Month: July 2012

MicroBoards Duplicators, Printers and Publishers – Lower prices for summer!!!

Microboards Technology was founded in Japan many years ago. The company grew fast thanks to an rapidly growing market and a range of products that ticked the boxes for people looking to start producing their own CD products. The range quickly grew to support DVD product and more latterly Blu-Ray and Flash media devices like SD card duplicators.

But MicroBoards didn’t become this successful by accident. Their customers appreciate their strong and well built machines as well as the low costs of the inks used for the printers. Another characteristic of MicroBoards products is their very fast output.

Since the company offers items for every level of production, it’s very attractive not only for companies, but also for private individuals and home users to invest in a MicroBoards duplication system. So no matter if you’re a garage band and want to spread your music or a big marketing company – MicroBoards has the right product for you!
They offer a wide range of CD publishers and printers, such as the Print Factory 3 Printer or the G3 Disc Publisher.

At CD-writer.com we have enjoyed a long relationship with MicroBoards and have always been very pleased with the quality of their products and the professionalism of their service. But we don’t just sell Microboards products, we use them too. Presently we run a compliment of Print Factory 2 printers that have lasted for around 8 years, and a PrinfFactory Pro printer that we have been using every day for around 3 years. The difference between MicroBoards and comparative units, is the build quality. When you open up a PrintFactory Pro you can see that the device is made to last, with durable components and clever design.

Don’t forget that the prices on a wide range of MicroBoards products have been slashed for the summer so now is the time to buy. So, if you are looking to upgrade your exiting production facility, or start producing your own discs then be sure to talk to us about how Microboards Technology might work for you. Call us on 0208 293 0777 to make an arrangement for a demo. See the full range of MicroBoards Products here

Adding Patronus Copy Protection to a DVD Video with a StorDigital SafeTower.


In this post we wanted to touch briefly on the advantages of using a StorDigital SafeTower for duplicating DVD Video discs. StorDigital duplicators are widely recognised as the best duplicators in the industry for producing large volumes of CD, DVD and Blu-Ray. One of the reasons they are so successful is because they are both reliable and feature packed. One feature that is much sought after is our DVD copy protection function available in the StorDigital SafeTower model. Using the industry leading copy protection software, Patronus from ‘Fortium Technologies’ the StorDigital SafeTower has the ability to quickly and easily protect your DVD Video titles from unauthorised copying.

Applying DVD Video copy protection via the SafeTower both protects your content and boosts long term revenues from subsequent sales.

To protect your DVD Videos from unauthorised duplication just follow these steps:

01 Take your DVD Video and place into the drive on your computer

02 Open the “Imgburn” software, and convert your DVD into a ISO file on your PC

03 Open the “Copylock” software. Select the ISO you just created as the source file, and type a filename for the destination file your destination file will be called a VCP file.

04 Once the process is complete, transfer the VCP file to the Hard drive of your duplicator, using the supplied USB cable.

NOTE* To enable or disable the USB on your duplicator, select “Setup” from the duplicator Menu, then turn the “External Connection” on or off. The external connection must be “on” to transfer VCP files from your computer to the duplicator hard drive, and must be turned off when you are ready to burn your new copy protected DVD Videos through your duplicator.

Patronus DVD Video copy protection is very cost effective when making larger volumes of discs due to the fact that you only pay to protect the master disc. This means every copy you make is protected, but without incurring any extra costs.

It’s as simple as that.

In tests at CD-writer.com HQ we have found the DVD Video discs very diffcult to copy with all the mainstream DVD ripping solutions. Customers should note that the SafeTower software can easily be updated to offer ongoing protection.


Fortium’s DVD Anti Rip Copy Protection technology “Patronus” is designed with reliable levels of protection from mass market ripping programs. Patronus provides effective speed bump protection from unauthorised casual copying. Patronus software is regularly tested against new and upgraded ripping programs.

