software when in the middle of a burning project to maximize your system’s speed. Keep in mind that you can always slow down the burn speed to reduce the risk of errors.

For companies who are looking to offer their clients and customers a product that is not only economical, but also ecoconscious, CD Digital Card has come to the rescue. The Flex DVD competes with the traditional DVD-5 discs on all levels, except that can be touted as the only “green” DVD replication option.

With the Flex DVD, CD Digital has created a more flexible, durable, and affordable DVD replication option by using one-half of the polycarbonate and chemicals in replication than the standard DVD-5 process. The Flex DVD is a single layer format, offering the same storage capacity as the DVD-5 (4.7 GB for standard size) at half the thickness of a standard DVD (0.6mm thickness).

CD Digital has designed, engineered, tested, and patented its technology to ensure that the materials are 100 percent recyclable and will emit 53 percent less carbon during the manufacturing process. The company claims that is Flex discs are shatter-proof and crack-proof – resistant to all types of breakage – and playable on any basic DVD player.

The lighter and more resilient disc makes the Flex DVD more adaptable and more affordable for shipping – ideal for direct marketing, mailing, books, magazines, and even children’s applications – and makes it possible to eliminate polybagging and to ship as Standard Mail.

Blu-ray recording is still far from becoming a household commodity. As such Sony Optiarc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony, is set to debut a new line of CD and DVD optical disc drives, the AD-7260S and the DRX-S77U with improved functionality, portability, and speed.

The internal half-height AD-7260S CD/DVD burner builds on the Sony predecessor the AD-7240S by offering 2MB buffer and supports 24X max DVD+/-R recording, 12X DVD+/-R Double/Dual layer recording, 12X DVD-RAM, and 48X CD-R recording. The product also features auto write functionality. And with Sony’s LightScribe technology AD-7260S users can customize each disc label.

With USB 2.0 connectivity, the external interface DRX-S77U boasts 8x DVD +/-R recording speeds, holding up to 4.7 GB of video, data, music or images. But it doesn’t tap out there, the new lightweight device can also record on 8.5 GB DVD+/-R Double/Dual layer and 4.7 GB DVD-RW discs at 6X speed, as well as DVD+RW at 8X speed, DVD-RAM at 5X speed, and CD-R/RW at 24X.

To increase keep up with the new trend in colored netbooks, Sony is offering the DRX-S77U in a variety of colors, including black, white, pink, and gold. And has released the device with Windows 7 compatibility, as well as in a bundle with Nero 9 DVD/CD mastering software suite.

Sony has yet to release pricing on the two new devices but both products are set to debut in stores soon.

LightScribe technology offers consumers and businesses a simple, no-hassle way to burn professional, silkscreen-quality labels on their CDs and DVDs. Using the same laser that burns data in their disc drives, customers burn their data as always, flip the disc over, re-insert it into the drive and burn a precise and permanent iridescent label.

Highlights:

Professional-quality labels: Laser precision and detail
Simplicity: Just Burn – Flip – Burn
Durability: Long-lasting, scratch-resistant labels.
Mobility: Burn labels wherever you burn a disc, no need for printers!
Creativity: Combine text and graphics to personalize discs.

LightScirbe Direct Disc Labeling technology requires three elements:

1. LightScribe-enabled optical disc drive (ODD) – The drive can be either built into your desktop or notebook PC or you can use an external disc drive.
2. LightScribe-compatible media – LightScribe CD/DVD’s utilize a special coating applied to the disc surface that interacts with the laser of the LightScribe-enabled disc drive. Consumers can readily identify LightScribe-compatible media through the LightScribe logo found on media packaging and in the lower hub of each disc.
3. LightScribe-supported software applications – In addition to a label-making software, you will need LightScribe System Software (This software may be included with your hardware, or it may need to be installed separately). With this software, you can create one-of-a-kind designs for your CDs and DVDs using your own photos, text and artwork

Verbatim LightScribe Media

Verbatim offers a wide selection of LightScribe ­compatible media:

• CDR, DVD+R and DVD-R formats
• Multiple pack sizes
• Available in standard gold or colored background discs