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A pressed digital video disc (DVD) is manufactured with microscopic bumps (ON) and valleys (OFF) to represent the two digital letters of the digital alphabet. A Glass master is used to produce a piece of nickel that acts as the stamper for the DVD. Each manufactured DVD would have a unique custom nickel stamper. The stamper has all of the hills and valleys of the Master DVD on it, and is used to transfer the information to the finished disc in a molding process that molds plastic pellets (polycarbonate) to the finished product. To watch a video of the DVD molding process, click here. http://www.microforum.ca/video/
Although these discs are all the same size and similar colour and shape as a DVD-R, the underlying technology and manufacturing process differs tremendously. For a recordable disc, the digital letters ON (1) and OFF (0) are represented by holes that are shot through a layer of DYE on the DVDR by a recording laser. The laser shoots this hole to represent an OFF (0) letter and leaves the DYE intact to represent an ON letter (1). This is why this process is refered to as "burning" a disc... i.e. the disc is actually being burned with holes by a laser in the photo-sensitive dye layer of the disc!
To recap: A "pressed" disc with music or video on it would be manufactured with the data imprinted right on the copies. A Recordable DVD disc is actually manufactured with a DYE that can be written to with a laser device. Before there were recordable discs, the original first generation DVD players were only able to PLAY discs and not WRITE to them. These players used lasers to read bumps and pits on the surface of the disc and convert the data stream to binary for a computer or a chip to translate into sounds, videos, images, etc.
Recordable DVD Drives have the added ability to burn holes in the DYE of a recordable disc, thereby allowing small scale production and duplication of DVDs.
DVD-9 (or digital video disc) is the term used to describe all 12cm (5") discs that have a capacity of 8.5GB. Information is stored on both layers on one side of the DVD. i.e. 1 side, 2 layers
DVD-10 (or digital video disc) is the term used to describe all 12cm (5") discs that have a capacity of 9.4GB. Information is stored on one of two layers on both sides of the DVD. i.e. 2 sides, 1 layer each
DVD-18 (or digital video disc) is the term used to describe all 12cm (5") discs that have a capacity of 17GB. Information is stored on both layers and on both sides of the DVD. i.e 2 sides, 2 layers each
DVD-Audio – the standard music DVD format which plays high fidelity audio in 5.1 surround sound.
DATA DVD – this is the standard computer disc format used for storage of data. It can be further broken down into different burning formats, such as ISO, DDP, Mac, PC, etc
Enhanced DVD – this is a DVD that has a data section which can be used to store video, pictures, MP3s or other computer-related data also.
IMPORTANT! Five reasons why you should Press your DVD, not burn it:
- A professional can tell the difference between a DVD-R and a pressed DVD at a single glance
- Pressed discs will have important identifying codes inscribed in the mirror band, which help identify counterfeits!
- The cost is actually lower (when running a minimum 500 or more discs)
- Compatibility rates are higher with Pressed DVDs (some DVD players do not play DVD recordable discs properly)
- The Lifespan of the disc is longer for a pressed discs, since there is no photo-sensitive dye in a pressed DVD, as there is in a DVD-R
Conclusion: Since it costs less, and offers the advantages listed above... why not have your DVD manufactured in the same way all the big movie titles get manufactured?
Here are some known manufacturers in Canada that Press/ Mold DVDs:
Cinram (they cater to some of the larger record labels)
Sony (They also cater to their internal record companies – Sony/BMG)
SLI (a smaller-sized replicator based in the Markham area)
Microforum - A Replicator in Toronto
M.R.S. – Media Replication Services Inc is based in Canada
Americ Disque (A replicator based in Drummondville, Quebec)
Duplium (Their head office is in the U.S.A, but they have a plant in the Toronto area also)
Premium – A replicator based in Mississauga, Ontario
Precision (A Manufacturer in Western Canada mainly servicing BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba)