Not all DVD-Rs, CD-Rs Are Created Equal

It may be only a year or two before you are faced with the realization that the deal you got on your media was, in fact, not such a good deal. When your customers purchase your services and finished product, they are depending on you to choose media that are of good quality and will last for years. The price of individual CDs and DVDs is so low that consumers tend to think of them as a commodity. Those who think that way will come to a rude awakening in a couple of years.

“CDs and DVDs should last a hundred years,” said Bob Daly, co-owner of Polyline. “If the dyes are inferior, however, the disc could break down more rapidly. Then, you’re going to have people calling you up and saying they can’t play their wedding DVD anymore.”

This is totally different than what people experienced with VHS. With tape media, if there is a bad part of the tape, you can still recover a large portion of what was recorded on the tape. (How much you can recover is dependent on how much of the tape is damaged, of course.) With digital media, however, “either you have it or you don’t.”

“The Internet has really fueled the supply of substandard media,” said Daly. “The Internet has been good for many things and is a valuable tool for reputable companies and their customers. It’s bad for others, however, because anyone can throw up a Web site and start selling media. We think it’s crucial for you to really know your media dealer to assure that the media you purchase today are actually quality, licensed media that will stand the test of time.”

The so-called “substandard media” consist of products that may have been legally obtained but was not intended for sale in this country or for the purpose for which it was sold. There are a couple of ways that substandard media enter the U.S. market place. One way is for a manufactured product that does not make quality specifications to be sold as B or C grade to brokers that are relied on to sell it as B and C grade. Instead, some of these brokers will sell it as A grade to non authorized dealers, thus isolating the dealers from the initial agreement and keeping the quick profits for themselves. Other times, as the disc gets passed along distribution lines, the knowledge of the defect somehow gets lost.

Another way substandard media enter the market is when media that have quality issues is repackaged as a no-name or odd-named media.

What is being done?
Manufacturers are taking steps to control substandard media products. Notably, many are placing serial numbers on their products that identify where the product came from, where it originated and to whom it was intended to be sold.

Also, Philips, a major patent holder for CD-R & DVD-R technology, is beginning to enforce its licensing rights and obligations by actively pursuing manufacturers and importers of unlicensed discs. Products manufactured under standard licenses must comply with the standard specifications of that product and should, therefore, be able to work in a larger number of machines (this is called interoperability). Unlicensed discs may meet the standard specifications of the media, but there is no guarantee that they do.
How do you protect yourself?
“When an authorized dealer, such as Polyline, buys direct from the manufacturer, we know the product has been taken care of, from manufacturer to distributor to end-user,” said Daly. “The problem with the ’substandard media’ market is most of the media look the same. That makes it hard to know where the media came from, what grade it is, how it was shipped or, most importantly, if it will last. Your media could be stored in a cargo hold somewhere, which is not a suitable environment for media.”

There are several things consumers can do, as well, to protect themselves from substandard products:

1. Buy your CD-Rs, DVD-Rs and packaging from a manufacturer’s authorized distributor, such as Polyline.
2. When selecting a distributor, try calling the dealer on the phone first. You want a distributor that not only publishes a phone number, but can actually be reached. You also want a distributor that has media experts who can answer all your questions.
3. When selecting a distributor, check out how long the company has been in business and see what other products the company is currently offering. It is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a steady supply of substandard products. If someone is dealing in substandard media, they may be offering a variety of seemingly unrelated products to keep a steady income.
4. Be careful of off brands. Stick with major manufacturers that will stand by their CD-R and DVD-R products.
5. Finally, Daly reminds us, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you see a really good price on the Internet, don’t jump at it — call your trusted distributor and ask about the pricing.

Posted with permission. copyright 2007 Polyline Corporation.

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January 28th, 2008 Filed Under Video Help | 4 Comments »

Why Most Marketing Videos Don’t Work

By Marie-Claire Ross, guest writer

Every now and then I will meet someone who has commissioned a marketing video that did not work for their company. It is a sad state of affairs and it is avoidable.

Over the years, I have been given many failed corporate communications videos to watch and have found that they all suffer from one or more of the following problems.
1. A poorly written script
This would have to be one of the most common problems. The script provides the backbone to any video project and it must be perfect. It needs to be to the point, clear and interesting.

Often scripts get written in-house resulting in wordy and highly detailed pieces of prose that do not translate well onto the screen. Quite frankly, they are boring. Unfortunately, pretty shots and expert editing cannot hide a tedious narrative.

Worse still, is when the script goes back and forth and the content is played out in an illogical sequence. This results in no viewer being able to quickly understand your core marketing messages, if they can understand it at all.

Ideally, a script conveys the most important pieces of information that your target market wants to know and is written with an objective in mind.
2. The video is too long
In this day and age of high speed broadband and other time-saving devices, very few of us have attention spans that can handle information for more than a few minutes.

Any video over 10 minutes is destined to lose viewers after the first few minutes.

Yet, surprisingly there are many marketing videos today that are well over 12 minutes in length.

The best marketing videos are short and succinct. Yet, it is far easier to cram everything into a video than to make a short and concise one. In the words of Blaise Pascal, “The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter”.
3. The “look mum I’m on TV” scenario
While some of us may cringe at the thought of a camera placed in front of us, there are many people who relish the opportunity to show their face on television.

This can result in corporate heads droning on incessantly about how wonderful their company is (and what a great job they are doing). Sadly, this does nothing else but soothe corporate egos and turn viewers away.

Few people realise that talking to a camera in an appealing manner is a skill in itself. Having a CEO spieling boring corporate fluff while looking dumbstruck and awkward in front of the camera does not a good video make.

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However, a charismatic business leader who uses short, punchy (and rehearsed) sentences can add tremendous impact and clout to a marketing video.
4. Poor production values
While watching your corporate video, your customers will be left with an impression of what type of business you are and what to expect when doing business with you.

A fast way to subconsciously get across the wrong image to your viewer is to have grainy pictures, poorly framed shots and sloppy editing.

A well thought out and professionally created television program will create a positive impression in the minds of your prospects. After all, we all watch television and we are used to broadcast quality productions, not wobbly and unfocused shots that scream amateurish.

To produce a good quality television program, it must be made using an experienced A-grade cameraman, a broadcast quality camera and a fully trained editor
5. Target audience is too diverse
Many marketing videos often try to get as many messages out to a diverse audience.

It is very difficult to produce a video that is “all things to all people.” After all, communicating to primary school students, overseas buyers and consumers all in the one video is an extremely difficult feat to pull.

Research has found that advertising that targets a number of market segments results in higher profits than advertising that sells to a mass market.

Likewise, marketing videos that target a small audience are more successful than those aimed at a large audience. It is often wise to produce several television programs for different audiences, rather than cram all of your messages into one confusing video.
6. Let’s do a video, just because we can!
It might seem far-fetched but there are companies that embark on commissioning a marketing video without really assessing if they need one.

This can be due to a number of reasons such as using up available budgets, satisfying corporate egos and employees creating work for themselves.

You are probably wondering why a video communication producer would even complain about this situation. The answer is simple.

A marketing video is an effective tool to increase sales in a company. It is actually painful and embarrassing to watch a video that is a shameless waste of company money.

Poorly produced videos might line the pockets of some video producers, but they do little to convince future clients that they are worthwhile.

If you are in the market for a marketing video, make sure you follow these simple guidelines to ensure your project is a success, rather than destined for the rubbish bin.

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(c) Marie-Claire Ross 2004. All rights reserved.Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organizations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au.

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January 22nd, 2008 Filed Under Video Help | No Comments »