At first glance you may not realize that there is a difference at all between CD duplication and CD replication, but there is and understanding the differences can help you understand which one might be the right choice for you in any situation. All of the following applies to the reproduction of both CDs and DVDs.
Duplication
CD duplication is pretty straightforward and can be done right in your own home. You can buy a blank disc and “burn” a copy in just a few minutes. These CD-Rs have been around for years. Copy rates are extremely fast so you can make a few copies in not a lot of time. If you have two drives, the disc can be copied right from one to the other. Even if you don’t have two drives, you can still duplicate a CD. Put the source CD into the drive and hit copy. Your computer will make a temporary copy and store in on the hard drive. When the copy is done, you simply remove the source disc and insert a blank disc. The computer will then copy the source data onto the new, blank disc. If you are making only one copy, the computer will then erase the temporary data. If you are making multiple copies, the information can be stored until you are done making copies.
The copies produced are high quality and will play in almost any drive or player.
There are some cons to duplication. The discs tend to scratch a little bit easier and the physical printing on the front of a disc is generally not of a high quality. If you are producing discs for professional use, the look of the discs may not match the quality you are looking for.
If you are only printing a few discs, duplication is not terribly expensive, but in large quantities, duplication has a higher per disc cost than replication.
Replication
Replication is very different from duplication. Replication involves pressing copies from a master disc. These professional quality prints are different from a duplication. There is no degradation of the source material and no loss of quality.
You can have the front of the disc printed at the same time as the rear is pressed. Printing in Newbury Park can print either type of disc depending on your needs. These discs will look exactly like a professional copy because that’s exactly what they’ll be. You’ll hire a company that produces these discs professionally.
The quality of the press will be professional grade as will the quality of the printing on the front of the disc. It will be indistinguishable from a store bought CD or DVD.
Replication is more cost effective for large quantity orders. By buying and producing in bulk, you can save a lot of money on a per disc basis. The technology is totally different as well. Duplicating burns an image on to the disc whereas replication presses the data just like the original CD.
Replicating a disc does have a slightly longer turnaround time and you’ll need to order in large quantities before it really becomes cost effective.
