polyNEWSline

Polyline Partners with DriveSavers to Save Your Data when the Worst Happens to Your Hard Drive

2011-12-09T08:03:00.000-06:00

Polyline prides itself in providing absolutely the best and safest hard drives for audio and video applications. But even the best 3-year factory warranty is protecting your equipment, not your data. In our industry, your data isn't just your livelihood, it's your life's work.

When you work on location, anything can happen:

Your hard drive could crash
It could fall out of a boat
A truck could run over it
You could accidentally delete your files

So, what do you do when the worst happens?You do what you would in any emergency. Stay calm and call the experts.

Polyline, through a special agreement with DriveSavers Data Recovery Inc., can provide you with a fast, reliable and secure solution to your data loss at a special, discounted price. Visit DriveSavers and use our special discount code: 25716. (This is called the DS ID# on DiscSaver's forms.) In addition to a 10% discount off the regular price, DriveSavers will waive its $200 "Attempt Fee." Which means, if they can't recover your data, they'll return your drive and you pay nothing.

Plus, they can recover data from damaged tape, laptops, desktop computers, iPhones, iPads, SDHC/CF/USB drives and more.

Check out http://www.PolylineCorp.com/DriveSavers for more information and to check out the Hard Drive Simulator. You can learn more about how a hard drive works, about DriveSavers and the symptoms (and sounds) of serious hard drive issues.

New Calendar Case Template Available

2011-11-29T07:57:00.000-06:00

Polyline has created a PhotoShop template to help you use your CD calendar case. The WinZip file contains the Photoshop file (that has 2012 dates already laid out, as well as the standard guides) and brief instructions.

Download your template here. The template is sized to work specifically with our CD Calendar Case (Item # CC55-200 and CC55-50). The 200-piece master carton is on sale for as low as $40.40 (which works out to about 20.2-cents per piece).

The Calendar Case is a perfect promotional gift for photographers and designers to give their customers because it keeps their artwork in front customers for the entire year. We read a post about one photographer's personal experience using calendars to promote her business. While you're visiting Paperie Boutique (http://paperieboutique.com/) , might as well check out her other posts, too.

Three Special Offers Extended

2011-11-25T07:52:00.000-06:00

Due to popular demand, two of our current specials have been extended.

Primera's Visa Gift Card Rebate promotion has been extended until Dec. 31, 2011. Get up to $700 back on Primera's popular disc publishers and printers. The free Falcon disc promo, still expires Oct. 31, 2011. So if you want to maximize your savings by getting both the Visa gift card and your 150 free Falcon discs, act fast. (Don't forget you can use your EM2B$, too.)

Visit http://www.polylinecorp.com/primera/ for offer details and links to qualifying Primera products.

Get a Free Spare Drive with your purchase of a 2TB or 3TB G-Safe Hard Drive promotion was extended through Oct. 31, 2011. There are no special forms to fill out or mail in with this promotion. Just place your order with Polyline and your free spare drive will arrive with your new G-Safe. Visit http://www.polylinecorp.com/productlist.asp?OPT=G-Tech-G-Safe-hard-drive to place your order.

We've also extending Microboards instant rebate program through the end of the year (Dec. 31, 2011).Get the full details, here: http://www.polylinecorp.com/Microboards_Rebate/. Get up to $300 off your favorite Microboards disc publisher or printer.

Primera Adds 50-Disc Publisher to Bravo 4100 Series

2011-11-23T07:41:00.001-06:00

Primera has added 50-disc capacity DVD and Blu-ray publishers to their super-fast Bravo 4100 Series. The new, single-drive publishers offer the same super-fast print speeds and lower cost-per-disc as the larger-capacity units. The new Bravo 4051, however, has a smaller capacity and a smaller price tag.

Purchase your Bravo 4051 DVD Publisher by Dec. 31, 2011, and you can receive a $50 Visa Gift Card and 150 free Falcon Pro inkjet printable discs.

Purchase your Bravo 4051 Blu-ray publisher by Dec. 31 and receive a $200 Gift Card Rebate.

Visa Gift Cards are accepted anywhere VISA debit cards are accepted. So you can use your rebate on almost anything you want.

Use your EM2B points for even greater savings! (We call this Double Dipping and encourage you to team your EM2B$ with offers from our manufacturers to get the best deal possible.)

Hard Drive Production Severely Affected by Floods in Thailand

2011-11-22T08:30:00.002-06:00

Severe flooding has decimated several hard drive manufacturing plants and hard drive component plants in Thailand. It is estimated that as much as 65% of the world’s hard drives and hard drive components are manufactured in the region affected by the floods. Approximately 32,000,000 fewer drives than usual are expected to be produced this quarter.

As a result, hard drive prices have dramatically increased and shortages (across all market segments) have already occurred, along with some panic and hoarding. Most retailers are either running out of drives, or limiting drive purchases on remaining inventory to only one per customer. Here’s an update of the situation and what we’re doing to make sure your projects can continue.

Current Situation
Several drives that Polyline carries contain Hitachi components. Luckily, the Hitachi plants are on higher ground and haven’t been immediately affected by the floods. Our manufacturers tell us they have Hitachi components in transit to manufacturing facilities. So production has slowed down, but still ongoing.
However, other manufacturers are now seeking these components. Higher demand and reduced supply of key components has led to price increases. Although professional hard drive prices have gone up significantly, they are still available.

Polyline is working with our manufacturers to obtain as much inventory as we can. We’re now allocating hard drives to ensure as many people/companies as possible are able to continue their current projects. Because of the current volatility, hard drives will have to be priced by the order and unexpected increases may occur.

What You Can Do
If you use hard drives as a deliverable medium, switch to another format acceptable to your customer, such as LTO, HD Videotape, DVD or Blu-ray.

If you are archiving content on hard drives, stop this practice. Hard drives are not a viable archival medium. Any drive is subject to failure, especially if it has been sitting idle for long periods of time. Transfer the data on your drives to LTO, Blu-ray or another viable archival medium. This will not only provide a stable, long-term archive of your content, it will also free up your existing supply of hard drives for re-use. (If you don’t have an archival system in place, call your Polyline sales rep at 1-877-807-8095 and we’ll help you explore some options.) We have some new solutions you may find surprisingly affordable, especially if you are reusing your hard drives, and not purchasing new ones.

Be open to the idea of getting alternative brands or models of hard drives. We partner with the best manufacturers whose products are made for the demanding requirements of professional video and audio production. A drive may be available that may not be the exact model you’ve been using, but has the same capacity, interfaces and other features you need. And you can rest assured that it will be a top-quality drive, if we recommend it. Be sure to download our Hard Drive Cross Reference Chart here to help you make more informed decisions on which drives may work for you.

Solid State Drives
Consider SSD (Solid State Drives). Solid state drives are mostly unaffected by the flooding in Thailand. And many are fully manufactured in the United States. Because they have no moving parts, they are significantly faster, more durable and use less energy than traditional hard drives. And they are available in all the same interfaces, such as USB 2.0/3.0, eSATA, FireWire 400/800 and soon, Thunderbolt. However, solid state drives also have lower capacities and are generally more expensive. As the prices of traditional hard drives increase, we expect solid state drives will become a more affordable option. We also expect a greater demand for solid state drives will lead to lower prices due to economies of scale. Just like the cost of other forms of media has decreased with increased demand, we anticipate seeing the same effect on solid state drives during the upcoming quarters.

The Future
Hard drive supplies will steadily diminish through January 2012. The first quarter of 2012 is going to be especially challenging, with the worst of the shortages occurring then. All our manufacturer partners do not expect the worldwide production capacity and resultant supplies to return to pre-flood levels until the 2nd half of 2012, probably not until June or July, if all goes well with the recovery efforts. Several manufacturers have decided to relocate manufacturing to other areas of the world. This strategy may take longer to implement, but will help to provide redundant production sites, and lessen the impact of future disasters on hard drive production and supply.

Let Us Help
If you’ve never considered Polyline before for hard drives, now would be a good time. We have sold many thousands of hard drives over the past year, and are extremely strong partners with the best manufacturers such as G-Tech, LaCie, Avastor, OWC and more. If anyone has hard drives available throughout this crisis, we will. We can keep you informed as the situation changes; provide alternatives and a current price quote for what drive options are available. Polyline is here to support you.

If you need additional information or need a current quote on hard drives, visit us at http://www.polylinecorp.com/harddrives/. Here, you can let us know your particular needs, and a sales rep will get back to you right away with availability, a quote and more. Otherwise please call us at 1-877-807-8095.

Had A Hard Drive Crash?
We Can Help You Get Your Content Back!
We have partnered with DriveSavers, the leading provider of data recovery for crashed hard drives. We provide a significant discount off DriveSavers regular drive recovery fees, and we will waive the $200 evaluation fee for any drive sent for recovery. Many people have had their data recovered by DriveSavers and were able to get back to work quickly once DriveSavers recovered their data. For more info on DriveSavers, go to www.PolylineCorp.com/crash/.

Moser Baer Clearance Special

2011-10-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

Moser Baer CD-Rs and DVD-Rs Clearance Priced, While Supplies Last

Polyline has slashed its prices on select Moser Baer CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. A limited supply of these discs are available, so act fast. Once stock is gone, these prices won't be available again. Listed prices are available across all pricing columns, regardless of quantities. Check out http://www.polylinecorp.com/special/mbi/ for details and to get a peek at the special pricing.

Lower Prices on Polyline's Overstock Specials

2011-09-30T09:31:00.002-05:00

We updated the product selection on Polyline's Overstock Sale on Sept. 26, 2011. Most items came down 1¢ to 2¢ per piece.

Remember, the special prices for the Overstock sales are across all price columns. Check out the lower prices now and grab some of these great offers before they're all gone.

Everest III Autoprinter for 50% off

2011-09-26T08:30:00.007-05:00

For a very limited time, you can get an Everest III Autoprinter for only $4950. These were originally priced at $9950, so you'll save slightly more than 50%. Plus, if you buy your new Everest III Autoprinter from Polyline, you'll receive 150 FREE Falcon Media white, thermal Super Gloss DVD-Rs. You can pair your accumulated EM2B$ with this promotion!

For full details, check out our Web site http://www.polylinecorp.com/rimage/.

Panasonic Playback Payback Reward Program: Bigger Rewards, Lower Minimum Purchase

2011-09-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

Purchase $250 or more of any qualifying Panasonic Digital Media products from Polyline between September 1, 2011, and Nov. 30, 2011, and earn 5% back on a Visa Gift Card. Qualifying Purchases include:

AMQ-Series HDV/DV/DVCam Compatible Tape (10% back)
PQUS-Series Pro DV Tape — (10% back)
DVCPRO — (5% back)

At the end of the promotional period, you'll receive your Visa Gift Card based on the total purchases made during the promotion. So, the more you buy, the more you get back. Earn up to $1,500 on your card.

Visa Gift Cards are accepted anywhere that VISA is accepted. So you can use your rebate on almost anything you want.

To get your rewards, you must register for the program. Register here: http://www.polylinecorp.com/ppp/.

Need help or more information, you can call us at 1-877-807-8095.

Buy Primera: Get Up to $700 a on Visa Gift Card + 150 Free Falcon DVD-Rs!

2011-09-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

Through Sept 30, 2011, when you purchase a Primera disc printer or publisher from Polyline, you can receive up to $700 back on a Visa gift card.

Plus, you can also receive 150 free Falcon Media DVD-Rs. Visit our Web site for full details and don't forget to use your EM2B$ to get an even better value!

Eligible Models	Mfg. SKU#	Rebate (ends 9-30-11)	Free Falcon DVD-Rs (ends 10-31-11)	Total Savings
Bravo SE AutoPrinter	63104	$50	50 Smart Guard DVD-Rs 50 Glossy Inkjet DVD-Rs 50 Smart White DVD-Rs -------- Approx. $100 Value	$150
Bravo SE Disc Publisher	63101	$100		$200
Bravo SE-Blu Disc Publisher	63127	$500		$600
Bravo 4100 AutoPrinter	63504	$150		$250
Bravo 4101 Disc Publisher	63500	$200		$300
Bravo 4102 Disc Publisher	63502	$250		$350
Bravo 4101 Blu Disc Publisher	63506	$300		$400
Bravo 4102 Blu Disc Publisher	63508	$500		$600
Bravo 4102 XRP Disc Publisher	63530	$350		$450
Bravo 4102 XRP-Blu Disc Publisher (call)	63532	$700		$800

Bravo-Series Disc Publishers are the world's best-selling, most award-winning brand of automated disc publishers. They automate the entire process of burning and printing discs.

Visit http://www.PolylineCorp.com/Primera/ or call us at 1-800-701-7689 for more information.

These very special savings are valid ONLY on purchases made from July 5, 2011 through September 30, 2011. Offer valid only in the United States and Canada.

Use your EM2B$ to save even more. We call this "Double Dipping" on savings. Fill out the form on our Web site and we will will let you know how much you can start saving.

Ultra-Fast, Super-Convenient Thunderbolt Interface is Coming Soon to G-Tech

2011-08-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

Even if you missed the NAB show, you’ve probably heard that one of the hottest technologies rolled out was the Thunderbolt interface.

Thunderbolt technology was designed with professional audio and video applications in mind and G-Tech, which is known for making reliable hard drives aimed at the A/V and pro Mac communities, is incorporating the new interface into its RAID offerings in the near future.

Here at Polyline, we’ve started the count-down by creating a G-Tech Thunderbolt waiting list. Sign up here and we’ll notify you when the G-Tech drives with Thunderbolt interface becomes available. And, if you sign up by Sept. 30, 2011, we’ll enter you in a drawing to win a 4TB G-Raid Hard Drive ($449 value).

Thunderbolt technology features:

Dual-channel 10Gbps per port
Bi-directional
Dual-protocol (PCI Express and DisplayPort)
Compatible with existing DisplayPort Devices
Daisy-chained devices
Electrical or Optical cables
Low Latency with highly accurate time synchronization
Uses native protocol software drivers
Power over cable for bus-powered devices

The 10Gbps performance means that it is twice as fast as USB 3.0 and 12 times faster than FireWire800.

Intel's Thunderbolt controllers interconnect a PC and other devices, transmitting and receiving packetized traffic for both PCIe and DisplayPort protocols. Thunderbolt technology works on data streams in both directions, at the same time, so users get the benefit of full bandwidth in both directions, over a single cable. With the two independent channels, a full 10 Gbps of bandwidth can be provided for the first device, as well as additional downstream devices.

And all Thunderbolt devices share a common connector, allowing users to daisy chain devices one after another with interoperable cables.

Remember, sign up here to join our Thunderbolt waiting list and you’ll be entered in a drawing for G-Tech’s current 4TB G-Raid Hard Drive ($449 value).

