media, mastering, replicating & packaging - Buyers Guide

Emedia Professional, Dec, 1999

4M Takes on RW Formats

Multi Media Masters and Machinery (4M) has announced the MCL 700/800 and MCL 50 D manufacturing systems. The MCL 700/800 is the result of a joint development project with Asahi Chemical of Japan. The system is capable of manufacturing any of the proposed formats for rewritable DVD and is available in a format that allows the production of current CD-RW products. 4M has also announced the MCL 50 D, which is designed for CD and DVD 5 production. According to 4M, the user is only required to change the mold and to press one button to switch set-up between the two. An upgrade kit is available for users of the standard MCL 50 CD.

(Multi Media Masters & Machinery SA, Avenue de Sports 42, 1400 Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland; 41 24 4237 111; Fax 41 24 4237 201; http://www.4m-inc.ch)

CD Associates Introduces Standalone Analyzer

CD Associates has introduced the CDA 2000 standalone analyzer. The CDA 2000 is designed to analyze discs for playability at up to 24X in less than four minutes. If the disc fails at that speed, the CDA 2000 will automatically drop the speed and retest to report the speed at which it will play. The CDA 2000 does a byte-to-byte compare between the original source CD and the duplicated or replicated disc and it will also test the quality of blank CD-R media. The CDA 2000 is a self-contained desktop system that includes a Windows NT-based software package. The system sells for $3,999.

(CD Associates, Inc., 15A Marconi, Irvine, CA 92618; 949/588-3800; Fax 949/588-3805; http://www.cdassociates.com)

Luminex Announces Power-Press CD Duplication Systems

Luminex has announced the Power-Press product line of network ready, multi-user CD duplication and printing solutions. The Power-Press product line incorporates Power-Press software, which uses a job queuing method that enables a network client to treat a Power-Press as if it were a networked printer. Users can drag-and-drop folders into a "hot folder" and the software automatically queues and executes the entire process, sending the user an email notice when the job is complete. The Power-Press line supports Mac HFS, RockRidge, Joliet, and IS0 9660. The software bundle includes the Luminex HOTfolders archiving software, which allows users to create and label custom discs. The Power-Press solutions connect to UNIX or Linux servers and support Windows, Mac, and UNIX clients. The first product in the line will be the CDR-PowerPress-4, which incorporates four 8X CD-R drives, robotics, and an integrated color CD label printer.

(Luminex Software, Inc., 6840 Indiana Avenue, Suite 130, Riverside, CA 92506; 888/586-4639; Fax 909/781-4105; http://www.luminex.com)

Smart and Friendly Unveils 8X Certified CD-R Media

Smart and Friendly has announced its 8X certified CD-R media, CD Rocket Fuel 80. CD Rocket Fuel 80 provides 700MB (80 minutes of storage) and supports a variety of data formats including CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-ROM/XA, CD-I, CD-Bridge, Video CD, CD-Extra, and CD-Text. The new media conforms to Orange Book, Part II standards to incorporate the new 80-minute format. Smart and Friendly has announced a new storage module to accompany its new media, the 12-Disc Speed Pack, which offers 12 CD-R discs on a spindle with a locking hub. The estimated street price for CD Rocket Fuel 80 in the 12-Disc Speed Pack is $19.99.

(Smart and Friendly Inc., 20520 Nordhoff Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311; 800/959-7001 or 818/772-8001; Fax 818/772-2888; ht-tp://www.smartandfriendly.com)

Digital Innovations Introduces Skip Doctor

Digital Innovations has introduced SkipDoctor, a CD and DVD scratch repair device. SkipDoctor consists of an environmentally friendly resurfacing fluid, cleaning device, drying cloth, and felt buffing square. SkipDoctor is available at a suggested retail price of $34.99.

(Digital Innovations, 906 University Place, Evanston, IL 60201; http://www.digitalinnovations.com)

C3D Unveils New Optical Disc Technologies

C3D, Inc. recently unveiled its Fluorescent Multilayer Card (FMC) and Disc (FMD) optical data storage technologies. C3D's storage solutions are designed to be used with existing optical data storage devices with minimal retooling. C3D's multi-layering technology increases the potential for storage of up to hundreds of gigabytes of data on standard 120mm discs. C3D has demonstrated the potential for density memory increases with a 10-layer FMD-ROM disc, which has held up to 140GB. It has also developed, in the form factor of a credit card, a 20-layer FMC Clear Card ROM with up to 10GB capacity and in 10-layer FMC ClearCard-WORM with up to 1GB capacity. RAM versions of the discs and cards are also planned. C3D intends to begin production of the first commercial devices within twelve months.

(C3D, 235 West 76th, Suite 8D, New York, NY 10023; 212/580-4024; http://www.c-3d.net)