FAQ CD DVD Duplication Replication Production

Amstore (for $20+gst) can create the EPS barcode image for an EAN-13 or UPC barcode BUT the owner of the Intellectual Property is best to contact GS1 NZ who issues EAN-13 numbers.

GS1 - Toll Free 0800 10 23 56

info@gs1nz.org

http://www.gs1nz.org

Amstore highly recommended that actual printed barcode be Verified by GS1. - for more info & sizing .....

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CD Text

CD-Text is an extension of the Red Book Compact Disc specifications standard for audio CDs. CD-Text is burned or pressed onto the CD and allows for people with hardware players (in your car or house, typically) to see album title, track title, and artist information without consulting any database such as Internet-based Gracenote Media Recognition Service (CDDB)

Please let Amstore know when you have included CD-Text on a CD Master, if we are Replicate your CDs and we know to look for CD-Text we check to ensure it comes through on the CDs. CD-Text is always lost with Duplicate CDs.

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RIANZ

The promotion and exercise of performance rights so that copyright owners of sound recordings and recording artists are properly paid when their recordings are broadcast or performed in the public arena. RIANZ is also responsible for producing the annual Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards - The Tuis, The weekly New Zealand Top 40 Albums/Singles Chart.

The Performing Right
APRA administers the Performing Right and the Communication Right. These come into play whenever music is performed, broadcast or communicated.

The Mechanical Right
AMCOS administers the Mechanical Right, also known as the Reproduction Right. This exists whenever the musical work is reproduced. A type of reproduction is for instance 'Synchronisation', , where the reproduction of the music involves 'synching' it to image

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DVD Logos

On April 14, 2000, DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation was born. It's birth was a mutual effort of the ten companies that originated DVD Format back in 1995. Please Read or visit www.dvdfllc.co.jp

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DVD Zoning

To Zone a DVD Video the disc needs to be Pressed/Replicated - minimum quantity 500. Zoning is added by the Replication plant at the time of creating the Stamper.

DVD Videos on DVD-R & DVD+R media can't be Zoned.

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ftp site

Amstore maintains an ftp site for artwork and small ISO disc images to be left at for us, at this time Auckland & Wellington individually have a 250MB capacity. If you need access to the site please contact your nearest Amstore office.

Plus Amstore has a company account at YouSendIt >>More info<<

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Gracenote

The original CD format (Red Book Compact Disc) did not include the disc name, the artist, title or track listing information, so a supplemental database CDDB - Gracenote Online Database music recognition service was created to provide it.

When you insert a music CD in your computer, the software player application on your computer uses the Internet-based Gracenote Media Recognition Service (CDDB) (www.gracenote.com) to first identify the CD, and then display the artist, title, track list, and other information. Most commercial music CDs do not contain any of this information on the CD itself, although increasingly some have CD Text.

How do I submit new CDs to Gracenote?
To submit CD information to the Gracenote music recognition service (CDDB), you need to have the CD in hand, and you need to use a licensed application with an Internet connection - such as ITunes, Winamp Yahoo! Music Engine and many more..... ... see http://www.gracenote.com/powered_by_gracenote/

When you have a licensed software application installed, place the CD into your CD-ROM drive, and the software will come to our service to try to identify the CD. If the CD is not identified, you will be asked if you'd like to submit the information.

To submit the information, type the following information in the required fields then click the #Submit# button:

Artist name
Album name
Track Titles
Year of Release
Genre
Label Name

Once a CD's track listing is in the Gracenote database, anyone playing that CD in their licensed player will have it recognized by the Gracenote service. Keep in mind that it often takes up to 48 hours for a new submission to show up in the software application. The Web site search is compiled less frequently than the most queried CDs in our service.

I submitted a CD listing, but I don't see it in search results.
Within about 48 hours the submission information should be generally available to identify the CD to other people who put the CD into their CD ROMs and use a Gracenote licensed player - such as ITunes, Winamp, Yahoo! Music Engine and many more..... see http://www.gracenote.com/powered_by_gracenote/
How do I submit edits?
Much of the information in the Gracenote Music Recognition Service (CDDB) was initially submitted by users and there are inconsistencies. If you find a problem with your information using your software application you may be able to fix it. To fix a problem you find, send a copy of the incorrect entry to Gracenote from the application.

If all else fails, write to Gracenote support ( GracenoteSupport@gracenote.com ) with both the incorrect information and the corrections.
My CD matched another artist (for example, AC/DC or ABBA), what happened?
The identification process involves creating a "discid", a sort of "fingerprint" of a CD created by performing calculations on the track duration information stored in the table-of-contents of the CD and relating this to artist, title, track listing, and other information on the database. Sometimes CDs can have very similar identifying characteristics this means that the characteristics of your CD and another match. The way to fix this is to submit the information for your CD, thereby allowing everyone who has your pressing to get a match with the right information when they put the CD in their players.

If all else fails, write to Gracenote support (GracenoteSupport@gracenote.com ) with both the incorrect information and the corrections.
CD-Text and Gracenote Media Recognition Service (CDDB) are two separate things.