Since its launch Patronus has gained considerable traction across all geographies of the world.
Major US based film studios, content owners and duplicating service providers have found the high level of copy protection and easy of use key factors in their adoption of Patronus. Patronus today is helping our global partners secure their video content so helping to prevent the organised ripping and exploitation of their content, thus protecting their revenues and brands which is fundamental in the competitive video production world. From Videographers to the largest Film Studios Patronus is delivering results.

Patronus DVD video anti rip copy protection solution helps content owners sell more discs by reliably preventing unauthorized copying from common ripping programs without affecting playback. Patronus is widely used by videographers and the major film studios for protecting screener DVDs.
It introduces copy control encapsulation in areas of the disc not read by DVD players during playback. Complying with the DVD standard, the original content is not modified and play-back quality remains unaffected. Patronus effectively controls access to the content by common ripping programs and provides effective, speed bump protection from unauthorised copying.

Complex content – including menus, special features, extras and even dual layers – are protected by the passive technology of Patronus, which ensures no changes are made to the original video files during analysis. Patronus provides an ideal solution for consumer ‘download-to-own’ and in-store ‘on demand’ manufacturing.

Patronus is a passive anti-rip solution that encapsulates image files on a DVD disc causing access to the content by common ripping programs to be controlled. The original media content is not modified and play-back quality remains unaffected. This is achieved by introducing copy control encapsulation in areas of the disc that are not read by DVD players during playback. Copy controlled discs are designed to provide effective speed bump protection from unauthorised casual copying. Copy controlled discs have full DVD player playability matching that of unprotected DVDRs. Menus, special features and extras are unaffected and remain as the original.


How do I apply Patronus to DVDs?
Copy control is applied through our proprietary Patronus software authoring program which adds protection to the ISO or DDP image file prior to burning. Once protected the ISO files can be processed in the normal way for PC playback, duplicating DVDs or for mastering and manufacturing. Content that is protected in this way can be burnt to disc using any standard burn engine.

How reliable is it?
The high level of copy protection, playability and simplicity of its use are key factors in the continued success of Patronus. Whereas NO copy protection solution can be guaranteed to be 100% un-rippable , Patronus provides a significant ’speed bump’ in any attempt to rip and copy video content and hence has been adopted by leading content owners across the world. Independent testing has shown both a significant level of copy protection robustness but also virtually 100% playability on the huge range of DVD players out there. Further, it is an upgradable software solution. New and innovative development continues to ensure that it provides the most reliable, efficient and easy to use anti-rip copy protection solution available.
Low quality media should be avoided.

Patronus can also be used with CSS, Content Scramble System to protect movies on DVD from being illegally duplicated. Patronus has been licensed by Sonic Solutions for integration with Qflix which is an industry-backed standard and comprehensive licensing and certification program that allows movies to be legally purchased by downloading through the Internet and burned onto DVD or directly duplicated by in-store retail systems, providing movie studios and distributors with an efficient new channel for the electronic distribution of digital video entertainment to consumers.

Simply, Qflix is a system that enables the recording of premium content to DVD-recordable discs with the same level of copy protection found on today’s instore DVDs. Being both secure and compatible with the billion DVD players deployed worldwide, Qflix opens up a whole new way to digitally deploy movies with the same quality and level of interactivity as standard DVD discs, but with virtually no inventory management costs.

You can find the StorDigital SafeTower DVD Duplicator with Patronus copy protection on the CD-writer.com shop or by via the CD-writer.com outlet on EBay.

Call us on 020 8293 0777 (in normal working hours) for more information about how we can help protect your DVD Video content from unauthorised duplication.

Home Studio Recording Tips’n’Tricks

Everybody knows that the recording conditions in a home studio aren’t usually as good as professional studio recordings. You simply don’t have as many possibilities as a full equipped studio does. But here are some tips to bring your own home studio as close to a professional one as possible.

A must for a good home studio is that you never stop trying things. It might take some time until you have found the best way of recording, producing and, of couse, playing your music, but it will be worth it. Experimenting is the only way to improve your skills and to get the best out of your equipment.
Try not to rush things and have plenty of patience.