Get Up to $700 Back on a Visa Gift Card When You Purchase a Primera

2011-08-08T08:00:00.010-05:00

Buy a Primera disc publisher or printer from Polyline by Sept. 30, 2011, and receive up to $700 back on a Visa Gift Card.

Bravo-Series Disc Publishers are the world's best-selling, most award-winning brand of automated disc publishers. They automate the entire process of burning and printing discs.

And the 4100 Series of Disc Publishers and Printers can print a full-coverage disc in just six seconds. Don't forget to use your EM2B$ to get an even better value!

Visit http://www.PolylineCorp.com/Primera/ or call us at 1-800-701-7689 for more information. Then click here to get your official gift card rebate form.

These very special savings are valid ONLY on purchases made from July 5, 2011 through September 30, 2011. Offer valid only in the United States and Canada.

100GB BDXL Blu-ray is Here: In Stock, Ready to Ship at Polyline

2011-08-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

The long awaited BDXL is now available for the first time, here, in the U.S. And Polyline is the first to offer this top-of-the-line item.

Perfect for broadcasters, medical offices and document imaging enterprises with significant archiving needs, these 100GB Bluy-ray discs provide write-once options on a three layer disc.

BDXL discs were created specifically with these professional industries in mind. They provide an optical disc solution that enables professional users to transition away from magnetic media for archiving.
BDXL Discs are:

Compact - So less of your work space is devoted to your archives.
Stable - This is proven, widely-accepted technology, which should give you peace of mind for your long-term archives.
Secure - Write-once technology means your sensitive data, video and graphic images are safe.
Durable - Patented High Durability (HD) protective coating helps protect disc from abrasion, scratches and finger prints.

Although BDXL has been available in Japan for almost a year, this is brand new technology here in the States. So, we want to make sure that you have the hardware necessary to use the BDXL format.

Need more information? Check out these question that Dean Engel tackles in his blog:

If you're ready for a quote or just want more information, call us at 1-877-807-8095 or fill out this form and your Archiving Specialist will get back to you with the details.

The Hummel Charity Golf Outing Slated for Aug. 8 at Wilmette Golf Club

2011-07-21T12:33:00.000-05:00

The 2011 Hummel Charity Golf outing will be held Aug. 8, 2011, at the Wilmette Golf Club, 3900 Fairway Drive, Wilmette, IL.

Celebrating its 18th year, The Hummel brings together members of Chicago's production, post production, advertising, music and duplication industries to raise money for the Chicago Post Production Benefit Fund. The CPPBF distributes funds to families in the local production/post production industry who were in financial need due to a death, injury or other financial crisis.

The golf outing is $175 per person. Dinner-only tickets are $75.

Please register online at http://www.thehummel.com by Aug. 3, 2011.

JVC/Taiyo Yuden Discontinues Valueline Products

2011-05-16T10:54:00.002-05:00

Recently, JVC/Taiyo Yuden announced that it would discontinue its Valueline CD-R and DVD-R media.

Why the change? According to industry gossip, this line just became too successful for what it was originally intended to be. Valueline was created out of optical media that didn't quite meet Taiyo Yuden standards. They were still excellent discs, but they had not met Taiyo's rigorous standards for the premium grade. So, they created the Valueline brand to move them.

Customers soon learned that buying Valueline discs was a great way to get some really good discs at a more affordable price and they grew in popularity.

Therein lies the problem: thanks to JVC/Taiyo Yuden's rigorous manufacturing standards, they weren't producing a lot of discs that "weren't quite good enough." Sources tell Polyline that, for a while, Taiyo Yuden filled its orders by mixing in premium discs with the Valueline. (Ironically, we think this added to the Valueline's reputation as a quality disc and its overall popularity.)

In the end, you just can't sell premium discs at B-grade prices. Taiyo Yuden realized this and decided it was time to put an end to their allegedly B-grade offering. It was a good run.

We still have Valueline discs in stock. But it's time to start thinking about alternatives.

The first option is MBI. Yeah, it's Moser Baer and they make a much better disc than what they are typically given credit for. We asked some of our larger customers to test them and we researched online. The disc MBI makes for the professional user is a good disc and it's affordable. They are certainly worth testing in your equipment.

Spin-X, Ritek, Maxell and Verbatim also make good, affordable discs.

Another brand that's been gaining interest from Polyline customer is Falcon Pro media. The disc quality is really on par with "Japanese manufactured discs." (You know who we mean, don't make us say it.) On top of that, the print surface is phenomenal, especially the Smart White, Smart Guard and various "glossy" discs. If you're using an inkjet printer, you can actually reduce your ink consumption by up to 20% by using Falcon Pro's recommended printer settings and save even more money.

Our final suggestion: go to JVC/Taiyo Yuden's premium line. Let's face it, you've become accustomed to Taiyo quality. Sure, paying premium price after all this time is going to sting a little. But, admit it, you kind of knew you were getting a super sweet deal before.

Click here to see a complete list of Valueline alternatives.

Audio/Visual Professionals Say Reliability is Top Priority

2011-03-31T12:59:00.001-05:00

Recently, Polyline surveyed more than 200 production/post production professionals about what they considered to be the most important factors when purchasing a hard drive. We asked them to rate the importance of a series of factors on a scale from 0 to 5, with 5 being the “most important” and 0 being “not important at all.” Respondents overwhelmingly rated reliability as the most important factor when selecting a hard drive (with an average rating of 4.84). In fact, 85% percent of the people taking part in the survey gave it a rating of “5” or “most important.”

While speed (4.39) and capacity (4.46) were also considered important by production/post production professionals, reliability seemed to be the overall, most important factor to the 200+ respondents.

Perhaps now is a good time to mention that Polyline carries "professional" hard drives (like LaCie, G-Tech and Avastor) designed specifically for production/post production professionals. That means they are designed to be fast, have high capacities and are, most importantly, reliable. (Check out Dean's article "Is there really a difference between your so-called professional hard drives and commercial hard drives?")

And, just because our customers said that reliability was important, it doesn’t mean that they have given up on getting a good deal. Users gave price an overall rating of 3.87. So, while not as important as reliability or other factors, respondents tell us that price is still important. But, then again, maybe they were afraid we’d raise our prices if they answered differently.

What did these hard core, hard drive users say was the least important factor? Having someone available to help them. (Ouch.)

Several of those taking our survey, lost some serious steam by the time we reached the section on what products you’d like to see us carry.

One product in particular had 76% of respondents saying “Yes, please carry this!” We’re talking to and researching several different manufacturers right now. As soon as we can place these items in our catalog, we’ll tell you which product got the most votes.

Speaking of winners, Doug Hyland of Indiana, won the LaCie Rugged Hard Drive with USB 3.0 interface. If you aren't privy to all the benefits of USB 3.0, check out the ASKDEAN blog where he takes a closer look at this interface. And, even if you didn't win a LaCie rugged, you can still get your own through our Web site.

Thanks to everyone who took part in the survey.

Save Time by Saving Your Polyline Shopping Cart

2011-02-25T15:42:00.000-06:00

A Polyline customer recently commented:

I really like Polyline! I keep ordering the same items and quantities every order. I wish I could just select items from the previous order and not have to go back into the site to add things to the cart.

Thanks,
Jimmie

If, like Jimmie, you order the same items over and over, you'll like our "Save My Cart" feature.

Log in to your account and fill up your shopping cart as you normally would. Before checking out, look at the top right of your shopping cart (right above the "Quick Item Add" box). You should see two buttons, one labeled "Save my Cart" and the other is "Retrieve Cart."

Save your cart and give it a name that makes it easy to recall the contents of your cart. You can save as many carts as you like, just give each one a different name.

Next time you need to place an order, just log in, go to the shopping cart page and select "retrieve cart." One word of advice, if you are placing an order that consists of a saved shopping cart plus some additional items, load the saved shopping cart first. Loading a shopping cart will overwrite anything that's already in your cart.

Introducing the Primera Bravo 4100 Series Publishers

2011-01-18T09:30:00.004-06:00

The Game Changer for Disc Publishers

Recently, Bob Daly, Polyline's president, rushed into the office. He was visibly excited. "You have to see this," he said. "Meet me in the large conference room in 5 minutes." Then he hurried off.

Intrigued, we walked into the conference room to see our Primera sales rep, proudly standing next to a disc printer that looked an awful lot like the Bravo Xi.

"This is our new 4100 Series printer, which we plan to premier very soon," she said. "It will print a disc in just 6 seconds."

Then, she started the demo and this is what we saw.

A full 10 seconds of silence followed the demonstration. (That's longer than it took to print the disc.) Then, Jessica, who does our in-house disc printing jobs, broke the silence.

"Wow, that's...," she paused, searching for the right word, "incredible."

It's what we were all thinking.

We're not a jaded group typically but there's one thing we all knew: gravity-fed disc printers are the fastest but disc printers with a "picking" mechanism have fewer disc feed issues. This was a printer with a picking mechanism that gets print speeds pretty darn close to what you can get from a gravity-fed printer.

The room erupted in noise. Everyone wanted to see the demonstration again. Everyone had questions:

How long does the print take when you include disc picking mechanism?
Just a little over 20 seconds. The 4100 series includes the improvements to the disc picking mechanism that were developed in the last Xi update. That makes the mechanics about 300% faster than previous Bravo units.

What about print costs?
The 4100 Series has separate ink cartridges for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. (The first Primera printer or publisher to do this.) This means you replace only the color that needs replenishing, saving money on each printed disc. This places the cost per disc at around 6 to 12-cents per disc. This is definitely Primera's most affordable disc publishing option.

Any other changes?
The chassis has been updated and now has more metal parts. It makes the unit slightly heavier but more robust.

In the end, we all agreed on one key issue: you can say a printer takes 6 seconds to print a disc, but you just don't fully grasp the scope of that statement until you see the printer in action.

So, check out that video again. Then, visit http://www.PolylineCorp.com/4100/ and ask for a quote. If you're interested in owning a 4100 for yourself, after you talk to your disc publishing specialist, we'll send you a free stop watch so you can time your current printer and see the difference for yourself.

Eco Case Review #1: A Duplicator's Perspective

2011-01-18T09:07:00.005-06:00

Our first reviewer has submitted their findings on Polyline's Eco Case. This review comes from a digital media services company on the East Coast. This company provides a variety of services from disc duplication and video Web streaming to photography and videography services.

The case itself is solid, as solid as a full case without holes in it. The only thing we noticed is, on our photo inserts (which is made of thinner stock), you can see a little bit of the round cutout as an impression on the paper itself.

This makes sense because to trap the insert properly, it needs to be a pretty tight fit or it would look sloppy. Again, on the heavier stock, we didn't notice this as much, but only on the thinner stock. Perhaps it was also because we were looking for this? I'm not sure.

The cases are as durable as a full case, so no issues there. And would ship for less money since they are lighter but I wouldn't recommend them for a commercial release of a product where the insert is a nice lightweight glossy.

Anyway, that's just our two cents.

Who is the (Digital) Keeper of Record

2010-11-17T10:14:00.003-06:00

Some time in the early '90s, when I was a reporter for a local newspaper, we had a 6-inch snow fall over night. Not a record-breaker, but schools and government offices were closed the next day and, at the time I slid into the newspaper's parking lot, most of the arterial roads had yet to be cleaned. My first assignment of the morning? To get back into my car, find local residents shoveling their driveways and ask them what they thought about the snow fall.

I was incensed. "Are you kidding me?!" I could understand that request if we were working for a TV news station and I was expected to stand in the blizzard as it was happening. But, due to publication schedules, the article wouldn't even appear until two days after the storm.

My editor was nonplussed. "The newspaper is the keeper of record," he said. "Fifty or a hundred years from now a historian or a high school student working on an essay will need to know about the news and events that are happening now. Part of our job is to provide a printed history of today's events for future generations."

This is not a diatribe on the (alleged) demise of newspapers, but rather a warning of the dangers of losing our history as time and technologies progress.

The first comprehensive study of the preservation of sound recordings in the US Library of Congress found that found that many historical recordings have already been lost. Some of the earliest radio shows that featured Duke Ellington and Bing Crosby are gone. Sports games, news events…those will be preserved in print, microfilm and microfiche for years to come, but the doleful sounds of Crosby's early prime time shows are gone forever.

Now, as digital recordings make the audio and video workflows easier, they must be constantly maintained and backed up as technology changes. Analog tapes can last 150 years, provided they are properly stored. How long can a CD-R last? According a co-author of the Library of Congress Study, the files can start to disappear in three to five years. (Obviously, these people weren't using Taiyo Yuden/JVC discs.) And, as we've said in previous newsletter articles, if a CD or DVD "goes bad," the entire contents in lost. With old analog tapes, if a sector goes bad, someone with right amount of skill, patience and training, can piece together the remaining tape to preserve the remaining footage.

What happens to today's historic events as we move toward storing our data on hard drives or on virtual servers? Hard drives are not an archival medium. They must be "exercised" regularly to keep them in working order and they have a planned life expectancy of no more than 5 years.

I cannot help but worry about those faceless high school students and historians of the future. My concern is not the concern of a media seller. (After all, we sell hard drives, too and some very good ones at that.) My concern comes from once being charged with recording history for future generations.

Who becomes the keeper of record when we, as companies and individuals, stop planning for long-term archival storage?

This entry was an editorial piece written by eMarketing Coordinator Stacy Strunk. Her opinions are not necessarily the official opinions of Polyline Corp. (But we find them darned intriguing.)

You Decide - We'll Provide

2010-10-25T12:12:00.001-05:00

About two years ago, when Polyline's DVD packaging category really started to expand, we adopted a Good-Better-Best rating system with the intent of helping our customers find the perfect case for their application. The system was based on the philosophy of our purchasing department: to try to offer at least three choices of each product - a low-cost option, a mid-range option and a premium option, with additional choices added to the mid-range category whenever possible.

The trouble was that what was better for one customer was not necessarily better for another. There are many different reasons to choose a particular type of case and the rating system lost its meaning. So we are scrapping the rating system. From now on, we'll describe the features and benefits of each one and let you decided which case is best for you:

the polished look of a DVD case with a glossy interior or a the clean look of a textured interior, which hides finger prints
push button or pluck hub
a light weight DVD case that saves you money on shipping or a heavier DVD case that has a substantial feel
made from 100% virgin plastic for a heavy duty case that's also automatable or made from recycled plastic for cost savings.

You Decide - We'll Provide. That's actually what Polyline has been about since we started back in 1972, so it makes sense to stick with what works. We'll continue to offer the widest variety of choices. You'll decide which is good, better or best for your needs.

Our Lowest Priced DVD Case, Now Even More Affordable

2010-09-27T11:10:00.002-05:00

Polyline's DVMR1B-400 (the pallet-sized quantity of this affordable case) is now available for $480/pallet. That's 12-cents per piece! Order these inexpensive DVD Cases online.

