What is Codec?
A CODEC is a program that COmpresses and DECompresses information. Different Codecs have different purposes. A Codec can be used to compress video for web distribution. But you would want a different Codec for video to be distributed on a DVD.

What does MPEG mean?
Movie Pictures Expert Group. MPEG is a working group within ISO
(International Standards Organization) responsible for developing standards that are interoperable.

What is MPEG-1 for?
MPEG-1 is an industry standard developed in about 1993 for the compression of audio / video files. The compression is in part developed around removing material that cannot normally be sensed by humans.

What is MPEG-2 for?
MPEG-2 is an industry standard provides audio / video files that are extremely high quality. This is often used for broadcasts and is the default format for video DVDs.

What is MPEG-4 for?
MPEG-4 is an open industry standard that provides audio / video files that are small, but retain very high quality playback.

What is NTSC?
National Television Systems Committee. NTSC is the standard for televisions in the United States. The standard for Europe is PAL. The NTSC standard is basically a composite video signal with a refresh rate of 60 half-frames (interlaced) with each frame containing 525 lines. This signal is capable of containing 16 million colors.

What are your payment terms?
Duplication Masters supports payments via Visa, Master Card, and American Express.

How do I get net terms?
To supply the lowest possible price Duplication Masters accepts payments via credit cards only.

Do I need to have licenses for free software?
Yes. Software companies that provide 'free' product generally have very easy licensing requirements. This licensing information is very often located on their individual websites.

Why is licensing important?
Licensing is the mechanism that companies and individuals get paid for their efforts. Nobody wants their efforts stolen. Stealing software, music, videos, and other intellectual property is just like stealing from a bank. Our company supports the Industry Recording Media Association’s (IRMA) Anti-Piracy Compliance Program.

I don't have the time to get a license?
Licensing is absolutely required by all reputable businesses. Violations of intellectual property rights is a crime. Any company or individual that steals intellectual property can be held criminally and civily liable.

What is the RIAA?
The RIAA is the acronym for the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA is an industry association that represents the recording industry. Please see their website for more information. www.riaa.org

Where can I find licensing information for software that is commonly provided for free?
There isn't a single location for this information. However we are providing some of the common ones here: Adobe (link: www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/openoptions/main.html), Macromedia (link: www.macromedia.com/support/service/licensing.html), Winzip (link: www.winzip.com/xsales.htm), Stuffit Expander (link: www.stuffit.com/win/sdr/license.html), Real One (link: http://forms.real.com/rnforms/resources/licensing/index.html), Quicktime (link: http://developer.apple.com/softwarelicensing/agreements/quicktime.html)

Who is ASCAP?
ASCAP stands for the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers. ASCAP is made up of hundreds of thousands of composers, authors, and publishers. Their mission is to protect the intellectual property rights of there membership. Please view their website for additional information. www.ascap.com

Where can I get licenses for songs?
The Harry Fox Agency of New York is a well respected agency that has thousands of songs available for licensing. Their website is very simple and easy to use. Please view their website for additional information. www.harryfox.com

How long is my project going to take?
Once Duplication Masters has the master and artwork we will often ship projects within 7 - 10 business days.

How can I get my project early?
Duplication Masters operates on a first come first serve basis.

How do I supply my master?
The ordering process will provide our clients a spot to upload an ISO CD image. If your project is a DVD or you don't have an ISO CD image we will provide you an address to mail your master to. Please make a backup copy of any master sent to us. It is extremely important to fully test any master sent for copying. Duplication will only test that your media is readable. We do not perform in functionality or operatability testing. Duplication Masters will make an exact copy of the master provided.

Can I supply my own film and get a discount?
We are very knowledgable about the intricate details in preparing artwork for film production. To insure the best possible output for your project Duplication Masters feels it is best to produce the film for all projects.

My project uses multiple masters and I need 1,000 sets. What quantity break will my pricing be at.?
Each master will be run at the 1,000 unit price break.

How many overs will I be receiving?
Overs are created in the printing process. To simplify the ordering process we will not be shipping any overs. Any overs that are created will be scrapped.

How many overs will I be receiving?
Overs are created in the printing process. To simplify the ordering process we will not be shipping any overs. Any overs that are created will be scrapped.

What is the minimum order?
The minimum order for any sales order is $ 50. There are custom items that do have a minimum quantity. These are specific to the item and how much time it takes to setup that item.

