Professional CD Duplication & DVD Duplication Services

Glossary

Artcoating

The process of coating an inkjet printed disc with a UV coating that seals and enhances the print surface giving it a glossy mirror surface. It is only offered by a few suppliers in Australia – DuplicateIt being one of them.

Audio CD

CD format for holding audio data.

AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format)

The audio format native to MAC computers.

AVI (Audio Video Interleaved)

A Microsoft format for digital audio and video playback from Windows 3.1. Somewhat cross-platform, but mostly a Windows format. Has been replaced by the ASF format, but still used by a few multimedia developers.

Bit Rate

The number of bits transmitted per second – for example, in theory, a 56 Kbps modem can transmit up to 56,000 bits per second.

Blue Book

The CD Extra standard created by Phillips and Sony.

Blu-ray Disc

An optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 video games, and other data, with up to 25 GB per single-layered, and 50 GB per dual-layered disc. 200 GB discs are available, and 100 GB discs are readable without extra equipment or modified firmware. The discs have the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs. The name Blu-ray Disc derives from the blue-violet laser used to read the disc.

Compact Disc

CD-DA

Compact Disc - Digital Audio. This format was launched in 1982 and was the product of joint development by Philips and Sony. CD-DA discs conform to the red book standard.

CD Duplication

Duplication relates to the individual "burning" of your discs onto recordable media. This process is generally used for less than 500 runs or where extremely fast turnarounds are required.

CD-Extra:

A multisession CD comprising of audio and data. Can be used to add extra CD-ROM content to audio CD releases. The standard was developed by Philips, Sony and Microsoft

CD+G

Audio CD that contains graphics as well as audio data. The format is usually used for karaoke CDs.

CD-I:

Compact Disc - Interactive. A multimedia/interactive CD format that was jointly invented by Philips and Sony.

CD Pressing

The same as CD Replication. Requires more time to produce than CD burning, however is the most economical method and features high quality screen printing.

CD-R:

Compact Disc Recordable. An optical disc which data/audio can be written to once. The CD-R was developed by Taiyo Yuden

CD Replication

Replication relates to the process of moulding or "pressing" your discs in quantities of 500 and above.

CD-ROM

Compact Disc Read-Only Memory. An optical disc used to store computer data. CD-ROM is defined by the yellow book standard developed jointly by Philips and Sony in 1983.

CD-ROM/XA

CD-ROM Extended Architecture. These discs contain Mode 2 sectors allowing audio and data to be read at the same time. Photo CD, Video CD and CD-Extra are based on this format.

CD-RW

Compact Disc Re-writable. An optical disc that can be written with data or audio multiple times. Introduced in 1997 by Hewlett Packard, Mitsubishi, Philips, Ricoh and Sony.

Celloglasing

A clear ‘plastic’ film that can be applied to your printed booklet covers, cardboard wallets or digipacks. It comes in matt or glass and will protect or product from scuffing and fingerprint marks and give it a thicker more ‘retail’ feel.

CIRC (Cross Interleaved Reed-Soloman Correction) System

An error correction system that works by over sampling data. Based on the principal that even if there are a few ‘bad’ points in the data, the data can still be interpreted in its original form.

CSS

Content Scramble System. Scheme used to encrypt DVDs so that they can only be played on CSS-licenced DVD players.

CD Writer/Burner:

A drive used to write and/or re-write recordable CDs.

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK)

These four colours when printed and positioned as small dots on a printed substrate can represent every colour in the rainbow.

CODEC (Coder/Decoder)

A mathematical system for compressing (encoding) and decompressing (playing back) a video or audio file. CODECs can be hardware or software-based, or both. Hardware CODECS are often more efficient, but the trade-off is that not all users will have the special hardware needed to play back the file.

Colour Book Standards

The standards that Phillips sets out that technically define the optical disc formats. Each format has its own colour.

Color Correction

In imaging, this refers to the process of matching the colors in a digital reproduction of an image to an analog original, such as a photograph. Adobe Photoshop is the standard application for color-correcting images. In film, this refers to adjusting the final print so that colors match from shot to shot, regardless of the film stock and camera used.

Compression

The process of reducing the size of a media file by eliminating data. Higher compression means that the compression utility (usually a software program or a combination of hardware and software) defines greater amounts of data (such as larger areas of an image) as redundant, but at certain points the human eye will register the missing information as quality loss. The trade-off is that highly compressed images can be delivered more efficiently over a network.

Copy Protection

Copyright is a form of protection for both published and unpublished works and is granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression.

DAT Recorder (Digital Audio Tape Recorder)

Used for recording and storing high quality audio such as interviews and sound effects from the field.

Digitize

To convert analog (wave-based) media into digital format (zeros and ones) to be compatible with computers. Also known as "capturing," and sometimes "encoding." Audio can normally be digitized through standard sound cards that come with most computers.

Disc Mailers

Print approved mailers for discs and other printed matter. Hard or soft CD and DVD holders made from cardboard or plastic. Used for presentation, placement, shipping and storage.