Final Clearance on Select VHS Packaging

2010-09-21T08:49:00.002-05:00

Polyline is holding a final clearance sale on it's cardboard, sideloading VHS sleeves. We're now giving these away at just $4/carton (that's less than 1-cent/piece). Best of all, a variety of colors is still available so, if you have a VHS library, now is the time to stock up on packaging before this low-cost packaging option is gone.

Check out our ultra-low clearance prices.

Polyline Begins Panasonic Playback Payback Promotion

2010-08-25T08:30:00.014-05:00

Polyline has started its first rewards program for customers who use professional digital media. Called Panasonic Playback Payback, the program will give you 5% back on purchases of Panasonic AMQ, Panasonic PQUS and Panasonic DVCPro made between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2010. The rebate will come in the form of a Visa Gift Card, which is accepted anywhere Visa is accepted.

You must register to participate in the program. Any purchases of qualifying products you made at Polyline will be retroactive to the program start date of July 1, 2010.

To read more on the program or to register, visit http://www.polylinecorp.com/ppp/.

The Hummel Charity Golf Outing Slated for Aug. 9 at Wilmette Golf Club

2010-07-15T08:30:00.005-05:00

The 2010 Hummel Charity Golf outing will be held Aug. 9, 2010, at the Wilmette Golf Club, 3900 Fairway Drive, Wilmette, IL.

Celebrating its 16th year, The Hummel brings together members of Chicago's production, post production, advertising, music and duplication industries to raise money for the Chicago Post Production Benefit Fund. The CPPBF distributes funds to families in the local production/post production industry who were in financial need due to a death, injury or other financial crisis.

The golf outing is $175 per person. Dinner-only tickets are $75.

Please register online by Aug. 4, 2010.

Register Now

Polyline is a proud sponsor of The 2010 Hummel charity golf outing. More sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit the official Hummel Web site at http://www.TheHummel.com.

Polyline Introduces DVD-R Copy Protection from Three of Our Top Equipment Manufacturers

2010-06-04T16:29:00.002-05:00

If you made your career out of filming staged events, weddings or graduations, your income has been affected by the relative ease of copying DVDs.

Protecting copyrighted material has been the bane of creative industry for years. In the days of VHS, videographers had some layer of protection because copies made from a VHS tape were generally poorer quality than the original. Today, however, consumers have access to many of the same tools professionals have.

At Polyline, we like to think of copy protecting your DVDs as being the equivalent of locking the front door of your house or apartment. Sure, someone can kick in the door or smash a window if they really want to get in, but the likelihood of your house being robbed is greatly reduced by the simple act of locking your front door.

Polyline is offering anti-rip options from three of the top manufacturers of disc publishing equipment. The copy protection options listed below were designed specifically for the small to mid-size user, such as event videographers.

ILY: Spartan Fortress Duplicators with DiscLock Technology
ILY's Spartan Fortress is a standalone DVD duplicator featuring hardware-based copy protection that discourages unauthorized duplication. You do not need a computer and proprietary software to create copy-protected discs so there is no per-copy royalty to pay and no one to call for software licenses. ILY's DiscLock¹ Technology embeds copy protection within each target disc making them almost impossible to copy using a computer or another duplicator.

The Spartan Fortress provides multiple layers of proprietary protection to the DVD disc that makes it difficult for the most common types of software to copy correctly. The software used to create unauthorized copies can either fail to read the content or gets stuck in infinite loops. It can also result in bad playback on the unauthorized copy. The protected discs play normally on DVD players and you control the option to enable playback on a computer.

The Spartan Fortress is available in 3-, 7- and 11-target configurations. The 3-target and 11-target can be purchased directly from our Web site. Call Polyline at 1-800-701-7689 for pricing or information on the 7-target configuration.

Microboards: CopyLock DVD Video Protect for Towers
Don't let the name fool you, Microboards CopyLock is a totally different animal than the copy protection offered by ILY's Spartan Fortress.

Microboards' CopyLock features technology that's easy to use and is offered as an option for Microboards' current lineup of premium CopyWriter Pro towers: DVD, LightScribe and Blu-ray. Although it is an option for the Blu-ray towers, CopyLock only works on DVD-Rs.

All of Microboards' premium towers come with a disc that contains the three pieces of software: recording software called ImageBurn (optional to use, you have to create an ISO file but you can use your own software to do that if you prefer), CopyLock for encrypting the ISO into a VCP file (copy protected video image file), and NetConnect (the driver that allows you to connect the tower to your computer). The CopyLock software is updated regularly and it can be set up to auto update via the web.

To use the CopyLock software, users have to purchase "dongles" (USB drives containing license information). One license per master is all that is required to embed your project/title with Microboards CopyLock protection. The CopyLock software allows the user to create an unlimited number of copies from each licensed master video image for no additional fees, making the overall cost per copy protected disc as low as just pennies.

Once a dongle has been depleted of its licenses, it cannot be recharged. A new dongle must be purchased. They can, however, be reformatted and used as a generic thumb drive once all the licenses have been used.

Microboards' 30-license, 50-license and 100-license dongles can be purchased directly from PolylineCorp.com.

Primera: PTProtect Software
Similar to the Microboards' copy protection software, Primera's PTProtect is applied to the ISO image during authoring so when content is burned to disc it is encapsulated with the PTProtect software.

PTProtect software is accessed with a single mouse click through Primera’s PTPublisher disc publishing software. (PTProtect requires PTPublisher v1.3.0 or higher. Download the newest version PTPublisher and get three free PTProtect burns.) It applies the encapsulation protection to the ISO image file prior to burning the disc.

The content on the DVD is not modified in any way and because the copy control encapsulation sits in areas of the discs not read by the DVD players, play-back quality remains unaffected. Once protected, the ISO files can be processed in the normal way for burning to DVD. It is a simple one-step process taking seconds or minutes to apply on the first disc of a run (depending on the size of the content). Very little overhead space is required, e.g. only 10MB on a full length DVD.

Protection is applied on a “click-charge” basis for each disc burned. Blocks of protection keys are conveniently purchased through an Authorized Primera Distributor via low-cost, pre-loaded USB memory sticks (or "dongles").

The compatibility of Primera's PTProtect was tested by Intellikey Labs, one of the leaders in quality assurance testing for optical and digital media content.

Compatibility was tested on a 103-DVD player test bed representing 83.40% of the DVD players sold in the USA between January 2003 and December 2005. The test concluded that all DVD players tested were able to play the disc and a single version of a Microsoft® Xbox™ 360 was unable to load the disc. The instance of a no-load represents approximately 0.12% of DVD play back devices.

Call Polyline at 1-800-701-7689 for information or pricing of Primera PTProtect dongles.

Comparison of Copy Protection Options

	ILY Spartan Fortress	Microboards CopyLock	Primera PT Protect
Method of Protection	Proprietary	Encapsulation	Encapsulation
Pros	No licenses – one time purchase Standalone duplication (no PC required)	License is applied to Master disc (expense decreases as number of burns increase) DVD content remains unaltered	Proven Compatibility via third party testing Easy one-click application DVD content remains unaltered
Cons	Hard to say without knowing the method of protection. Use caution if you choose to disable PC Playback.	PC with USB connection required	License is applied per disc burned (expense) PC with USB connection required

Tell the World What You think of Us & You Could Win a New 16GB iPad

2010-04-28T09:33:00.000-05:00

Would you like to let people know what you think of Polyline? Well, you can, through a non-biased, third-party Web site called ResellerRatings.com.

At ResellerRatings, you can tell people what you think about Polyline by reviewing our products and service.

When you complete your review, ResellerRatings will enter you in its daily $25 gas card drawing. The web site selects one winner each day.

To sweeten the deal, if you enter a review of Polyline between now and May 31, 2010, we'll also add your name to our own drawing for a new 16GB iPad (valued at $500).

So, one review equals two chances to win.

Review Polyline Here:
http://www.resellerratings.com/exit_survey.pl?seller_id=6524

Polyline's Allan Morrison to Participate in 3-Day

2010-04-05T16:42:00.003-05:00

Allan Morrison, Polyline's Customer Service Manager, is participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, in Chicago Aug. 6 through 8. This is Allan's 5th year participating in the grueling 60-mile walk that raises funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation's breast cancer research and community programs.

Over the past four years, Allan has raised more than $10,000 for Susan G. Koman Foundation.

"While walking in the heat of August in Chicago I ask myself why do I walk 60 miles over 3 days," said Allan. "Am I crazy to do this?"

Then, he says, he walks past a group of supporters who thank him for walking. "And a woman comes up to me, hugs me and says 'Thank you for helping me become a survivor.' At that point, I knew why I walk this event every year. "

To donate to Allan's 2010 walk, visit his personal page.

Epson Announces Cost of Ink Usage for Epson DiscProducer

2010-03-30T11:43:00.007-05:00

Epson recently added information to its Web site regarding the estimated cost of ink used to print disc labels. The estimates should give Polyline customers a better understanding of their ink-related costs if they were to purchase an Epson Discproducer. These estimates were based on third-party testing commissioned by Seiko Epson Corporation and are subject to the conditions and other notes listed below.

Disc 1

Disc 2

Printer Settings:

Color printing
High Speed Printing (Bi-Directional)
Resolution 1440 x 720

Media:

All-Ways CD-R

Text Pattern: approx. $0.01/disc

Printer Settings:

Color printing
High Speed Printing (Bi-Directional)
Resolution 1440 x 720

Media:

All-Ways CD-R

Graphic Pattern: approx. $0.08/disc

Cost Calculations Based On:

Continuous printing of discs under normal temperature and humidity at 24°
C/75° F at 35% humidity
An ink cartridge price of $40, excluding sales tax

Other Important Information
Estimates are based on third-party testing commissioned by Seiko Epson
Corporation.

These ink costs are only estimates, provided by Epson as just one set of data
about the cost of ink. Actual cartridge yields will vary considerably for
reasons including images printed, print settings, temperature and humidity.
Yields may be lower when printing infrequently or predominantly with one ink
color. A variable amount of ink remains in the cartridges after the "replace
cartridge" signal. Part of the ink from the first cartridges used in the printer
is used for priming the printer. Ink is used for both printing and print head
maintenance. All inks are used for both black and color printing. (Source:
http://www.discproducer.epson.com/discproducer/inkcost/index.html.)

Taiyo Yuden to JVC Conversion/Reference Chart

2010-03-11T09:10:00.013-06:00

Polyline's warehouses are still stocked with plenty of discs that are packaged as Taiyo Yuden, but now we are starting to see the JVC labeled product phasing in. This means you will start to see your favorite Taiyo Yuden products bearing the JVC logo and JVC manufacturer's numbers.

To help with the transition, we have put together a chart which cross-references the old Taiyo Yuden and new JVC item numbers below:

Grade	Speed	Taiyo Yuden Part No.	JVC Part No.
A	8X	DVD-R47SPY100SB	JDMR-SPY-SB
A	8X	DVD-R47WPP600SK	JDMR-WPP-SK
A	8X	DVD-R47WPT600SK	JDMR-WPT-SK
A	8X	DVD-R47ZZ100SB	JDMR-ZZ-SB
Valu-Line	8X	DVD-R47VALWPPSK	JDMR-VALWPP-SK
Valu-Line	8X	DVD-R47VAL600SK	JDMR-VAL-SK
A	16X	DVD-SPP600SK16	JDMR-SPP-SK16
A	16X	DVD-WPP600SK16	JDMR-WPP-SK16
A	16X	DVD-WPPSK16-HC	JDMR-WPPSK16-HC
A	16X	DVD-WPPSB16-WS	JDMR-WPPSB16-WS
A	16X	DVD-WPT600SK16	JDMR-WPT-SK16
A	16X	DVD-WPTSK16-HC	JDMR-WPTSK16-HC
A	16X	DVD-TWY100SB16	JDMR-TWY-SB16
A	16X	DVD-SPT600SK16	JDMR-SPT-SK16
A	16X	DVD-ZZ100SB16	JDMR-ZZ-SB16
A	16X	DVD-ZZ600SK16	JDMR-ZZ-SK16
A	16X	DVD-ZZSB16-HC	JDMR-ZZSB16-HC

Grade	Speed	Taiyo Yuden Part No.	JVC Part No.
A	8X	DVD+R47SPY100SB	JDPR-SPY-SB
A	8X	DVD+R47WPT600SK	JDPR-WPT-SK
A	8X	DVD+R47ZZ100SB	JDPR-ZZ-SB
A	16X	DVD+WPP600SK16	JDPR-WPP-SK16
A	16X	DVD+ZZ100SB16	JDPR-ZZ-SB16

Grade	Speed	Taiyo Yuden Part No.	JVC Part No.
A	52X	CDR80SPY100SBZM	JCDR-SPY-SB
A	52X	CDR80WPY100SBZM	JCDR-WPY-SB
A	52X	CDR80WPY600SK10	JCDR-WPY-SK10
A	52X	CDR80SPP600SK	JCDR-SPP-SK
A	52X	CDR80WPP600SK	JCDR-WPP-SK
A	52X	CDR80SPPSB-WS1	JCDR-SPP-SB-WS
A	52X	CDR80WPPSB-WS	JCDR-WPP-SB-WS
A	52X	CDR80SPT600SK	JCDR-SPT-SK
A	52X	CDR80WPT600SK	JCDR-WPT-SK
A	52X	CDR80TWY100SB	JCDR-TWY-SK
A	52X	CDR80ZZ100SBZM	JCDR-ZZ-SB
A	52X	CDR80ZPP100SB	JCDR-ZPP-SB
A	52X	CDR80ZPP600SK	JCDR-ZPP-SK
Valu-Line	52X	CDR80VAL600SK	JCDR-VAL-SK

Taiyo Yuden is Now JVC (explained)

2010-01-21T09:01:00.007-06:00

Since Taiyo Yuden discs began appearing with the JVC moniker, forums have been abuzz with speculation, innuendo and rumor as to what this all means to the quality of the beloved Taiyo Yuden media. So, here's the news behind the name change.

In May 2008, Taiyo Yuden bought 65% of JVC's magnetic and optical media business. As part of the whole buy-out/merger thing, Taiyo Yuden can use the JVC name on its discs. In fall of 2009, there was a formal announcement from Taiyo Yuden that it would begin to do just that.

(DigitalFAQ did a terrific job of explaining the merger and those of you who follow PolylineCorp on Twitter saw we sent links to the original article to help get the word out. If there's something going on in the industry, keep an eye on our Twitter updates. We'll keep you in the loop and get you good information from reliable sources.)

When the JVC/Taiyo Yuden name change was announced, distributors like Polyline, had warehouses stocked with discs there were packaged with Taiyo Yuden labels. So each distributor announced the name change as they depleted their existing stock of discs labeled as Taiyo Yuden. (We like to keep a couple months of product in stock. So, for us, we started to see the JVC labels appearing in December. Some distributors ran out sooner, because they don't keep as much product in stock. Others are just beginning to announce the change, now.)

