Hardware FAQ

Yes. All duplicators can be upgraded by sending them back to the manufacturer for a nominal fee. Often times the software can be upgraded through firmware/software which can be provided by the manufacturer. Software upgrades are determined on a case by case basis. They may or may not involve a fee. Any attempts to alter the machine on your own or through a non-authorized service technician will nullify the warranty.

No. All of the duplicators are assembled to exact specifications depending on the number of drivers to be included. There will not be enough space to add any additional drivers later. However, you may consider to connect two separate duplication towers to meet your increased needs.

Yes. The aluminum chassis is not only significantly lighter than steel, but it also diffuses heat better to allow continuous usage without the concern of overheating.

The type and quality of the blank media is one of the most important factors concerning the duplication quality. The better the quality of media you can use the better the duplication results will be.

No. Our duplicators work with most brands of media on the market. However, using better quality media will result in better quality duplications.

No. The DVD duplicator will determine the media's maximum certified duplication speed and cannot exceed that rate.

No. One format cannot be duplicated to another. For example, CD's can only be duplicated to CD (including VCD to CD) and DVD's to DVD.

Yes. Your DVD duplicator can duplicate your Authoring DVD master into General DVD-R/+R format duplicates. The duplicator cannot use Authoring DVD blank media.

No. If the disc you wish to duplicate is copy protected, they cannot be duplicated.

All duplications are made using digital technology. That means that the duplications will be identical to the master disc in every way. Everything on the master disc will be transferred exactly to the duplicated discs.

Copy protection is a way to ensure those not authorized to make duplications, do not. Most likely all movies and video games that you rent from a video rental store such as Blockbuster or purchase from the store have copy protection on them. They cannot be duplicated in their original form.

Yes, but only specific models. Review the duplicator specs to determine if it can handle double/dual layer DVD's (8.5 GB-DVD9) or not. If the duplicator lists that it can handle double/dual layer or DVD9, then it can. If not then it won't be able to duplicate anything larger than the standard DVD5 or 4.7GB disc. In either case, you can only duplicate a DVD5 to DVD5 or DVD9 to DVD9. An 8.5 GB disc can not be duplicated onto a 4.7GB disc and vice versa.

No. All drives make simultaneous duplications. So it takes the same amount of time to duplicate 1 disc as it does to duplicate the maximum drives on the unit.

The higher the speed the more chances that there can be some quality drop-off. However, the amount of diminished quality is very minute and will not make a difference or be noticeable to most people.

No. Even though those companies supply the reading/writing drivers, the actual duplicator is not created by those companies. Many of the vital parts such as the controllers, chassis, power supply, etc. are created and assembled by the duplicator's manufacture.

No. The duplicator can only duplicate one title at a time.

Yes. Our duplicators support all sizes of media.

Yes, the duplicator's speed is the maximum speed it can handle. It can be set to record at any speed lower than its maximum speed.

Yes, all of our DVD duplicators are capable of copying CD's as well.

Yes. Once you generate a master disc, the duplicator will make an exact digital duplication of the original regardless of what type of computer or program the master disc was created on.

Yes, all of our DVD duplicators are fully standalone with simple one touch buttons to duplicate. No computer knowledge is required AT ALL.

Yes. The number of drives on the duplicator is merely the maximum number of duplications you can produce at one time. You can make any number of duplications up to the maximum without any concerns.

Our duplicators are designed to maximize the quality of the duplicated disc and generally produce better quality discs than a computer. Our duplicators are much easier to use with one-touch operations instead of requiring and understanding specific software programs. Duplicators can be set up anywhere there is a power outlet while a computer requires specific programs and is often too difficult to transport. Most computers only offer one CD or DVD driver while a duplicator can come with multiple drivers and can make multiple copies simultaneously.

The main difference is that the Video Buster duplicator applies VCIT technology onto DVD+R media duplicates to make them compatible with up to 99% of the DVD players. This is very important if you use the DVD+R format and want to ensure optimal compatibility. Otherwise they have all the same functions.

You can test duplicated copies for accuracy by performing our Compare function. This function compares the duplications to the original master disc by comparing the duplicated disc bit by bit. This process ensures the duplication is a 100% exact duplication of the original, providing optimal playback ability. If there is a recording problem, the duplicator will notify you on the display there was a failure and keep the affected disc in the machine so you can identify which one(s) are defective without disrupting the rest of the duplicating process.

DVD video recorders such as the Panasonic DMR Series or similar recorders, requires you to manually finalize the recorded data before you can play these discs on other DVD players or use a duplicator. So please make sure you finalize your data when you use Panasonic DMR recorder, always check the option to finalize your data. If the duplicator does not accept the recorded DVD, most likely you have not finalized your masters before you put them into the duplicators.

No. Even though the DVD duplicators can duplicate the CD format, they do not have the CD+G feature. In order to duplicate CD+G, you need to purchase our special CD+G duplicator.

No. The duplicator can not be controlled by any external connections. However, the duplicator can be connected to an individual computer via USB/Firewire connection to allow the computer to burn data to specified burners and create a master disc to make the duplications from.

Yes, you can make copies while you are using your external USB/Firewire devices. As long as there are drives not connected to USB/Firewire connections, they can be used to make duplications, even while you're using the USB/Firewire connections. However, if all of the drives are connected to USB/Firewire connections, then you will not be able to make duplications at the same time. If you're uncertain how many drives are connected to the USB/Firewire, you can easily determine this information as the drives are labeled with either a USB or Firewire sticker.

Installing a USB/Firewire connection(s) is useful if your data is stored on a computer that does not have a burner/recorder installed.

With higher speed duplicators, there's more of a chance for errors in transferring data when using the duplicator as an external burner from your computer. Because of this, we prefer to eliminate potential problems by not offering USB and Firewire in specific models, particularly models with speeds of 12x and higher.

All of the duplicators come with a standard warranty which covers parts and labor. The manufacturer will provide all services if needed. The warranty varies depending on the model and manufacturer. In most cases there's a one year warranty. Check the product specifications to get the exact information.