I decided on the Aleratec DVD CD Copy Cruiser Pro. I chose it for price ($299 from MicroCenter Mall) and because it had LightScribe capabilities.
LightScribe allows you to put text, artwork, and photos directly onto the disc surface without a label. The discs are more expensive than a regular blank DVD. I paid $1 per disc (also from MicroCenter).
The LightScribe-able side of the disc has a matte finish.
The data side of the disc looks like a regular disc.
The Aleratec Copy Cruiser Pro is a DVD/CD burner or a DVD/CD player. It is a stand-alone unit if all you are doing is duplicating a CD or DVD -- i.e. you don't need to hook it up to your computer if you are just making a copy of a disc. It comes with a USB cable, power cable, Nero burning software, and LightScribe drivers for Win. 98 or newer, and 1 blank DVD.
After installing the drivers and the updated version of Nero I created a simple text only label. I put the blank disc, lightscribe surface down, in the bottom tray, went to to FILE -> PRINT LIGHTSCRIBE LABEL -> selected BEST QUALITY -> left clicked PRINT. It took about 20(!) minutes to print the label on the disc.
The finished product looked nice.
After labeling a few discs, I switched the unit to copy mode and duplicated, from a master, a few dvd's. You burn the blanks in the bottom dirve, the same used for LightScribing, but you flip the dvd data side down. It says it burns at 8X speed. A one hour dvd took about ten minutes to burn.
Conclusions: This duplicator would have cost considerably more just 3 years ago. I priced them then at about $700. The discs, although expensive compared to a standard blank DVD, have come down in price too. I like the fact that you can duplicate cd's and dvd's without a computer. The Nero label making program has lots of great potential for custom graphics, imported pictures, logo's, etc... I just did basic text for the first go 'round. Oh yeah, I ordered it on line at MicroCenter's website and picked it up at their Sharonville store saving the UPS shipping charges. Still had to pay tax.
Links:
http://www.aleratec.com
http://www.lightscribe.com
http://www.microcenter.com
http://www.nero.com
JG
1 comment:
For non professionals, you can do the same copy your non-copyrighted DVDS - personal home videos and the like with Nero 6 using Nero Express. Within Nero 6 choose the "copy entire disk" option. Of course you will need a DVD burner on your PC to do this. For me, I choose the slowest burn speed within Nero Express.
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