Here's what we know about the merger and about Taiyo Yuden discs:
• All Taiyo Yuden discs will now be sold under the name JVC media and the manufacturer's numbers will change.
• The discs are still being manufactured in Japan.
• Your favorite discs are exactly the same...we'll just have to get used to calling them JVC, now.
• Under the name JVC, more disc options and finishes are being added to the product line.

Some discs sold by Polyline are already going out with the new JVC labels. We'll be updating our Web site slowly over the next few weeks to incorporate the JVC name on our existing product pages.

Happy Holidays from PolylineCorp.com

2009-12-16T11:30:00.001-06:00

As we prepare to say good-bye to what was a very difficult year for most of us, many people will find it a challenge to enjoy the holiday season. With all we have endured, who could blame one for turning into a scrooge and saying, "Bah, humbug."

But, if we see life as half empty rather than half full, we will always have a reason to be sad and the holiday season will only exacerbate this empty feeling.

Permit me, if you will, to look at this season as more than just a holiday. This is the time of the year that we need to celebrate the traditions that bring out the best in us. We need to be kind to each other and to reflect upon our greater good. We are here for a larger purpose.

Goodwill is a quality of our humanity and we should try to keep the meaning of the season in our hearts all year long.

To that end, we wish you and your family all the best this holiday season. We are truly thankful for your business. Together, we will find the opportunities and solutions to fill our glasses to the brim in the coming New Year.

Warmest Wishes,

Michael Schlobohm,
COO

Taiyo Yuden is Now JVC

2009-12-16T08:30:00.001-06:00

Recordable CD and DVD media, manufactured by Taiyo Yuden will now be sold under the name JVC. The change follows a merger of the two companies that occurred in March.

As Polyline depletes its current stock of discs labeled Taiyo Yuden, we will change to the new JVC part numbers. The line of available Taiyo Yuden / JVC discs has expanded since the merger, so look for new Value Line and other Taiyo Yuden / JVC offerings in the near future.

Selecting the Right CD Sleeve for You Next Project

2009-11-20T14:58:00.002-06:00

CD sleeves are one of the least expensive and most flexible packaging options. But which one is the right choice for your next project? Here's a primer on the different options to help you.

First, let's look at the materials commonly used in CD sleeves. When selecting a material for your disc sleeve, ask yourself how will your customer use the CD or DVD? If the disc is something they will use regularly your packaging decision will be different than if the disc is a one-time use marketing piece.

Tyvek

Tyvek is very strong and doesn't rip making it perfect for heavy duty conditions. It is also moisture resistant, which means your CD sleeve can withstand the elements or a spilled cup of coffee. Tyvek CD / DVD sleeves are silky smooth and have a distinctive look and feel. Tyvek is made from 100% high density polyethylene, essentially continuous fibers, so you get a CD sleeve that's incredibly durable, lint free and helps prevent scratched discs.

Paper

Paper is your basic, least expensive option. Select a colored sleeve to match your disc art or logo. Slightly more expensive than white envelopes, but still incredibly inexpensive (as low as .061/piece), colored disc sleeves can help make your disc get noticed.

Paperboard

Paperboard (or cardboard) is more durable than paper, but not as indestructible as Tyvek. Many Polyline customers use this to send discs in the mail because it is inexpensive and lightweight.

Vinyl

Vinyl is the "old school" standard. It looks thick and durable, which gives both the disc sleeve and your media a higher perceived value. Vinyl can react chemically with the disc, however, making it a poor choice for archiving.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is an overall good performer. Lightweight and stronger than vinyl, polypropylene does not react chemically with disc. It's also clearer and less expensive than vinyl.

BioPoly

Polyline carries the EcoEndure sleeve which is made from a polylatic-acid based polymer (PLA). PLA film is made from plants like sugarcane and corn. That makes it compostable and is entirely environmentally friendly since it starts as a natural product and ends as a natural product with no impact on the environment.

The next big distinguishing feature of disc sleeves is the flap or, in the absence of a flap, the opening.

Vinyl Sleeve with Pouch Flap

Short Flaps

Short flaps are usually about 1" in size and have a lick and stick adhesive strip. Some of our CD envelopes have a peel and seal adhesive which seems to hold closed better. Peel and Seal strips are an excellent choice for adding a CD or DVD to another boxed product, where the disc will be shaken around.

Pouch flaps

The flap covers the entire sleeves and functions as a pouch to hold a standard size CD booklet.

No Flaps

Disc sleeves without flaps are less expensive than their flapped counterparts. They are also a good choice when you have a lot of discs to pack. Ask yourself, how will you pack your disc?

Flush cut – perfectly even opening, designed for autoloaders.

Uneven opening – Easy to open, which makes them an excellent choice for hand loading a lot of discs.

Making Your Stock Packaging Stand Out (Part 2)

2009-09-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

Last month, polyNEWSline asked readers what they do to make their stock media packaging stand out from the competition. Our favorite suggestion came from Brandon Kassal in Ontario. Brandon writes:

One thing I've done is to use DVD packaging for a CD product - for example, put an audio CD into a slim clear DVD box, which gives you the larger DVD-sized trapsheet and booklet for your artwork, liner notes, etc. This makes your CD project stand out from all the other CDs that your customers are seeing.

Thank you to everyone who participated. (You can still join the discussion on this topic. Use this form, to share your ideas.)

This month's packaging inspiration is the new Scope Outlast bottle that was featured on thedieline.com.

According to thedieline.com, studies have shown that people tend to keep mouthwash in their medicine cabinet. Brand managers at Scope speculated that if the bottle design was more attractive, people would be more inclined to leave the bottle out on the counter in full view. Thus, they would be more likely to use the product twice a day.

It brings to mind one of Polyline's own customers, "BeMitt" (a mitt designed to help women with self breast examinations). The BeMitt is stored in an attractive, polystyrene jewel box and the insert includes detailed instructions on how to properly perform a self breast exam as well as
general information on breast cancer.

The tasteful packaging is discrete enough that women would feel comfortable leaving the product out in their bedroom. The informative insert card also ensures that women are using the product effectively.

Product packaging has a strong influence on how consumers will use the product it contains. What strategies do you employ with your stock media packaging to influence how your customers use your product? Fill out the form on this page to share your ideas.

Once again, the first 100 people to respond will receive a $5 Starbucks gift
card.

3 Inspiring Packaging Ideas to Transform Stock Packaging

2009-08-28T09:18:00.003-05:00

We have three inspirational ideas to bring a unique look to stock packaging. Keep reading and learn how to receive a $5 Starbucks gift card.

This outstanding example of what you can do with stock packaging was recently featured on lovelypackage.com/brown/. Brown, a confectioner's shop in Bogota, Columbia, decorated simple kraft boxes using a series of cards and rubber stamps to create a simple and low cost brand image through their packaging. Stamping is an inexpensive way to create uniform packaging that is still unique compared to other items on the market.

Another inexpensive way to customize your packaging is to use embossing, which can make a dignified addition to your packaging. Event videographers may find this an effective way to subtly add their logo or Web address to their customers' packaging.

Our third idea is adding die cuts to existing packaging. There's a lot of work involved but die cuts can add a very distinctive look to your packaging. It is a good choice for small to mid-size companies who want their brand to have a "boutique" feel.

(Directions to make these flowers can be found on about.com.)

Receive a $5 Starbucks card

What do you do to make your packaging special? Does the insert to your children's DVD double as a coloring page? Do you include an activity log with your hypnosis CDs? Share your idea with us and get a $5 Starbucks gift card. The first 100 people to respond will receive the gift card. We'll post our favorite packaging ideas in our blog and a future issue of polyNEWSline.

Share Your Packaging Idea with Us

Hummel 2009 Golf Outing

2009-07-02T09:24:00.005-05:00

The Hummel 2009 charity golf outing will be held Aug. 10, 2009, at the Wilmette Golf Club, 3900 Fairway Drive, Wilmette, IL.

Celebrating its 15th year, The Hummel brings together members of Chicago's production, post production, advertising, music and duplication industries to raise money for the Chicago Post Production Benefit Fund. The CPPBF has raised more than $150,000 and distributed funds to more than 20 families in the local production/post production industry who were in financial need due to a death, injury or other financial crisis.

The golf outing is $175/person; dinner is $75/person. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Check out our Web site, http://thehummel.com for additional information and to see last year's photo gallery.

Please register online by Aug. 3, 2009.

New 2-Ring Disc Binders with Matte Interiors Added

2009-06-11T10:37:00.006-05:00

Polyline added a series of 2-ring, vinyl CD / DVD binders to its line of disc binders. This new series of disc binders (which have capacities of up to 14 or 26 discs) have matte interiors. The disc binder's matte interior helps hide fingerprints, which ensures your media has your customer's full attention.



The 26-disc capacity binder is 1-7/8" thick.	The 12-disc capacity binder is 1-1/4" thick.

Sturdy rings keep your disc sleeves (and their contents) where they belong	The CD binder has rounded corners and a matte finish.

Dean Engel to Appear at Will Creek Arts Conference Expo

2009-06-10T14:05:00.004-05:00

Dean Engel of ASK DEAN will be at the Willow Creek Arts Conference Expo June 11, 2009, to answer your questions about optical media, media packaging and disc publishing. Join him at The Tape Company booth in the Arts Conference Expo in the Willow Activity Center. You can also pause a moment and check out a demonstration of a Rimage 8100 Disc Publishing System and pick up a free sample disc while you're there.

Willow Creek is located at the corner of Algonquin and Barrington Roads in South Barrington, IL. More information on the conference can be found at the Willow Creek Web site.

Polyline Introduces Customer Reward Program

2009-04-23T09:00:00.003-05:00

Customers who Register Early Will Receive EM2B Dollars for Qualifying Purchases Already Made

To help introduce our new Earn Money 2 Burn program, Polyline customers who enroll in the program at www.PolylineCorp.com/EM2B/ by June 30 will receive rewards for qualifying items they have already purchased.

Every time a customer enrolled in the Earn Money 2 Burn program purchases CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, inkjet cartridges, thermal ribbons, media kits or disc packaging, he'll receive 2% back in the form of Earn Money 2 Burn Dollars. The EM2B dollars can then be used for the purchase of disc printers, duplicating towers, disc publishing units and extended warranties – any brand or model we carry.

"We've been thinking of a way to reward Polyline customers for some time now," said Michael Schlobohm, Chief Operating Officer for Polyline. "We really wanted to create a program that was meaningful and could help our customers and we believe the EM2B program can do just that."

Schlobohm noted that, with the weak economy, many companies and organizations are delaying purchasing or updating their disc publishing equipment. By rewarding these customers for products they are already purchasing, these organizations can save for these upgrades without any additional effort on their part.

EM2B participants can save their EM2B dollars for up to two years and participants can combine their EM2B dollars with rebates and specials that are offered by the equipment manufacturers. This will help EM2B participants save even more money.

To show our commitment to the success of the EM2B program, Customers who register for the program by June 30, 2009, will receive their 2% rewards on all qualifying purchases that were made going back to October 1, 2008.

"This is a huge undertaking for us," said Schlobohm. "When you look at our product line, you'll see that most of our items qualify for the EM2B rewards program."

All Polyline customers have to do to participate in the program, is enroll at www.PolylineCorp.com/EM2B. Polyline will handle the complicated math and ensure customers' EM2B dollars are applied to their accounts every month.

Resellers and special bid customers do not qualify for the program. For more information or to learn if you qualify, call us at 1-800-701-5865. You can also fill out the program registration form on www.PolylineCorp.com/EM2B/ and a Polyline media expert will contact you with more information.

Choosing the Right Hard Drive

2009-03-30T10:34:00.005-05:00

With P2, SxS and other solid-state acquisition media; non-linear editing; and the need for quick access to archived content, hard drives have become essential tools in video production. There are a lot of choices out there, but how do you find the right hard drive for your organization? Here are some things to consider:

Professional vs. Consumer Grade

Just as it is with tape and disc media, there is a huge difference between professional grade and consumer grade hard drives. Consumer hard drives were designed for storing documents and family photos. Professional hard drives, like those carried by Polyline, are created for the video and audio content professionals, which means:

More metal (and less plastic) parts – this makes the drive more durable and able to hold-up to the harsh demands of the content creation professional
Faster transfer speeds – this results fewer dropped frames
Heat sinks and / or fans to keep your drive cool – it's not so much that heat is the danger as the quick heating and cooling of the drive (a real danger when you're hot swapping your drives). Proper cooling ensure your drive doesn't encounter jarring temperature changes that causes stress to the drive.
Longer guarantees – professional grade drives are designed to last longer, and manufacturers back this up by offering longer warranties on parts and labor.
Remember the real cost is not the value of the drive, it's the value of the work that's stored on it.
CapacityHD video consumes huge amounts of hard drive space. Choose a drive that has double the space you think you'll need. You'll outgrow it more quickly than you think. Also consider that, as the size of the drive increases, the cost per gigabyte decreases. So, by purchasing a larger drive, you're saving money.

Interfaces

Select a drive with multiple interfaces, this will give you the greatest compatibility among different systems. In terms of speed, USB 2.0 has the slowest transfer speeds and eSATA has the fastest. When dealing with large data streams, like HD video, faster transfer speeds mean less time ingesting video and it also equals fewer dropped frames.

For more information on professional hard drives, check out the article "Don't Compromise on External Storage" from the September 2008 issue of polyNEWSline.

Check Out These Hard Drives for Media Professionals

G-Tech Hard Drives
G-Tech external hard drives were designed specifically to meet the data storage needs of content creation professionals. G-Tech's USB, FireWire, eSata and Fibre Channel systems support all levels of audio and video production.

LaCie Hard Drives
LaCie is a leading manufacturer of external storage devices including an award-winning selection of hard drives, Network Storage drives, RAID and DVD drives. LaCie sets itself apart by working with world-famous designers to create storage solutions that are as beautiful as they are functional.

Avastor
Avastor is the fastest growing company supplying Hard Drives to audio / video professionals. Avastor's product line include 20 configurations of drive interfaces and capacities of professional hard drives for virtually every application required.

Blu-ray Costs to Come Down

2009-03-25T08:50:00.004-05:00

Panasonic, Philips and Sony are working with other Blu-ray Disc ™ patent holders to establish a "one-stop-shop license" for Blu-ray discs products, which is expected to result in 40% price reduction in royalty fees.

I misplaced my copy of the press release that I downloaded from Sony, but you can read the PR in its entirety here: Cheaper discs? Panasonic, Philips, Sony plan joint Blu-ray licence (CrunchGear.com).