CD-Text is an extension of the Red Book Compact Disc specifications standard for audio CDs. CD-Text is burned or pressed onto the CD and allows for people with hardware players (in your car or house, typically) to see album title, track title, and artist information without consulting any database

The Internet-based Gracenote (CDDB) data is uploaded then propagated via software updates (which happen in the background when your machine is online) by programs such as ITunes, Winamp, Yahoo! Music Engine and many more... see http://www.gracenote.com/powered_by_gracenote/
Why doesn't iTunes show my CD Text
iTunes 7 or later for Windows (or Mac) can burn CD Text disks, but iTunes also does not read CD Text
it uses Gracenote CDDB instead. However at least the burned disk will display properly in say an in car CD player or DVD Player, provided it supports CD Text (many systems do).
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ISRC codes

ISRC - (International Standard Recording Code) is the international identification system for sound recordings and music video recordings. Each ISRC is a unique and permanent identifier for a specific recording which can be permanently encoded into a product as its digital fingerprint. Encoded ISRC provide the means to automatically identify recordings for royalty payments. RIANZ is the New Zealand International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) National Agency and allocates the country and first owner codes to members for encoding on all audio, audio-visual recordings as a method of identification. ISRC codes are entered (added) at the time of mastering a CD by a studio.

Masters

Please supply us a fully functional and tested/played Master, unless some additional work is requested of Amstore.

Audio Masters

Please supply as Physical Red Book Audio CDs (Standard Audio CD playable on normal non MP3 stereos). If you don't supply a Red Book Audio CD, but supply files in formats such as MP3, AIFF & wave PLEASE ADVISE US - we charge a $30+gst minimum mastering fee to make a Red Book Audio CD. We can accept DDP Masters for Replication.

Please never supply audio on CD-RWs, we can't duplicate or replicate from CD-RW, the Audio needs to be Mastered on to CD-R media and subsequently played & checked.

Digital Content Master

Please supply on CD-ROMs CD-Rs, DVD-R. Never supply content on CD-RW or DVD-RW media, because if multiple sessions are recorded some drives can get confused reading old (replaced) files in preference to the latest version.

Also avoid Packet-writing Masters, because we have issues reading them. We can add Autorun/Autostart functionality if requested for a fee.

DVD Video Master - please supply finalised/closed DVD-R or DVD+R.

More information >>click here<<

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Musopak - extra pages

$0.20+gst for 4 to 6 page upgrade

$0.60+gst for 4 to 8 page upgrade

$0.80+gst for 4 to 12 page upgrade

$1.10+gst for 4 to 16 page upgrade

$1.40+gst for 4 to 20 page upgrade

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PAL/ NTSC

NZ & Australia use the PAL Television Broadcast Standard, USA (and some others) uses NTSC. For the latest information on standards see WORLD TELEVISION GUIDE

Whether a DVD is PAL or NTSC is determined at the time of Authoring - DVD Authoring is a separate process from MPEG encoding, but most modern DVD authoring software have a built-in encoder (though separate encoders are still used when better quality or finer control over compression settings is required).

PAL & NTSC format DVD Videos will play on PC or Mac with no issues.

DVD players and TVs in the USA are usually set for NTSC only, although most can be set to Automatic to recognise PAL material. If you have the wrong format, content is usually identifiable but not watch able.

PAL format an be converted to a NTSC format and vice versa, but to retain image quality the conversion usually needs to be done with professional equipment.

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Proofs

We always create a a Graphical (printed material) Proof and a Content Proof before starting a full production quantity run, UNLESS the customer specifically opts not to receive a Proof. Proofs can be picked up or couriered out normally using NZ Couriers which ever works best.

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Replication vs. Duplication

Replication (aka Stamped, Glass Master, Pressed or a Pressing) -

Minimum run for Replication is 500, because of the cost of making the Stamper and mounting it.

Duplication (aka Copying, Burning, Toasting)

Also see - Duplication_or_Replication

AUDIO MUSIC / RED BOOK AUDIO CDs - non MP3 content

For 300 or more CDs, Replication is the best approach for retail quality and 100% playability across the range of CD Players, from the 20 year old original Philips Players to the latest stereos - production time 5 to 10 working days.

For less than 500 CDs, we use Duplication with Tested Quality CD-R media and Professional Writers. Playability is approx 99.9%. The 0.1% of issues are usually due to dirty lens (try a lens cleaner) and/or a worn out player - production time 1-2 days.

DIGITAL CONTENT CDs & DVDs - files (can include MP3 content), but not DVD Videos

For 300 or more discs, Replication can give a more professional finish and perception and playability is 100% across a range of computers. Production time 5 to 10 working days.

For less than 500 CDs, we Duplicate using Tested Quality DVD-R media and Professional Writers playability is 100% across a range of computers. Production time 1-2 days.

DVD Videos

For 500 or more DVD Videos, Replication is the best approach to ensure 100% playability across the range of DVD Players, although some of the original DVD Players can be less reliable as they don't have duel lasers and won't play CD-R audio - production time 4 days to 10 working days.

For less than 500 DVD Videos, we Duplicate using Tested Quality DVD-R media and Professional Writers playability is approx 99.8%. The 0.2% of issues are usually due to dirty lens (try a lens cleaner) and/or a flakey player- production time 1-2 days.

We prefer to use Tested Quality DVD-R media and not DVD+R, some Macs have trouble playing DVD+R discs.

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Re-runs / Reloads

We have always tried to archive copies of Graphics file, a Graphical (printed material) sample and a Contents Master so we can rapidly do an accurate re-run of a previous job.

We have virtually all that is required to rerun any job done in the last 13+ years!

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Rich Black

Rich black, is an ink mixture of solid black over one or more of the other CMY colours, resulting in a darker tone than black ink alone generates in a printing process. A typical rich black mixture might be 100% black, 40% of each of the other three inks (CMY).

By default Photoshop will create “Rich Black” with 250% ink coverage. You should make adjustments to colour settings and / or individual colours to produce a black that is no more than 230%.

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Shrink wrapping

Shrink-wrapping is not normally needed for NZ items, but is a must for USA bound items. Cost is 45 cents+gst per item.

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