What is the minimum quantity I can order?
The minimum quantity varies by product. Please use our quote generator to determine the quantity that is best for your project.

How does a cd work?
A cd has a series of 'pits'. A cd drive aims a precision laser beam at the surface of the cd. The laser beam reflects off of the cd. This reflection is slightly different when the laser beam hits a pit versus when it hits a flat spot. This difference is read as data.

What is an enhanced cd?
An enhanced CD has a portion formatted for Digital Audio and another portion formatted for data. This CD will play the Digital Audio files in most Audio CD players. Computer drives will be able to access both the Digital Audio files and the data files.

What is a CD-Extra?
A CD-Extra is the same as an enhanced CD. An enhanced CD has a portion formatted for Digital Audio and another portion formatted for data. This CD will play the Digital Audio files in most Audio CD players. Computer drives will be able to access both the Digital Audio files and the data files.

What does CD-DA mean?
CD-DA is an Digital Audio CD.

What is a VCD?
VCD stands for Video Compact Disc. This is a CD that is formatted for video (with an audio track). The video is decent quality. The quality is not as good as a video tape or a DVD because of the compression used to make 74 minutes of video fit into 640 mb.

What is an ISO image?
An ISO image is basically an electronic copy of an entire CD. This single file will have all the files, folders, volume labels and other details of an entire CD. This single file can be used by any CD burning software with total confidence.

Does my CD label artwork need a bleed?
It is common to call the artwork on a CD or DVD a label. There are five different printing methods for CD and DVD face artwork. These five methods are: Thermal, Inkjet, Paper Label, Silk Screen, & Offset. We recommend providing a background artwork bleed on all printing methods. The paper label is the only method that requires a background artwork bleed to be supplied.

What is Track at Once?
Track at Once is a term for burning data to optical media one track at a time. This method will work well for archiving data to a disc. This disc will probably only be able to be read by the drive / system that created the disc. This method is NOT recommended if you plan on having other systems or drives use the disc or a copy of the disc.

What is Disc at Once?
Disc at Once is the term used for burning information to optical media in one session. This method is best for any discs that may need to be used on other systems or drives.

What is a Hybrid CD?
A hybrid cd is disc that can be played on more than a single operating system (Mac & PC). There are several ways to create a hybrid cd. There are two common approaches. One approach is to partition the cd with different operating system formats. The project is put onto each of the partitions. Another way is to create a shared data region that can be accessed by multiple platforms and the data that is operating system specific is on other disc areas.

What is the difference between CD-R and CD-RW?
A CD-R can be written to only once. If the disc is written to using disc at once and is finallized the disc should be able to be read by nearly any CD drive. A CD-RW can be written to multiple times. But the format does not have wide compatability amongs different cd drives. So a CD-RW should be used for archival type purposes only.

What does CDR (CD-R) mean?
Compact Disc wRite once. A CDR (CD-R) starts off absolutely blank. Data is then written to the media. This writing process is often called 'burning' a disc. A blank CDR can have data written to it only once.

What does CDRW (CD-RW) mean?
Compact Disc WRite multiple times. A CDRW (CD-RW) starts off absolutely blank. Data is then written to the media. This writing process is often called 'burning' a disc. A blank CD-RW can have data written to it multiple times. This format is good for archiving type uses where the data is not going to be shared or copied for use by other computers.

What does CDRW (CD-RW) mean?
Compact Disc WRite multiple times. A CDRW (CD-RW) starts off absolutely blank. Data is then written to the media. This writing process is often called 'burning' a disc. A blank CD-RW can have data written to it multiple times. This format is good for archiving type uses where the data is not going to be shared or copied for use by other computers.

What does CD ROM mean?
Compact Disc Read Only Memory. A CDROM can contain many different types of data. It can contain digital audio, digital video, or data. Once the information is put on the media it cannot be altered.

What is the CD Green Book?
Green book is the compact disc industry's standard for CD-I discs.

What is the CD Red Book?
Red book is the compact disc industry's standard for Digital Audio CDs.

When to use CDROM Replication?
Replication is used for projects that have large volumes.

How is a CDROM replicated?
How a CDROM is replicated.

What is the CD Yellow Book?
Yellow book is the compact disc industry's standard for Computer Data CD Roms.