Review: The Bamboo Fun Graphics Tablet

2009-03-09T15:09:00.005-05:00

When Polyline's Marketing Director walked over to my desk holding the box that contained my new Bamboo Fun tablet, I literally clapped my hands and squealed with excitement. Polyline doesn't have a testing department, per se. But, as the person who writes the descriptions of all new products that are entered into our catalog, I spend a great deal of my time abusing CD packaging in the name of creating good marketing copy. At last, I had the opportunity to write about something I would presumably be able to use regularly in my job.

The Bamboo Fun tablet is manufactured by Wacom, a company known for creating high-quality graphic tablets for graphic design professionals. The Bamboo line of products is Wacom's foray into the consumer market. It is designed more for the serious hobbyist or for professionals who want to experiment/experience the benefits of using a graphics tablet, but aren't ready to shell out the big bucks for a pro-grade model of technology they aren't familiar with.

Product Design

If you work with a large monitor or dual monitors, the medium may be a better choice, because it will feel less cramped.

My first thought when opening the carton was "It's sooo cute!" In fact, I may have actually said those words out loud. I'm not usually prone to such girlie sentiments, but the small Bamboo Fun tablet was sleek, modern and TINY. Since I work in a cubical, I appreciated the theory behind the compact design of the small tablet, which has the same dimensions as a standard mouse pad. But, if you're using a large monitor or, like me, use two monitors while working, you may find the size a little cramped. My advice: get the Bamboo Fun Medium.

Although the overall dimensions of the small tablet are the same as a mouse pad, the active area is 5.8" W x 3.7" D. There is a large section at the top of the tablet devoted to four programmable function keys, which sound promising. The default functions originally programmed into these buttons are: back and forward for use with your browser, show desktop and switch application. I quickly changed my "switch application" button (the same as alt+tab on your keyboard) so it now launches my Web browser. I imagine a lot of designers, who are accustomed to using their mouse in tandem with the keyboard, will be switching out the function buttons for the quick launch of their favorite software programs.

There is also an iPod-like scroll wheel in the top center of the tablet. Wacom says the exact operation of the touch ring will vary depending on the application you are using at the time, typically being used for scrolling or zooming. However, in all the applications I had open (including Internet Explorer and FireFox) the touch ring only zoomed.

The work area also has a 1:1 relationship with your monitor area. That means when you place the stylus in the upper left hand corner of the work surface, the cursor appears in the upper left hand corner of your screen. Place the stylus in the lower right hand corner and the cursor moves to the bottom right hand corner of your screen. (Or, in my case, the bottom right hand corner of the monitor to my right.)

Installation/Product Support

I was lucky enough to have someone from our IT department install the tablet for me. You don't have to be an IT professional to install your tablet, but you do need administrator rights on your PC or Mac. I was assured, however, that the installation process was really easy. If you're still nervous, the Bamboo Fun comes packed with a quick start guide and the Wacom Web site has an incredible support area with videos that can walk you through the entire installation process. Or, if you prefer, go to you tube and check out Wacom's channel devoted to the Bamboo fun unit (http://www.youtube.com/user/BambooByWacom). You can even find videos from real users who recorded themselves using the Bamboo Fun tablet.

Ease of Use

The four buttons around the scroll ring are programmable function keys.

There is a learning curve involved if you've never used a graphics tablet. In fact, I almost guarantee your first few attempts at using the Bamboo Fun pen will result in accidentally highlighting a lot of text on your screen. Your natural inclination when using the stylus to move your cursor (let's say to access a drop down menu at the top of the screen) is to drag its tip across the work surface. This is wrong. Dragging your stylus across the tablet's active area is actually the same as holding down your click button when moving your mouse. To simply move your cursor around the screen, hold the stylus a few millimeters above the work surface. I'm not saying this is a difficult concept; I'm just saying it takes a while to get used to.

Another element that will seem strange to the first time user, is this whole 1:1 relationship between the monitor and Bamboo tablet. This means you don't have to scroll to a given area (or lift and reposition like you do with a traditional mouse). You just lift the stylus and move it to another area and your cursor will jump to the corresponding spot on your monitor. Again, this is a small thing, but it feels weird at first. You'd be surprised how frequently you lift and replace your computer mouse when doing simple navigation. We've been doing it so long it's almost instinctual. Luckily, the Bamboo Fun also comes with its own mouse. So, if you get frustrated, you can switch to what you're familiar with.

Now, all this goes with simple navigation. But, let's face it, the primary use of a Bamboo Fun tablet is for working with design applications. I decided to try out the Bamboo Fun immediately on what I consider to be a hard application: using the pen tool to create a vector mask and (eventually using this mask to create cutouts in both PhotoShop and InDesign). As expected, this is where the benefits of using a graphics tablet really come through. My very first time using the stylus for this purpose took the same amount of time it would have normally taken me to do the same application with a mouse. The main difference is I didn't have to hit alt+shift+z (step backward) nearly as often with the stylus. So I imagine, with very little practice using the stylus in graphics programs would quickly prove to be more efficient than using a mouse. I wouldn't recommend doing any highly detailed work after drinking several cups of coffee, however. A stylus is considerably less forgiving to shaky hands than a mouse is.

And, like all the literature promises, the textured surface of the tablet really does make the stylus feel like a real pencil when you are using it. Another cool feature is that, in many of your applications, you just flip the stylus over and you can use the "eraser" to delete wayward lines. The eraser even has a little "wiggle" to it so it feels surprisingly similar to a real eraser. I strongly suggest placing your tablet directly in front of you when using the stylus. This is how we typically position pencil and paper, whereas we keep our mouse to the side of our keyboard so we can mouse and type at the same time. Moving the graphics tablet directly in front of you really reduces the learning curve and gives you greater control over the stylus.

Overall, the Bamboo Fun graphics tablet is surprisingly powerful for its size and cost. Wacom packed a lot of cool features into a lightweight, consumer-friendly design. Give yourself time to wade through the entire learning curve and don't be embarrassed about grabbing your mouse if you're having difficulty. I'm not sure if I'll feel comfortable enough with the graphics tablet interface to use it for simple navigation, but it makes tracing images and creating cutouts in Photoshop a snap.

Video Production Tip: Improve Eye Contact to Improve Results

2009-02-24T13:13:00.000-06:00

By Steve Singleton
Guest Contributor

The Eyes Have It

Remember your high school speech class? Your teacher told you that eye contact is extremely critical to making a good speech. The more you look down, or over your audience's heads, or to the side of the room instead of eyeballing them, the less effective your speech, presentation, or monologue is.

You know this is true. How often have you listened closely to a teacher who lectures to the class without ever looking up? How powerful is the preacher who reads his sermon and never connects eye to eye, with you or anyone else?

One important key to effective video marketing is to establish good eye contact immediately and maintain it throughout your video shoot.

Tips for Improving Eye Contact
Here are a few pointers to help you along the way toward creating dynamic video marketing clips.

Get used to looking directly at the eye of the camera. It's going to feel weird at first, but with some practice you can get used to it.

Imagine you are talking with a good friend, and that the camera is his or her eyes. The more natural you can be talking with your friend in normal conversational tone, the more natural your video will come across.

Avoid himming and hawing on camera. You have to make yourself painfully aware of all the times you say "um" and "uh." Many people do this only when they are intimidated by the all-seeing eye of the video camera. Two or three brief pauses in which you are silent are a hundred times better than saying "uh" even once.

Have a good idea of what you want to say. The best videos you can produce are when you consistently look right into the camera and speak from the heart. Once more, practice will make you better and better at extemporizing.

If you have trouble speaking extemporaneously (having a general message in mind, but making up the actual words you'll use as you go along), you will have to find a useful alternative. For example…

You can memorize your script. This can be very effective if you have a good memory or practice enough to get your wording "down cold." The danger is that you will miss a few words and have trouble getting back on track. Your mind can easily go blank as you stare into the camera. Another danger is that you will remember all of your lines, but won't deliver it naturally. You may tend to rush or develop a "sing-songy" delivery that destroys your effectiveness.

You can use notecards or a printed script. You can look down, quickly read the next thing you will say, and then look into the camera again. Many news anchors use this method. If you develop the art of glancing down only once in a while, this method can still be very effective.

You can create a script that you are reading off the computer screen as it scrolls just below the camera. Vertical scrolling software is available on the web for free, as well as software for scrolling for which you pay a reasonable shareware fee. Of course, you can only glance down at the script and then look up again, but if you are able to do it skillfully, you can be quite effective.

You can purchase a teleprompter that enables you to read your script as it scrolls right in front of the camera. The advantage of a teleprompter is that you can read and look at the camera simultaneously. The disadvantage is that teleprompters can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

You can make your own teleprompter for less than $80 and use free scrolling software available on the web. This is the solution I have chosen, and I am very satisfied with it. You still have to develop the skill of reading effectively, but at least you have continual eye contact.

Hold 'Em with Your Eyes
Whichever option you choose, you will find that as you video production experience grows and your eye contact becomes more frequent and more natural, your video marketing will double and triple in its effectiveness.

Copyright ©2009 Steve Singleton

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles. He has been an editor, reporter, and public relations consultant. He has taught college-level Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses and has taught seminars in 11 states and the Caribbean.
Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Check out the DeeperStudy Bookstore for great e-books, free books, and great discounts. Subscribe to his free "DeeperStudy Newsletter" or "DeeperStudy Blog."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Singleton http://EzineArticles.com/?Video-Production-Tips:-Improve-Eye-Contact-to-Improve-Your-Results&id=201088

Check out Polyline's New RSS Feeds

2009-01-19T08:28:00.001-06:00

Tired of waiting for polyNEWSline to get your fix of new products and clearance specials? Be the first to sign up for one of our RSS feeds through your favorite reader.

New Product Feed – Updated daily, this feed is perfect for Polyline's resellers or anyone else who needs to stay up-to-date with Polyline's newest offerings. (http://www.polylinecorp.com/new_items.xml)

Clearance Feed – Looking for the hottest media and media packaging deals on the Internet? This feed gets updated weekly and lists all Polyline's clearance items, including our best column price for the item listed. (http://www.polylinecorp.com/clearance_items.xml)

Polyline Reviews Available on ResellerRatings.com

2009-01-19T08:16:00.001-06:00

Did you know that Polyline customers can visit http://ResellerRatings.com to read and share reviews of our company? OK, there's just one review so far, but it's another way to tell Polyline and others how you feel about us.

ResellerRatings.com site displays consumer reviews for more than 17,000 retailers.

6 Ways to Save Money with Polyline

2008-11-12T14:20:00.000-06:00

To give a helping hand to our customers, we've compiled a short list of 5 money-saving ideas. The primary focus is saving money with Polyline on media and media packaging, but many of the ideas can work in other areas.

1. Check out the clearance section and get creative.
Sometimes we discontinue a specific color of packaging because it just wasn't as popular as we expected it to be. Sometimes we're able to get a really good price on a limited number of items. Shaking up your product packaging and artwork will keep your product looking fresh. It also gives you the opportunity to capitalize on overstocked and discontinued items.

2. Subscribe to polyNEWSline and other marketing emails.
You already know about the exclusive discounts offered in polyNEWSline. And, when we're starting a new sale or rebate program, we try to offer it through our newsletter first.

3. Combine your orders. Instead of purchasing three cartons of products a month, purchase six cartons every two months and capitalize on volume discounts.

4. Make your own co-op. Check with a neighboring business to see if you use similar products. Combine your orders to capitalize on volume discounts and reduced shipping costs.

5. If you need to purchase equipment (like a disc printer or publisher), call and ask if there are any sales or rebates available.
Sometimes manufacturers give out bonus discounts and incentives to their biggest and best resellers (like Polyline). When manufacturers selectively give out these incentives, the reseller is specifically instructed not to advertise them. If our sales staff knows you're in the market for an item, they can call you when these "secret" discounts become available.

6. Order online. If you're placing an order for less than $100, place your order online to avoid the small order fee. Another benefit to ordering online is our "save shopping cart" feature, which saves time for our customers who regularly order the same items. You can save up to five different shopping carts and name them.

New Items at Polyline

2008-11-12T14:10:00.002-06:00

Epson PP-100 Discproducer CD/DVD Publisher

Using six colors instead of the common four, it delivers the highest print quality available in its class for crisp, clear text and vibrant graphics at up to 1440 x 1440 dpi resolution.
More information:

EPP100DP-1 for $2,995.

Inkjet Cartridge Refills for Epson PP-100 Discproducer

Six-cartridge set containing Cyan, Light Cyan, Magenta, Light Magenta, Yellow and Black high capacity cartridges. More information:

EPP100ISET-1, as low as $230.15/set

Wine Thermal Ribbon

OEM replacement thermal ribbon for Primera's Inscripta disc printer. Wine-color ribbon yields approximately 700 discs. More information:

TPRIMW-1, as low as $28.50/piece

Silver WaterShield CD-Rs

Watersheild Discs are now available in silver. Finish is "pearly" but still very white. From Taiyo Yuden, the inventor of the CD-R, WaterShield discs repel water and protect from wear and scratches. More information:

TY8052SIHWS-50 , as low as $.61/disc

It's All About the Hub

2008-10-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

The most distinguishing feature of a DVD case is its hub. And avid DVD users know the names of their favorite hubs as well as they know the names of their favorite directors.

Currently, two of the most popular hubs, among our own customers and on various message boards, are the M-Locks and the AlphaPAK hub.


M-Lock Hub	ALPHApak Hub

Both of these hubs come from noted manufacturers who are innovators in their field. In addition, the hubs are known for placing minimal stress on the hub, preventing "floaters," and still allowing easy disc removal.

With the exception of the AlphaPAK, end-users tend to favor push button hubs. Many DVD users report that, when removing a disc from a pluck hub, the disc bends, which makes them nervous.

There are several styles of push-button hubs available. There are four different hub styles available in Polyline's one-disc DVD cases:


DVSR12CB & DVS12CB	DVMPR

DV121C	AMII12B Nexpak's Amaray II

There are times, however, when a push-button hub is not the best choice. For example, in thin or slim-style DVD cases, push button hubs have been known to cause floaters, particularly when the cases are shipped individually. During shipping, if a slim-style DVD case is compressed, it can press down on the hub and release the disc.

With slim style DVD cases, you want a pluck hub. The trick with pluck hubs is to select one that is snug enough to ensure your disc is secure during shipping and handling, but can be removed without fear of cracking or bending the disc. With a good DVD hub, you can feel the disc engage when loading by hand and there may be a "click" sound when the disc is locked into place. You don't want a hub that requires a lot of pressure to engage the disc, because this puts stress on the disc's hub and could cause radial cracks around the center. If you hear a harsh "snap" when hand-loading your disc, the hub is too snug.

