An Independent Artist or Filmmakers Guide to DVD or CD Duplication at Home

As an independent filmmaker or musician, without the backing of a big studio or label, distribution can be difficult. Duplicating discs to distribute, on the other hand, can be nearly impossible. As a filmmaker with limited funds, I have had to tackle this problem on more than one occasion. Even the most top-of-the-line DVD burners in desktop personal computers take two hours or more to burn a DVD of an hour or more. Working at that rate, even without sleep on behalf of the person doing the burning, the computer has the capacity to make roughly a dozen copies a day. And most artists, even the independent ones, hope to sell more than a dozen a day.

While relying on a duplication warehouse to take care of this part of the business is an ideal scenario, it may be outside the budget of most independent creative types, and instead of waiting days for a few discs to burn, one will be forced to wait weeks to see their vision on DVD. The up front cost for duplication of this sort can be in the double-digit thousands. Technology is almost keeping up with the digital video and digital studio trends that allow these filmmakers and musicians to create works at home though, and there is a wide variety of home duplication devices that make the process almost seem easy.

From multiple disc-burning devices to automatic arms, there are plenty of options available these days for the amateur disc-maker. The pieces are surprisingly easy to use, reasonably affordable, and most are compatible with both Macs and PCs. And some don't even need a computer to operate at all.

DVD duplicators, like the Octave Data Safe Copy Master for instance, have the capacity to burn multiple discs at one time. The device looks like the tower of a computer, but it has nothing but disc trays on the front, along with buttons for burning and control of the burning process. Once a user has one copy, a master burned from his or her personal computer, that copy can be placed in the duplicator along with a number of other discs, depending on what level of duplicator is being used. (The Octave Copy Master burns four or eight at once.) When the burning process starts, the discs are burned simultaneously and come out as clean as if they were individually burned on the computer. The price tag of $1479 for the eight-drive duplicator may look a little steep, but it's a fraction of the cost of having it duplicated in a warehouse, and it is considerably simpler than burning copies one by one.

An 8 drive duplicator like the Octave is my duplication technique of choice. It might look at bit pricey at almost $1500, but with the amount of time it saves due to its efficiency it really is a must have for anyone making their own DVDs or CDs. There are also some duplicators that come with equipment to help you put a design on your disc. These are extra features, which mean more money, but it allows you to look more professional.

The Octave is hardly the only brand out there though. There are lots of choices. A great source for finding out more is the Disc Makers catalog, where you can get an idea of the variety of products available. You can also visit them online at Disc Makers. Independent filmmaking websites, such as Filmmaker Magazine, contain great information and reviews for the independent auteur.