Manufacturing Discs

More and more local video production-type companies are offering the service of duplicating DVDs, which basically means they can take your DVD and make copies of it, put labels on, and probably even have some options for packaging. This is basically another way of burning your own DVDs, it's just that someone else is burning them, onto the same discs you would, and is probably saving you a lot of time.

As there is still less than 100% compatibility for discs burned in iDVD, the only real way to ensure your project will play in all players is to send it off to be manufactured. Fortunately, DVD manufacturers will increasingly accept DVD-R discs as masters, and if you had the need, you can use a DVD you burned on your Mac and have small or large quantities reproduced.

Task: Having a DVD Commercially Manufactured

To get a DVD manufactured

1. Go online and investigate your options, see figure 20.4. Call a manufacturer or two and ask questions. One to try is EMVUSA, online at www.emvusa.com.

   Figure 20.4. EMVUSA is an example of a DVD manufacturer that you can visit online and then work with to get a project done.

   

   Be sure to get enough information that you understand what you need to provide to them in terms of files, etc., and so you can get a sense of the options and prices.

2. As your project is developing, think about the art that will appear on the disc. If you are not a designer, you may want to hire someone to make a nice looking design. Templates are usually available for download, such as the one shown below in Figure 20.5, which is for a small- sized 3" DVD that places like EMVUSA are capable of making.

   Figure 20.5. An example of a DVD template available for download.

   

   

   Three-inch DVDs can play in anything except slot-loading drives found on some iMacs and PowerBooks, and they can hold a little over one gigabyte. These small discs are great attention-getters because they aren't that well-known yet.

   
   

3. After you've sent in your master disc, be patient as your DVD is being put together, and prepare for the pleasure of receiving the finished product.