Here are some of the lift-up or pluck hubs available in Polyline's one-disc DVD cases:


VPDV1SB PL-Pro	DVRAMP

DVA12DG Nexpak's ALPHApak	DVT12C Nexpak's THINpak case

AM12DG Nexpak's Original Amaray

There is a trick to removing discs easily from lift-up hubs. Place the open DVD case on a table or other flat surface. Use your thumb to press down on the hub while while lifting the disc edge with your forefinger. (The DVRAMP has illustrated directions on the inside of the case.)

A good hub is also made of good materials, so pay attention to the amount of recycled content in your DVD case. Virgin polypropylene is a pliable and forgiving plastic, which is desirable in a pluck hub. The more recycled content the DVD case contains, the more rigid it becomes. At Polyline, our favorite blends, are about 80-percent virgin material to 20-percent recycled. It's a good mix that retains most of the properties of virgin material, while reducing production cost. Unfortunately, it's difficult for manufacturers to keep a consistent ratio of virgin to recycled materials, so they won't guarantee a minimum amount of virgin content. A good mixed-content case will still have a good weight to it and little or no odor. If your case feels extremely light and has a strong smell of burnt rubber, it contains a large percentage of recycled materials and will be brittle.

As a side note, a former hub favorite, Amaray's "ying yang" hub is no longer available. NexPAK is phasing out the old design in favor of a hub that is easier to mold. Currently, the Amaray II case has a push button hub and the Original Amaray has a pluck hub with a Y or peace-sign shaped opening. Both Amaray boxes will eventually sport the peace-sign hub.

Polyline Adds Eco-Friendly Packaging

2008-10-08T16:11:00.001-05:00

Polyline, the largest U.S. distributor of in-stock media packaging, announced it is adding Univenture’s EcoEndure PLA disc sleeves to its product line.

The EcoEndure PLA disc sleeve looks and feels like polypropylene, but it's made from EarthFirst PLA film, which uses corn kernels, an annually renewable resource, instead of petrochemicals. EarthFirst PLA film is compostable and is entirely environmentally friendly since it starts as a natural product and ends as a natural product with no impact on the environment.

Michael Schlobohm, Polyline's Director of Operations, said, "Polyline has been working hard to become an environmentally responsible company. In addition to searching for more environmentally friendly products, we've been changing the way we operate internally to reduce our company's carbon footprint."

One such change was the creation of the "Go Green Team," a committee of Polyline employees dedicated to coming up with ideas to help the environment and then implementing those ideas at the company's facilities in Elmhurst, IL, and Burbank, CA.

"Becoming good global citizens does not happen over night," said Schlobohm. "Each step we take diminishes our impact on the environment and it also brings to light more changes we can make."

Since the committee's formation in January, the Go Green Team has implemented several changes within Polyline:

Inter-office reports, which were previously printed on virgin paper, are now available via email or intranet.

Printed marketing materials are now printed on paper with 20% (or higher) post-consumer waste content.

In the lunch room, paper plates have been replaced with "real" tableware.

The company has started an educational campaign to discourage employees and managers from printing emails.

Polyline has begun an in-house recycling program for plastics, glass, paper and aluminum.

For more information on EcoEndure PLA disc sleeves, visit PolylineCorp.com.

Don't Compromise on External Storage

2008-09-15T13:12:00.000-05:00

With your growing portfolio of videos, photos, music, artwork and creative projects, the ability to add more storage easily and cost-effectively becomes a necessity. You need something that's going to last. And whether you're a digital video producer, a graphic designer or photographer, storage performance is critical.

Before you go out and buy your next external drive, here are a few must-have storage criteria that separate the toys from the tools.

Nothing Does It Better Than RAID

For high-performance and/or data redundancy nothing is better than RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks).

RAID uses two or more hard disk drives enclosed in an external storage solution. For the more techie folks, you can also build a RAID array inside of your computer. However, the latter requires a bit more work so, for the purpose of this article, we'll focus on simple, plug and play external storage RAID. Here are some important terms to know when discussing RAID with your hard drive supplier:

RAID 0: Also known as "striping," RAID 0 provides full capacity with the fastest possible sustained throughput – continuous large sequential read/writes. RAID 0 takes a file and spreads it across two or more drives to reduce the time it takes to write or read the file.

RAID 0 pays off in situations where speed is paramount, such as working with multiple streams of digital video. As you probably already know, when your interface or hard drive can't keep up with your system, your video can be butchered by dropped frames. To avoid this, a good solution is the G-Technology G-RAID 2 external drive. With capacities up to 2TB and specifically designed for the A/V market, the company guarantees simultaneous playback of multiple layers of video in real-time in Final Cut Pro, Premiere and Xpress. (See chart below.)

RAID 1: When you invest countless hours and dollars amassing hundreds of gigabytes of data, you would probably care more about data protection than speed. The easiest way to protect your data against accidental loss is to "mirror" the files.

This can be achieved easily with a two-drive external storage solution. Whatever gets written to the first drive is automatically copied, or mirrored, to the second drive. This means if anything should happen to either disk, your data is still safe.

The G-Tech G-SAFE is an easy to use RAID 1 solution. If calamity strikes and a hard drive fails, you simply pull out the defective drive bay, plug in a new hard drive, and the system automatically rebuilds itself, getting you back to a protected state in no time. Other RAID 1 hard drives require you to send the entire storage device in for repair if a drive fails.

Keep It Cool

Hard drives hate heat, so product quality and overall product integration are important. Your data is your livelihood, you don't want to depend on shoddy hardware prone to overheating and premature failure.

Make sure your next external hard drive has an adequate cooling system. An external drive with an all-aluminum enclosure is ideal. The aluminum acts as a heat sink, pulling heat away from the drive for increased data longevity and reliability.

Some drives also incorporate a "smart fan" to circulate air inside the enclosure. As the name implies, when the fan senses that the drive is warm, it automatically turns on, keeping the drive cool. Another benefit of a smart fan is that it's only used when needed, keeping the drive quiet.

There Is No Such Thing as Too Much Capacity

Keep the future in mind. Your storage needs will grow.

Take for example digital video. Some estimates say that a single hour of captured DV takes anywhere between 13.5GB to 15GB. And that's not including preview files or the memory required to exporting to DVD, which can add a few more gigabytes in temp files.
When selecting your external hard drive, be sure that you have enough storage for the type of digital media content that you wish to store. If you need 1TB (or 1,000GB) of external storage today, you're bound to need twice or three times that amount before you know it. If you're into video, here's a rough capacity guide from G-Tech:

Every 100GB holds up to:
9.25 Hrs of HDV
7.5 Hrs of DV25
1.75 Hrs of DVCPRO HD
1.25 Hrs of 8-bit SD
1 Hr of 10-bit SD

When adding a hard drive to your computer, make sure that your main internal hard drive (C:) is designated for the operating system and applications. All other data -- including projects, captured files, graphics and audio – should be stored on a separate, external hard drive.

Future-Proof Your Interface

As with most technology, external storage interfaces improve with time. Here are the most current interfaces and their maximum transfer (burst) rates:

FireWire (1394a) – 400 Mbps (megabits per second)
USB 2.0 – 480 Mbps
FireWire 800 (1394b) – 800 Mbps
eSATA 3.0 – 3.0 Gbps (gigabits per second)

Based on these numbers, eSATA is almost four times as fast as FireWire 800 and eight times as fast as USB 2.0. Ideally, your storage solution should accommodate all of these so you're prepared for whatever system or peripheral you decide to connect with in the future.

The good news is that industry-leading external storage solutions offer a combination of interface choices and some even come equipped with all four, dubbed a "quad" interface solution.

Keep in mind that few workstations come equipped with an eSATA or a FireWire 800 port, so you may be required to install a PCI Controller Card. This is a relatively easy process – opening up your computer may prove to be the most difficult part. But go for it. It's worth it!

Real-World Performance

While benchmark numbers, such as the maximum data transfer rate (as stated above), can be used to quantify the raw performance of the external drive, they do not translate in to real-world performance.

Sustained throughput is what matters most. Let's take another look at video. We all know that video is data intensive, especially when working with multiple streams. If the sustained data rate of the drive or interface dips below the required transfer rate for the video, the result is jerky playback, messed up audio and dropped frames. You need a solution that's going to keep up with you.

Put this all together and it's a pretty hefty shopping list. Doing a little research up front will help as there are many benefits to purchasing a thoroughly implemented product. Not only will you get the reliability, speed and data protection you're looking for, you'll also be able to rotate copies off-site or have the flexibility to work from multiple computers quickly and easily.

Let's face it, content creators have their own set of special storage needs: they need faster, bigger and better storage solutions because their livelihood depends on it.

Featured Customer: CJ Sign Language

2008-09-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

CJ Sign Language — Teaching Sign Language and "Deaf Culture" to a Hearing Public

CJ Sign Language's inaugural project, "How to Talk to a Person Who Can't Hear," was the first video created to teach basic sign language to the general public. Using a TV-show format that is fun and accessible, the video covers 300 basic conversational words and phrases and the alphabet. It also addresses common questions the hearing population may have about people who are deaf, such as "can a deaf people drive?" or "how do they use the phone?"

The original product was a VHS tape packaged in one of Polyline's large, vinyl VHS Album (a.k.a. the Disney-style box).

The show is now available in a DVD format (renamed "Sign Language for Everyone") and a new production "Sign and Sing" has been added to the product line. Jenkins again opted for quality and selected Polyline's one-disc and two-disc DVD boxes with smooth interiors. Again, she decided to use white packaging.

What we liked: A "true" Hollywood production, the video uses 12 actors in 20 locations, covering topics people really want to know. For example, what signs to use when you want to ask a deaf person on a date. Christine Jenkins, owner and president of CJ Sign Language, produced her video, chose deaf actor Anthony Natale (Mr. Holland's Opus and Jerry Maguire) to star in her video. Just as it would have been easy to choose a lesser known actor, it would have been easy to pick any old packaging option. Instead, Jenkins chose packaging that reflected the quality of the product it contained.

"I knew I had created a very high-quality production, but was charging far less than I could have," said Jenkins. "So, since many DO judge a product by its cover, I decided on the finest, whitest, cushiest VHS packaging out there - Polyline's best." She added that many of her customers – individuals, libraries and schools – often commented on how much they appreciated the sturdy packaging.

And, when she began offering a DVD line, she chose to keep white packaging. "It's a classy, clean, educational and all-ages-friendly color," said Jenkins. Doing so also helped her maintain a consistent image across all her products.

Check out CJ Sign Language's Web site: http://www.signlanguagevideo.com/. (CJ Sign Language is donating 50% of its September 2008 sales to the Lovers Lane Academy for the Deaf, a new school located in Dallas for deaf teens.)

Polyline Newsletter Gets New Name

2008-09-09T16:30:00.001-05:00

After operating for more than 5 years under the generic title "Polyline Newsletter," the monthly e-newsletter has found a new moniker. Starting with the September 2008 issue, the publication will be called "polyNEWSline."

"We've been working hard to make the newsletter into something our customers look forward to seeing," said Stacy Strunk, eMarketing Coordinator. "Based on the feedback we've been receiving from our readers, I think we're moving in the right direction."

The newsletter began as an email sales flyer that updated customers on new products and sales items. Over the past couple years, polyNEWSline has began running feature articles and "newsletter exclusives," which are items that are only available through the newsletter or special discounts that are only available to newsletter subscribers.

"Now, with the addition of polyNEWSline's new Featured Customer section, everyone here at Polyline felt the newsletter has developed a real sense of identity," said Strunk. "I can think of no better way to acknowledge something's identity than giving it a name."

View the most current issue of the newsletter. To subscribe to polyNEWSline, visit Polyline's home page and enter your email address in the peach-colored box in the right column.

Polyline Adopts Recycled-Content Paper for Mailings

2008-09-09T16:03:00.002-05:00

Starting in early September, Polyline began using paper with 10% post-consumer recycled content for its print materials, including postcards and flyers. Switching to recycled content paper is just one step Polyline is taking to reduce its impact on the environment.

The change to recycled content paper was initiated by the "Go Green Team," a committee of Polyline employees dedicated to coming up with ideas to help the environment and then implementing those ideas in its facilities in Elmhurst, IL, and Burbank, CA.

Since the committee's formation in January, the Go Green Team has implemented several changes within Polyline:

Inter-office reports, which were previously printed on virgin paper, are now available via email or intranet.

In the lunch room, paper plates have been replaced with "real" tableware.
The company has started an educational campaign to discourage employees and managers from printing emails.

Polyline has begun an in-house recycling program for plastics, glass, paper and aluminum.

"Becoming good global citizens does not happen over night," said Bob Daly, co-owner of Polyline. "Each step we take diminishes our impact on the environment and it also brings to light more changes we can make."

Featured Customer: BeMitt Self Breast Exam Mitt

2008-08-15T13:21:00.000-05:00

BeMitt Self Breast Exam Mitt Uses Packaging to Educate Consumers about Breast Cancer

The BeMitt is designed to encourage and improve self breast examinations. It fits on your hand and glides over your breast, reducing friction and enhancing sense of touch, allowing you increased sensitivity to detect irregularities.

Packaged in a Polyline MJBX Series jewel box (or "reusable plastic case" according to BeMitt's Web site), it comes with a trifold insert containing detailed instructions on how to properly perform a self breast exam and general information about breast cancer.

What we liked: The jewel case is not just a "package" but part of the product's features & benefits statement. Product inventor Beth Bromberg uses the trifold insert and Web site together to provide women with the education, technique and the resources for performing a thorough breast self-exam.

BeMitt's mission is to help fight breast cancer by educating the public and helping individuals with their self breast exams. This mission is reflected in the product design, promotional materials, Web site and in their product packaging. This company thinks "outside the CD Box" by using its packaging as a method to further educate their customers.

Check out BeMitt's Web site at http://www.bemitt.com/.

BD-Rs Are the Future, but Are They the Present?

2008-07-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

With 25% of Americans owning an HDTV (and only a small percentage of those users actively using them to view HD media), many professional organizations and content producers are carefully watching the Blu-ray market to determine when (or whether) there is an optimal time to invest in Blu-ray production and duplication equipment.

With content distribution products like CDs, DVDs or Blu-ray, there is always a trickle-down effect from the consumer market that drives the need for the same media in the industrial / professional markets. You may remember that the migration from VHS to DVD started when DVD players were being purchased for home use. But it wasn't fully underway until DVD players started showing up in laptop and desktop computers. It will be the same with Blu-ray.

There is only one practical way to mass-distribute pure 1080p resolution HD video – and that is on Blu-ray discs. As more Blu-ray players are purchased, the need for new HD video content will increase. The war between Blu-ray and HD DVD caused a one to two year stagnation in this process, and demand did not grow strongly in either format. Now, almost 6 months after Blu-ray has won and is the dominant HD content distribution medium, things have slowly started to move forward in professional / industrial applications with Blu-ray.

