Choosing a Duplicator to Automatically Copy CDs and DVDs
are the most efficient way to copy discs. Rather than copy discs one at a time on your computer, a disc duplicator allows you to make multiple copies of CDs, DVDs or Blu-ray Discs. Aleratec has disc duplicators that can make up to 15 copies simultaneously.
But if you are regularly making large numbers of duplicates, you might crave an even more convenient solution. With a standard duplicator, you have to reload the target drives with blank discs for each set of duplicates you need to complete. What if you want to make 150 copies of a single disc? Even with a 15-target duplicator you would have to load the target drives, complete the duplication process, then unload the targets drives and repeat this cycle nine more times to complete your project
Robotic disc duplicators
can complete large duplication jobs without the user reloading the target drives, making them an efficient, labor-saving solution. A robotic duplicator reloads the target drives automatically from its store of loaded discs until the job is completed or the disc supply is depleted.
How Robotic Disc Duplicators Work
The benefit of a robotic disc duplicator is that once the duplication process is started, no further intervention is required and the user is free to take care of other important business. And, the robotic duplicator can typically hold many more blank discs than a standard duplicator. It is loaded with a source disc or source image and then blank discs and the duplication process is started. The user can return later when the process is complete to collect the duplicate discs. For example, Aleratec carries duplicators that can process up to 150 discs in a single job without any user interaction once the copy process is started.
Robotic disc duplicators are an efficient way to make multiple disc copies from a source. Your source may be:
Data that is read from a disc by an optical drive in your computer.
Data from a hard drive in your computer or other external drive.
The source data is either transferred via USB connection to the disc duplicator or read directly off a source disc. Some of these duplicators have internal hard disk drives that you can load source data to. The data is then written to blank discs in the duplicator's target drive, or target drives.
All robotic duplicators have a mechanism that automatically loads the target discs to the target drives where they are written with the source data, then removes the completed duplicates and reloads the target drives with blank discs until the project is complete. The design of this robotic mechanism varies.
Two factors that can impact the efficiency of a robotic duplicator are:
Load capacity: How many discs can be pre-loaded to the duplicator? This determines how many discs can be duplicated before user intervention is required.
Number of target drives: Some robotic duplicators have more than one target drive allowing them to write to more than one duplicate disc at a time. This can significantly decrease the amount of time it takes the duplicator to complete a large job.
Robotic duplicators can be standalone or computer-connected.
A Standalone Duplicator does not have to be controlled from a separate computer. It has a built-in controller and operating keys or buttons on the duplicator itself. The controller sends signals and commands to the duplicator's burners and drivers. Its memory capacity and operating system determine the options available to the user and the quality of disc duplication.
A Computer-Connected Duplicator requires an available computer to control the duplication process. Here are a few things to consider regarding computer connected duplicators:
If the computer you plan to connect to your disc duplicator is an older computer that does not have a lot of computing power, you will need to dedicate this computer to controlling your duplicator.
If you have a newer computer with lots of computing power, you could use this computer for other applications in addition to controlling your duplicator, but it will affect th