Disc Sleeves

Provides optimal disc protection with lots of different options.

Digipacks

Digipaks typically consist of a gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums and the tall DVD Digipak is used as a premium package for DVDs and DVD sets.

DPI (Dots Per Inch)

A measurement of an artwork file’s resolution. If you think of a square that measures 1 inch by 1 inch, a 300dpi image will have 300 dots or pixels along each edge. Typical resolutions for displaying on screen are 72dpi and print ready files will have a resolution of 300dpi.

Dubbing

The technique of combining multiple sound components into one - can also refer to the automatic dialog replacement of another language.

DVD

Digital Versatile Disc. A DVD can contain audio, video or data.

DVD Audio

Format used for storing audio data.

Disk-At-Once (DAO):

The process where only a single track burned onto the CD.

DVD-5:

Single layer, single sided DVD format with 4.7GB of capacity.

DVD-9

Dual layer, single sided DVD format with 8.54GB capacity.

DVD-10

Single layer, double sided DVD format with 9.4GB capacity.

DVD-18

Dual layer, double sided DVD format with 17.08GB capacity.

DVD+R

Digital Versatile Disc Recordable.

DVD+RW

Digital Versatile Disc Re-writeable. Developed in co-operation with Hewlett-Packard, Mitsublishi Chemical, Philips, Ricoh, Sony and Yamaha.

DVD-R:

Digital Versatile Disc Recordable. An optical disc capable of having large amounts of data written onto it once.

DVD-RW

Digital Versatile Disc Re-writeable

DVD-RAM

Re-writeable DVD disc.

DVD-ROM

Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only Memory. Used for storing computer data.

DVD Duplication

Duplication relates to the individual "burning" of your discs onto recordable media. This process is generally used for less than 500 runs or where extremely fast turnarounds are required.

DVD Replication

Replication relates to the process of molding or "pressing" your discs in quantities of 500 and above.

DVD Video

Format for storing video data on DVD.

Encoding

The activity of converting data or information into code.

Enhanced CD

Format that is a combination of both Red Book (CD audio) and Yellow Book (CD ROM). Originally known as mixed mode, it has now been defined in its own colour book standard known as Blue Book.

Firmware

A term used to denote the fixed programs and data structures that internally control various electronic devices such as calculators, hard disks, keyboards and mobile phones.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

The process of moving files between a local computer and a server.

Fulfillment

The process of picking, packing and sending an order once it has been received.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

File format most commonly used for images on the web - especially suitable for graphics composed of relatively few colors, such as logos or vector images.

Gigabyte (GB)

Unit of measure equal to 1,000 megabytes.

Glass Master

Part of the process of replicating CDs and DVDs. The data from your master is transferred to a glass master. A stamper is made from the glass master that is used in the molding line to create the discs.

Green Book:

The standard for CD-I.

H-I-J-K-L

Hybrid CD

CD-ROM with multiple file systems that is readable by both PCs and MACs.

InkJet Printing

The process of printing where ink is transferred to a medium, via a print head that squirts small droplets of ink onto a medium. The process has been adapted for disc printing giving exceptional results, particularly when combined with an artcoating process.

Jewel Cases

The original CD case that has been used since the compact disc was first released. It is a three-piece plastic case which usually contains a compact disc along with the liner notes and a back card. Two opposing transparent halves are hinged together to form the casing, the back half holding a media tray that grips the disc by its hole. The back media tray snaps into the back cover, and is responsible for securing the disk. In its center is a circular hub of teeth which grip the disc by its hole. This effectively suspends the disk in the middle of the container, preventing the recording surface from being scratched. Jewel cases are occasionally used for DVDs as well as CDs, but generally not for those that contain major film releases.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

Refers to the widely-used image file format for use on the web and is the recommended file type for photo images. It has relatively high quality and low file size and adjustable compression with little perceptible loss in image quality.

Letterbox(LTBX)

The practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting videographic image has mattes (black bars) above and below it; these mattes are part of the image (i.e., of each frame of the video signal).

Licence Status Confirmation Document (LSCD):

This is a document that can be supplied on request from your plant or broker and can be passed onto you – showing that royalties on the shipment has been paid to Phillips.

M-N

Master

A disc or file containing an original creation (data or audio) from which copies can be made.

Microphone

An electronic device that converts sound into electrical impulses, usually for recording or amplification.

Mixed Mode

Contains a combination of a data and one or more audio tracks. The CD-ROM track is the first track on the disc, followed by CD-DA on the rest.

Mixer/Mixing

In live recording, refers to combining sound from different microphones using a device called a mixer, which adjusts the balance and levels of sound from these different sources. In editing, this also refers to combining more than one recorded soundtrack.

MPEG(Motion Picture Expert Group)

MPEG-1 is the video distribution system used on Video CD & CD-I. MPEG-2 and DVD offer better than laser disc picture quality.

Multisession

A CD format allowing the recording of data onto the disc in more than one session.