Right now, the market is saturated with produced DVDs and DVD players. More importantly, most users are quite satisfied with DVD and may be hesitant to make the upgrade to Blu-ray players and recorders, which are still rather expensive when compared to DVD.

If the technology lives up to its potential however, more people and businesses will be naturally drawn to the benefits of Blu-ray. The potential for pure capacity, especially with multi-layer disc technology, is impressive. Already, there are dual-layer recordable Blu-ray discs with a capacity of 50GB. And Pioneer has reported that it has created a prototype of a 16-layer read-only Blu-ray disc that can hold 48 hours of movies on a single disc. Imagine the convenience of storing an entire season of 24 – plus a ton of bonus features – on a single disc!

Currently, the largest consumers of recordable Blu-ray media will be video game producers. Because PlayStation 3 units come equipped with Blu-ray readers, a large percentage of game players are already equipped to view HD media. Producers of this content must use Blu-ray recordable discs in the pre-mastering, testing and promotional stages prior to mass-production of a title.

Because recorded Blu-ray discs look similar to a DVD, the use of "authentic" Blu-ray packaging is essential. Features such as Blu-ray packaging's distinctive blue color, the standard packaging size and even the Blu-ray logo help reinforce the message that your customer is receiving a true Blu-ray disc. Polyline stocks these distinctive cases at a very competitive price.

As a side note, creating truly interactive Blu-ray discs will require old-school, hard-core programming. This could mean that you, your next hire or the authoring boutique you work with to create your Blu-ray titles must have strong Java programming and scripting skills. This is something to keep in mind if you have serious intentions of expanding your hi-def offerings beyond simple HD video applications.

Finally, let's look a little closer at cost. When recordable DVDs first became available, they were expensive, just like Blu-ray is today. As more people acquired players and burners, they created a need for additional media, the law of supply and demand kicked in and the price came down dramatically. We're expecting to see a similar trend in Blu-ray media. But the question is, to what extent? Certainly we'll see prices come down as use of the media becomes more prevalent. But, as our disc manufacturing vendors tell us, multi-layer discs are difficult (and expensive) to make. So, dual- or multiple-layer Blu-ray may never reach the affordability of DVD.

For right now, if you are planning on expanding your Blu-ray offerings, we suggest you use the same strategy you used when adopting DVD technology - buy what you need for now, expecting that prices may come down soon. And, before you purchase a new blu-ray drive, ask if a change to 4X, 6X or higher is expected soon.

The important thing to know is this: When you’re ready for Blu-ray, we are. You can count on Polyline to answer your questions and provide the best quality Blu-ray products at great low prices. We have Blu-ray disc printer/publishers, and the best Blu-ray media from major manufacturers. We’ve even got bulk, printable Blu-ray media so you can design and print your own discs, like you do with DVD-Rs or CD-Rs. And as always we are a great source for all other types of disc packaging, inkjet cartridges and more.

The Differences between Polystyrene, Polypropylene and Vinyl in CD Packaging

2008-06-15T13:38:00.001-05:00

Polyline prides itself in offering a wide variety of packaging options so that you can create a packaging solution to fit any concept or budget. We realize that the sheer volume of choices we offer may be a little intimidating to the uninitiated and for that reason we're offering this primer on the different types of plastics that are commonly used in CD and DVD packaging.

Plastic disc packaging is typically made of one of three different types of plastic: polystyrene, polypropylene or vinyl. Each of these materials has its own distinct set of advantages and disadvantages, so let's take a closer look at each one.

Polystyrene
Standard CD boxes and trays are typically made of polystyrene, an inexpensive and very rigid plastic that can be cast into molds with very intricate detail. Polystyrene can be crystal-clear or colored and opaque. In terms of clarity, there are few plastics which match polystyrene and none that are inexpensive enough for disc packaging. This clarity has made polystyrene a favorite among post production professionals, but also causes the case's frailty – particularly around the hinges, which will break if the case is dropped.

"Polystyrene doesn't contain any rubber," explained Polyline COO Michael Schlobohm. "Rubber is what makes plastics pliable, but it also makes plastics cloudy."

When choosing a polystyrene case, you should first consider the amount of plastic the case contains. Cases that contain more plastic hold up a little better during shipping, but tend to be more expensive. If you are packaging your discs on an automated line, you'll want a heavier case that contains more plastic because it has better tolerances. Another thing to consider is how your distributor packages the discs for shipping. Most of Polyline's polystyrene cases are available with a "double box" option. The additional box gives the shipment a little more stability and has been known to reduce breakage.

Because of Polyline's liberal breakage policy, many of our customers choose the most inexpensive options (lighter CD cases inside a single carton) and order additional quantities of their CD cases, anticipating breakage during shipping.

"For some of our customers, cost is the primary factor in their media packaging decisions," said Ray Kaiser, Polyline's marketing director. "For these customers, dealing with returning CD cases that may have broken during shipping is a minor inconvenience. That's why we offer two packing options."

There are some distributors who double box all their outgoing shipments, but the extra packaging costs are reflected in their costs per piece. With Polyline's method, explained Kaiser, customers can see the added costs related to double packaging and make an informed decision based on their own needs and priorities.

Polystyrene is recyclable but, in many areas, it's still hard to find a recycling facility that will accept polystyrene. (To see if there a recycling or re-use station near you that accepts polystyrene, check out http://earth911.org.)

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a rugged and somewhat stiff plastic. Most standard DVD cases are made of polypropylene and so are several of our alternative CD cases (such as the SLIMpak and CShell cases). The hinges of these products are considerably more durable than the hinges of polystyrene packages. Polypropylene is available in a variety of colors, both opaque and translucent, although nothing as clear as polystyrene. That is because polypropylene has rubber in it, which makes packaging made of this material pliable.

There are several polypropylene alternatives to the traditional polystyrene box. We think the most promising is the Poly jewel box (Item # MPPJBX-200), which has the same dimensions as the standard jewel box but is more resistant to breakage. We tested a variety of printed inserts and discs inside this box. Although the box is noticeably less clear than its polystyrene counterparts, we think it looks pretty darn good.

Another benefit of polypropylene packaging is that it is both recyclable and (many times) recycled. Check the product description of your favorite polypropylene packaging to determine if it has recycled content. Typically, if a polypropylene item is made of 100% virgin material, such as the Amaray brand DVD case, it is noted in the product description. This creates a case that is heavier and stronger than cases which contain recycled materials. It also creates a case that is more expensive to produce.

If it has a mixture of recycled and virgin materials, it may state so in the description, but we do not put in the percentage of recycled material a product contains. That's because the amount of virgin to recycled material tends to fluctuate. Another interesting fact about recycled polypropylene cases is that they have a distinctive scent – kind of like burnt rubber. The more recycled content a polypropylene DVD case contains, the more noticeable that scent becomes.

Vinyl

Vinyl (also called PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride) is one of the most commonly used plastics in the world. Vinyl can be made into a variety of translucent and solid colors.

In its native form, vinyl is a very rigid plastic. Softer, more pliable, versions of the material can be created, however, by adding a plasticizer such as rubber, which allows the vinyl's polymer chains to slide against each other. Some products, such as Polyline's vinyl sleeves and envelopes, are made exclusively of the softer types of vinyl. Others, such as our vinyl albums, contain both rigid and pliable vinyl.

The more pliable forms of vinyl are, however, prone to cracking when exposed to extreme changes in temperature. These fluctuations in temperature cause the vinyl to expand and contract, which could cause cracking. This problem can be avoided by allowing your vinyl product to slowly return to room temperature before using it. Leaving the vinyl products in their cases (in the location they will be used) for 24- to 48-hours prior to using them, provides vinyl packaging with enough time to become acclimated to room temperature.

Vinyl is a very strong plastic material and, unlike other plastics, vinyl is relatively easy to recycle. Because of these two factors, vinyl plastic items are considered more environmentally friendly than other materials.

Additional Resources:

Plastics 101 "Cheat Sheet" - a simple table summarizing the differences between polystyrene, polypropylene and vinyl disc packaging http://www.polylinecorp.com/special/plastic-101-help/
Polyline's Good, Better, Best Rating System http://www.polylinecorp.com/special/good-better-best/
How do you know you are getting a “real” Amaray brand DVD case?http://www.polylinecorp.com/special/03HB/
Getting the best quality from your vinyl album or binderhttp://www.polylinecorp.com/special/03HC/
Find a plastic recycling facility in your areahttp://earth911.org

7 Common Disc Publishing Problems and What You Can Do

2008-05-21T13:43:00.000-05:00

It always happens when you need your discs in a hurry. You’re working on your disc publishing equipment and you are faced with bad burns, bad prints, or the machine just keeps grabbing more than one disc at a time.

Everything worked perfectly the last time you used the machine, but now everything has gone haywire. You glance at the pile of brand new discs at your elbow and assume that must be the culprit.

What do you do?

Stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Many problems that occur during the printing or burning process can be taken care of quickly and easily. Whenever you have an issue, contact your equipment provider, first. Equipment issues are easier to identify than problems with media and your equipment provider can help you identify and solve most issues over the phone.
Let's take a look at some of common problems Polyline customers have reported.

Wrong or Missing Colors
The most likely culprit is the printer is low on ink or you are using an old inkjet cartridge.

Another possible cause is that the nozzles on your inkjet cartridge need cleaned. (Check the Web site of your printer manufacturer for directions on how to clean your cartridges.)

Even brand new cartridges may require cleaning. If the cartridge is older than 90 days, even if it is sealed in its original packaging, the nozzles can begin to dry out. Rather than keep a lot of cartridges on hand, we recommend keeping one or two on hand and finding a supplier that has your inkjet cartridges in stock and can deliver them to you quickly.

Banding – faint lines that appear across the disc surface
A defective, empty or clogged ink cartridge will cause banding. First, try cleaning the print nozzles. Then, try a new cartridge.

You may also have an issue with your print quality settings. The number of passes the ink cartridge makes increases as you increase print quality.

Image Pixelation
Check the resolution of your image. You can either open the image in your photo editing program or, if you are using Windows, right click on the image, select image properties. Click on the "summary" tab. You may need to click on the "advanced" button at the bottom of the properties window. Disc art needs to be saved at 300 dpi to ensure the best print.

Smears or Smudges
To avoid smudges, make sure the disc is completely dry before picking it up. Because summer is fast approaching, we should warn you that discs may take longer to dry on humid days. Keep in mind that some disc surfaces do dry faster than others. If you've changed disc brands it could affect your drying time.

Blurry Artwork
Blurry artwork can be caused by using a graphic that does not have a high enough resolution. Another cause could be that the designer took a low resolution graphic (like one downloaded from the internet) and attempted to increase the graphics DPI using a photo editing program.

A blurry appearance may also be caused by misaligned print heads. Check with your equipment manufacturer on how to identify and address this issue.

Feeding Problems
If your printer is grabbing two or more discs at a time, the printer may require maintenance. Some machines use springs in their loading systems and those springs can wear out and no longer perform optimally.

Also, not all media are the same. Some discs are thicker or heavier than others. They are not defective, but they may not be optimal for your equipment. For example, we've learned that heavier discs usually perform better in gravity-fed printers. Try to use the disc that is recommended by your equipment manufacturer.

Bad Burns
First, make sure you are using a high quality, professional grade disc. The discs you purchase at big box stores are consumer grade media and contain more "coasters" (bad discs) than a package of professional grade media would contain.

Also, keep in mind, that even professional grade media will hold the occasional coaster. If you are consistently getting error messages or bad results, call your equipment manufacturer. The manufacturer can help you determine if you need to download a new print driver, are having an issue with your USB or have a bad drive.

Prior to purchasing your disc publishing equipment, make sure to ask about the manufacturers policies for trouble shooting and replacing defective or worn-out parts. Most manufacturers provide a standard one-year warranty, with the option of purchasing an extended warranty.

Do You Know Where Your Cartridge has Been?

2008-03-21T13:46:00.000-05:00

With increasing pressure to reduce spending, more and more professionals are turning a critical eye toward their data storage costs.

"It seems like the data media is the cheapest part of the equation and, in a way, it is," said Bob Daly, co-owner of Polyline. "But you are storing valuable information on this media and losing this data can be catastrophic for a company."

You've probably seen the statistics before. According to 2001 Cost of Downtime Survey Results, it would take 19 hours and cost $1700 to retype 20 MB of sales data. Imagine if your data tape held something that can't be so easily replaced, such as an archive of audio masters or a backup of graphically-intensive publishing projects.

Many companies are looking toward recycled or recertified data tapes as a cost saving measure. Business owners need to carefully consider the risks involved before taking this option.

Care & Handling History

When an authorized dealer buys from direct from the manufacturer, we know the product has been taken care of, from manufacturer to distributor to end-user. New tapes are sealed in shrink wrap in a factory clean room and stay sealed until they are delivered to your business.

Companies that recertify tapes have the ability to reject tapes that were not shipped properly. They cannot, however, control how the tapes are stored prior to shipping. You don't know if the original owners continued to store the cartridges in the proper temperature and humidity, or if they just tossed the cartridges in a cardboard box until it was time to ship them to the recycler. History has shown that the most likely cause of a tapes' early life failure is handling damage.

Scratches, Debris & Cross Contamination

Data storage media can feature densities of more than 500 tracks on a half-inch wide tape. Tracks are not only smaller and closer together but also closer to the edges of the tape. Debris-caused errors that were recoverable in the 1980s and 1990s can cause catastrophic problems today.

Small scratches on data tape may be able to operate for a short time. Over time, however, the scratches can deepen, possibly even kicking up debris from the tape itself. That debris can get lodged in the heads of your drive and contaminate every other tape that goes into it.

Warranties & Protection

Companies that have business continuity insurance policies covering equipment and data-loss incidents need to know whether their policy will cover loss of data on a backup that was performed with recycled media. Policies that typically cover the costs of losing data because of physical disaster or hardware or media failure often carry exclusions that specify that no coverage will be provided for loss due to excessive media wear.

Business owners will also want to review the warranties of their backup equipment. Using recertified media may nullify their manufacturer's warranty.

Bait & Switch

While Polyline strongly discourages its customers from using recertified data media, a well-informed consumer has the right to weigh the risks and benefits of using recycled data tapes. A more insidious issue is the less-than-honest resellers who sell recertified tapes as new.

"We've seen recycled tape that was sold as new product and repackaged in such a way that it looked identical to new media," said Daly. "That's why we always emphasize the importance of getting to know your distributor. It's important that customers feel confident that the product they receive is the product believed they were paying for."

Protecting Yourself

There are several things consumers can do to protect themselves from substandard products:
Buy your data media and packaging from a manufacturer's authorized distributor, such as Polyline.
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.
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.
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 and ask questions.