Make sure your instrument is in good shape. No matter if you sing, play guitar or drums, it`s important to prepare it before the recording to get the best out of it.

You play the guitar? Change your strings!
You play the drums? Change your drum heads!
You are a singer? Be gentle to your voice a few days before your recording. Wear a scarf, drink tea and don`t smoke. Also, prepare your voice right before you want to sing. Do some vocal exercises and, as funny as it may seem, eat potato chips! They help your voice to get a better tune.

 

Now the recording itself.
If you need a very calm voice for your song, let’s say a ballad, let the vocalist lie down on his/her back and hold the microphone right above their mouth. This helps the vocalist to relax and gives him/her more head space.
You can also adjust the room to your song. With light for example. You’re playing a ballad – light a candle. You’re playing a rock song – turn all the lights in the room on. It helps you to get the feeling of the song.

Depending on the conditions in your room, your instruments can sound completely different. Is your room wooden, do you have a carpet on the floor or a lot of windows? All this can change the way your song sounds. That`s why you have to move around in your room with your instrument and find the place with the best sound.
If your room doesn’t offer the best conditions and creates an echo when you’re recording, make use of your blankets, sleeping bags or cushions. Put them up to a kind of wall or tent and put the microphone in it. Also, if you have the cash, be sure to buy some good cables, it’s money well spent.

 

Try to get someone who knows how to check your recording studio space for ‘standing waves’ and any other soundwaves that can spoil your recording or mix sessions – use empty egg cartons (not plastic ones) to eliminate waves by ‘dampening’ the room.

If the low end or the highs aren’t the way you want them to be, don’t change anything on your EQ immediately. Try to adjust the settings on your instrument or amp first. Another mic can also make a difference.

You will need different frequencies for your recordings. Use filters to focus your instrument on higher or lower frequencies. The filters also help you to cut out unwanted noises like an air conditioner.
It’s a good thing to have good equipment, but don’t use too many devices at the same time. It might not do any good to your music. Again, experimenting is the key. Try using different devices to find out how to get the best sound.
Another way of getting different tones out of the same equipment is to adjust the gain on your preamp. Using a microphone for example, you won’t need a pad if you’re recording something that’s supposed to sound natural. But now, to change the tone, you can push the preamp. Using the pad cranking the gain on the preamp will make a big change. This might also mean that you have to move all your devices, including the musician.
Play your recording/mix through small speakers to try and gauge what the sound will be like when played on the radio.

You see, everthing comes down to experimenting.

It is also important to try different placements and angles for your microphone. Turning it up toward a 45º angle will fade down unwanted hissings.
Angling your amp will do a huge difference to the sound as well. Adjust it to the conditions in your room (especially the floor) and to the music you`re playing. Put it off the floor in case the low end is sucked by the floor or increased because of vibrations.

Listen carefully and critically to your own work to see where you can make improvements.
BUT do NOT listen to your music over-loudly, especially when using headphones. Remember, your ears are the most important bit of ‘kit’ you have and they are NOT replacable.

It is also helpful to read magazines like SOS that inform you of recording techniques and tricks to give you a more professional sound.

 

And most important, don’t lose your fun doing your music!

Want to be a successful indie musician? We can help you!!

We have compiled a huge list of tips and advice that will prove indispensable for any musician or band looking to make it big in the music business. Follow our guide and get on the road to the success that you deserve and experience the warm glow of affection from your swollen fan base. Rock On, Dude!

01 Believe in the product you are selling – you are your music. Imagine you run your own business, I’m quite sure your main objective would be to place your products successfully on the market, wouldn’t it? However, in order to achieve this lucky situation, one of the most important things is that you really believe in your products. Your products should reflect your personality and your passion. And so it is in the music business. If you do not like what you do and are not completely convinced of your music, your style, your genre, and your final cut you will never earn the success you are aiming for. Continue reading “Want to be a successful indie musician? We can help you!!”