Offset Printing

Commercial offset printing is the process of printing used in large scale printing factories. Ink is transferred to the paper from a metal plate to an intermediary surface - called a blanket - then onto the paper as it passes through the machine. Offset printing is used for most high volume paper printing projects as it is cost effective and allows very high levels of control of ink levels.

Orange Book

A recordable CD standard for CD-R and photo CD.

Pantone

Solid colours that are mixed from a standardized formula. Pantone colours printed on the same stock will always be the same, whereas CMYK printing can have variances and is dependent on the machine operator to match a proof.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

A document format from Adobe that preserves formatting such as specific fonts and graphics by embedding them into the file - created with Adobe Acrobat.

Pixel

A pixel (or picture element) is a single point in a raster image. The pixel is the smallest addressable screen element; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be controlled. Pixels are normally arranged in a 2-dimensional grid, and are often represented using dots or squares. The intensity of each pixel is variable.

PNG (Portable Network Graphics)

An image format for files designed for the web.

QuickTime

A digital audio and video file-format and architecture which can be viewed on most computing platforms.

RealMedia

Amultimedia format created by RealNetworks. Its extension is ".rm" and is typically used in conjunction with RealVideo and RealAudio and is used for streaming content over the Internet. Typically these streams are in CBR (constant bitrate).

Red Book

Part of the Phillip colour book standards and describes the CD Audio format.

Regional Coding

Used in DVD players to only allow DVDs encoded for use in one of the six world regions to be played, as established by the major film companies.

Resolution

Resolution and DPI are often used interchangeably, but they are quite different. Any digital image is composed of pixels. The pixels are the small coloured square dots that can sometimes be seen when images are enlarged too much, or if you look at your screen close enough. Resolution is the number of pixels in the horizontal direction by the number of pixels in the vertical direction. For example, a picture with 1200 pixels at the horizontal direction and 2100 pixels at the vertical direction would have a resolution of 1200 x 2100 pixels (pronounced 1200 by 2100 pixels). The bigger the resolution, the bigger the image is. It will take more disk space, occupy more memory when loaded, and will take longer to be transferred through the Web. On the other hand, the bigger the resolution, the better the image looks when printed.

RGB (Red Green Blue)

Most widely used color model which is an additive color model in which red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The main purpose of the RGB color model is for the sensing, representation, and display of images in electronic systems – TV and computers, and has also been used in conventional photography.

.rtf

File extension associated with digital documents created in a text based editor but saved as Rich Text Format (RTF), an open source document formatting scheme allowing files to be saved with formatting intact.

SECAM

The video format used in France and some other countries. SECAM has 625 lines total, 576 lines visible per frame, and has a frame-rate of 25 frames per second.

Silk Screen Printing

Silk screening is the process that you may remember from school when you "silk screened" images on your T-Shirts. A screen is made from your artwork through which ink is pushed arriving on the substrate - in our case it is your Disc label. Silk screening is provides excellent quality for solid colours, but is not recommended for images of intricate patterns or low ink densities due to the poor ability to control ink dot delivery at low levels.

Stamper

A stamper is the device made from a Glass Master and is used as the ‘mold’ from which discs are made.

Standards Conversion

The transfer of one video standards format to another. For example, European tapes are made in the PAL format and need to be converted to NTSC format to be viewed in North American countries.

Streaming Media

Video or audio transmitted over a network that users can begin to play immediately instead of waiting for the entire file to download. Typically a few seconds of data is sent ahead and buffered in case of network transmission delays. (Although some data is buffered to the hard drive, it is written to temporary storage and is gone once viewing is complete.) RealMedia, QuickTime and Windows Media are the most common streaming formats.

Surround Sound

A sound system which creates the illusion of multi-directional sound through speaker placement and signal processing. See also Dolby, SDDS, DTS, THX.

T-U

Table of Contents (TOC)

Information held on the disc outlining the start position of tracks in the area of the CD before audio or data.

Thermal Printing

A printing process that uses solid colour ribbons to transfer an image onto a disc. It uses a small amount of heat to effect the transfer.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)

An image file output format. TIFF files are lossless, meaning the compression they apply to an image doesn't create artifacts that can degrade the appearance of the image. TIFF files are often used for archiving high quality versions of an images, such as images intended to be reproduced in print or studied digitally in minute detail.

Track-At-Once (TAO):

The process where a CD is written with the laser being turned on and off, leaving a small gap between tracks.

Traypacks

Also known as Digipacks.

Upload

The process of moving a digital file (such as a media file) from a local system to a server (remote system), where it is stored for others to access, or retrieve later.

VCD (Video CD)

VCD (also known as View CD, Compact Disc digital video) is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc. VCDs are playable in dedicated VCD players, most DVD-Video players, personal computers, and some video game consoles.

VHS (Video Home System)

VHS was the dominant home video format in the mid-1980s and into the 90s.

White Book

The standard that defines compact disc storing not only sound but also still pictures and motion video, released by Sony, Philips, Matsushita, and JVC.

X-Y-Z

Yellow Book

The standard that defines the format of CD-ROMs, created by Sony and Philips. It was the first extension of the Red Book and is named after one of a set of color-bound books that contain the technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.