Eight Tips for a Successful Digital Ministry

2008-02-21T13:49:00.000-06:00

By integrating digital media into its daily ministry, Heartland Community Church in Rockford, Illinois, has created a series of powerful teaching tools for church members, on-members, believers and seekers throughout the Rockford community. Heartland discovered that providing CDs and DVDs of the church's weekly teachings helped keep their congregation stay connected and provided a valuable teaching tool people can review at home or in their cars.

Here are eight tips for a successful digital ministry, learned from Heartland Community Church:

The popularity of a CD/DVD recording of a church service is directly related to how much it resonates with the audience. Typically, those services which people find most applicable to their daily lives are the ones they find most inspirational and transformational. Heartland's Coming up to Breathe, a new series on recovery, sold 300 CDs on its first weekend.
Preparation is the key:
- Print CD cover art in advance
- Place an ample supply of jewel cases or envelopes in your CD production area the night before services
- Give your volunteers plenty of elbow room so they can do their jobs quickly and with minimal bruising.
Use the same or similar graphic elements in your promotional materials, newsletter and on your CD. Repeating the same colors and artwork across all media related to a series will help your audience find what they are looking for.
Burn extra CDs and make them available from your bookstore or Web site. This will help people who missed your services stay connected with your teachings even when they cannot attend.
Utilize your volunteers. Creating an assembly line is an easy way to produce CDs quickly and efficiently.
Keep your recording area as close to the duplicating area as possible. You want both of these areas as close to the distribution area as possible. The time spent walking back and forth to collect master CDs or to move finished CDs to the bookstore is time that is better spent burning CDs.
Consider adding a special insert to your CD/DVD that contains study questions or activities relating to the content. This will give your audience another way to absorb the content and apply the lessons to their daily lives.
Remember that many of your staff and volunteers are at your church part time. Things happen while they are away from their posts. You need to purchase your media and packaging from a company that has a wide variety of items in stock and ready to ship.

To read more about Heartland Community Church and how it uses digital media as part of its daily ministry, download our free white paper, "Digital Ministry: It's More than Just Packaging." A trusted name in media packaging since 1972, Polyline is the largest U.S. distributor of in-stock media packaging for CDs, DVDs, VHS and audio to religious organizations as well as the production and post-production industry.

8 Questions to Ask before Buying a Disc Printer or Publisher

2008-01-15T10:28:00.001-06:00

1. What am I doing right now?
Take a serious look at your workflow. If you are currently producing discs in-house, think about what you like about your current system and what you don't like. This will provide you with a list of features that are important to your organization.

2. Who will be doing the actual work?
You'll need to know who will be running the disc printing/publishing equipment. Will this person be able to devote all of her attention to the publisher or will she be working on other tasks while she is publishing your discs? Also consider the value of disc publishing to your organization versus the value of the other tasks this person is contributing.

For most businesses, the person who is publishing the discs is doing a variety of important tasks, so it makes sense to automate as much of the process as possible to save labor costs.
Churches and nonprofit organizations, on the other hand, may have a group of volunteers available to concentrate solely on disc production for two or three hours at a time.

3. Are you looking for a machine that's going to take care of everything or just a printer and towers?
All-in-one disc publishers are great for the newbie. There are a lot of high-quality, inexpensive publishers available. These are typically easy to set up and you can start publishing discs immediately. The draw-back, however, is that they can slow and cumbersome. If your job requires you to do other tasks while creating your discs, this situation may not be ideal.

4. How many discs do you need to produce?
If creating 50 CDs or DVDs a week, a disc publisher is a piece of cake. Organizations that need to produce 500 or more a week, would need a Microboards' PF-3 with multiple towers, or a high-volume publisher like those made by Microtech. (Polyline does carry both Microboards and Microtech equipment, call 1-800-701-5865 for more information.)

One question we ask churches is "are you creating discs for a bookstore or are you creating recordings of sermons, which will be available 10 minutes after service?" When you are printing and burning discs, the burn process tends to be the bottleneck, especially with DVDs. If you need to produce several discs in a relatively short amount of time, having a high-output printer with one or more duplicating towers may be the way to go.

5. What type of information will be printed on your disc?
If you are printing text and standard graphics, you're in the world of inkjet printers. If you need to print photos on the surface of your disc, particularly photos of people, you'll receive a higher quality print from a thermal transfer printer.

Also look at what colors you'll be using on your disc. If your logo and disc design uses a large amount of one color (like a lot of blues), you'll want to look for a printer that has separate cartridges for each color, this will save you money over time.

6. What is the cost of ink cartridges/ribbons?
Ink cartridges or ribbons will be your heaviest cost. It's important that you have a clear understanding of how much your refills will cost and how many discs you can expect to print with your refill. If there are generic equivalents available, ask whether using the generic brand of inkjet cartridge or thermal ribbon will affect your warranty.

If there's room to negotiate on price, use your cartridge or ribbon purchase as a bargaining point. You may be able to reduce the cost of your equipment purchase by agreeing to purchase all your ink refills from the same source.

7. Who will receive the discs? How will you be distributing them?
If your disc is a marketing piece that will go out en masse, speed may be more important than print quality. If you are sending a disc that will go to investors or CFOs, the disc's durability and general appearance is more important. Corporate training videos burned to DVD would probably not require exceptional speeds or photo-realistic graphics.

Your means of distribution and packaging will also play a role in what equipment you select. Sending your discs through the mail in a paper envelope and cardboard mailer may require a disc image that is more resistant to scratches and water than you would require if using a poly jewel case.

8. Can you see a sample disc?
At the end of the day, the most important factor is what the end product will look like. Send your disc art to your sales rep and ask them to produce discs on each of the different machines you are considering. In general, the pricier machines produce a higher quality print. When you're holding the discs in your hand, however, you may decide the cost savings is worth the trade-off with quality.

Your CD-R & DVD-R Questions Answered

2007-11-15T09:55:00.002-06:00

Last month's feature article, "Not all DVD-Rs, CD-Rs Are Created Equal," proved to be our most popular article to date. We received lots of feedback from our readers and several questions, too. We selected four of these questions we thought were representative of your responses to share with everyone.

Q: So when my local electronics store, office supply store or big box retailer offers great prices on their CD-R packs, should I assume they are B or C quality discs?

A: Retail outlet stores typically sell “consumer” grade discs to users who only need to record music files or occasionally download files to a DVD; whereas distributors like Polyline supply “professional” grade media to duplicators, replicators, religious organizations and other organizations. Because the livelihood of these organizations depends on quality and because they are working with thousands and thousands of discs, they have a stronger need for CDs and DVDs that work consistently, meet specifications and can run in any number of machines.

Disc manufacturers provide the highest quality grade product to the biggest and most critical customers. If they don’t, they don’t get the business. If you were a manufacturer, who would you rather lose as a customer: the consumer who buys a pack of 25 discs every six months or the company that buys thousands of discs each month? The retail and professional markets have different needs and quality criteria, and disc manufacturers select the grade of product accordingly.

As we said last month, with digital media, you either have it or you don't. You can buy discs from your retail store down the street but, if you are selling CDs and DVDs as part of your goods and services, you need professional grade media. Consumer users who are, for example, saving family photos on discs may also want to purchase professional grade CD-Rs/DVD-Rs for the same reason the professionals do.

Q: What is truly being done to ensure the compatibility of name brand media?

A: We think the biggest step is being taken by the major patent holders for CD-R and DVD-R technology who are cracking down on patent and licensing violators. When a patent holder extends licensing rights to a manufacturer, that manufacturer is agreeing to comply with the standard specifications of that product. Theoretically, if every media manufacturer and equipment manufacturer creates products exactly to spec, every disc will work in every machine.

The standard specifications, however, also allow for variances. These variances are supposed to allow manufacturers to make innovations and possibly even improvements to existing technology. In the case of CD-Rs and DVD-Rs, manufacturers differentiate themselves with the quality and quantity of dyes that are used in their discs.

That is why Polyline only carries major brand name CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. These large companies have a tremendous amount invested in their brand name and would not risk their reputations by cutting corners or producing inferior product.

Q: I find your original article ambiguous. Name names!
A: Polyline is approached by a large number of suppliers who want us to carry their products. We've decided a long time ago that Polyline will only carry name brands that we know consistently provide good quality CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. So, you could say we're a little bias. There are several sites, however, that pull no punches about making quality assessments on a number of brands:

digitalFAQ.com – several pages have not been updated for a year or more, but we like the organization of the site and its stated policy of avoiding excessive jargon.

videohelp.com – in the DVD Media Lists, users report reviews of media they have used – including the complete media code, the date the DVD-Rs was purchased, equipment used to burn the disc, burn speeds and what equipment they tried to play the disc on.

Q: Why can't I find discs that work with my recorder/burner anymore?

A: We hear this question more from people using DVD-R media than those using CD-R media. This is probably because CD-R recording speeds have pretty much been maxed out. So, unless you bought your CD-R recorder in the late 1990s, you should be able to find media that still works with your equipment. DVD-Rs, however, are continuing to double in speed regularly, which is causing some problems for people with older recording equipment.

We know that the newer 16X drives are able to record on 16X, 8X and 4X media. The reverse, however, is not always true. If you have an 8X or slower DVD-R recorder/duplicator, it's best to avoid the 16X discs. We also know that if you are using a 16X drive and an 8X disc, your recording speed should be set at 8X.

Those of you with 4X drives will remember that your equipment manufacturer provided firmware that allowed you to update your equipment to burn at 8X speeds. You'll also remember that 16X firm wear was not made available. One equipment manufacturer we talked to said that, while the new 16X speeds would be coming down the pike, they thought it would take longer to develop the media than it did. In short, many manufacturers assumed the drives would fail (through natural life expectancy) before the 16X discs were readily available and, therefore, did not make the earlier machines capable of another speed upgrade.

Thanks again for all your questions and comments about last month's article. We look forward to running more Q&A articles like this in the future.

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

2007-10-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

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:

Buy your CD-Rs, DVD-Rs and packaging from a manufacturer's authorized distributor, such as Polyline.
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.
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.
Be careful of off brands. Stick with major manufacturers that will stand by their CD-R and DVD-R products.
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.

Recycling Options Available for Outdated Discs

2007-09-15T10:04:00.000-05:00

According to the U.S. EPA, more than 5.5 million boxes of software end up in landfills and incinerators each year. That's not counting unwanted music CDs that also find their way into the landfills.

For a long time, the available options for disposing of discs were limited. Sure, there are a variety of craft projects you can create with wasted CDs but, seriously, how many coasters does anyone need? (For a list of CD-related family crafts, check out About.Com.)

Luckily for distributors and consumers alike, the proliferation of optical media has lead to more environmentally friendly options for disc disposal:

There are a growing number of companies that collect outdated or unsold CDs or DVDs to recycle the components. The amount of reclaimable material in a disc is relatively small. For this reason, companies that recycle them do not pay for your old discs. In fact, the consumer pays shipping to these facilities. The best option is to try to find a disc recycling company in your area to keep costs down. Some such businesses include:

CD Recycling Center of America, Salem, NH
GreenDisk, Sammamish, WA

Many waste management companies, recycling plants and electronics stores will hold special electronic recycling days when they will accept optical discs as well as old computers and computer accessories. For a list of local resources, check out the National Recycling Coalition Web site.
Don't forget to find ways to reuse those old discs. Our favorite idea is the CD clock from a company called Acorn Studios. It reuses old discs and it's pretty cool looking. Those in the disc printing/duplicating business may also consider creating CD clocks for their customers as a holiday gift.

Of course, the best way to reduce disc waste is to reduce wasted discs. One way to do this is to purchase quality discs from a quality distributor. Remember, if the disc doesn't work, it really wasn't less expensive.

Five Solid Design Strategies for CD and DVD Graphics

2007-05-15T10:07:00.001-05:00

CD and DVD graphics provide two distinct challenges for designers: the graphics area is round and it has a big hole in the center. By following these five solid design strategies, however, you can create a beautiful disc.

1. Start with the insert.
CD cases are square and, therefore, are easier to design. Since you want your CD graphics and the case graphics to compliment each other, start with the easiest element first: the insert. Then pick a few elements from your insert design to use on your CD.

2. Go hubless.
If you haven't seen our hub printable CDs and DVDs, they are worth a look. Most of the brands we carry have a hub-printable disc. They enable you to print right up to the hole. (If you don't have a disc printer, we have labels that work with the hub printable discs, too.) It provides more room for your graphics and makes design a snap:

3. The "eyes" have it.
When using pictures of people on your disc, pay attention to which direction the model is looking. If the subject of your photo appears to be looking at your hub, it makes the hub the focus of your disc graphics:

4. Find your center.
When using paper labels, take extra care to ensure your label is centered on your disc. Off center labels changes the balance of your CD or DVD, making it wiggle inside the player and causing potential problems with reading the disc. Of course, one way to avoid this issue is to print directly to the disc.

5. Remember your purpose.
Finally, keep in mind how your customer will be using your disc. A medical imaging clinic providing MRI results on CD will want to ensure the label contains all pertinent contact information in case the patient or primary care physician has questions. A church providing complimentary DVDs of services would want to include the date and time of services, as well as the church's address.

Getting the best quality from your vinyl album or binder

2007-04-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

Always remember you need to allow your packaging materials acclimate to room temperature. So, when you restock, give your product time to rest before you put it to work. If you are having trouble maintaining a steady stream of stock, try calling your Polyline sales rep for help. They can find order patterns you may have missed or they may be able to find a good solution to keep your supplies at a steady level.
Protect your vinyl packaging from sunlight and other sources of UV light. Vinyl is sensitive to UV rays, so prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause white vinyl to turn beige over time. (We like to think it gives them character.) You can prevent vinyl from tanning, by protecting your product from sunlight and other sources of UV light. If you are using vinyl binders or albums for archival purposes, you may want to opt for a darker color.
Look for vinyl cases with a thick vinyl overlay, as opposed to a thin poly one. This way, if your vinyl packing is exposed to changes in temperature, the overlay is expanding and contracting at the same (or similar) rate as the rest of the package, preventing wrinkles.
Look for vinyl packages that allow you to use a single-sheet insert, instead of three separate sheets. This will save you time and money. Ask for a sample of the product before you make your purchase. Some manufacturers place a strip of paper in the binding to keep the overlay from becoming adhered to the rest of the binder. Other manufacturers use different techniques. (Some of these techniques work; others don’t.) The easiest way to check if you’ll be able to use a single-sheet insert is to turn your vinyl binder (or album) over and open it all the way. If the overlay along the spine pops up, it will allow a single-sheet insert.

Help prevent cracks in your vinyl packaging products

2007-04-15T10:14:00.001-05:00

There are few media packaging options that offer the luxurious look and feel of Polyline’s vinyl albums or binders. The rigid vinyl interiors ensure the media product is well protected, while the pliable vinyl exterior provides a satisfying sensory experience that makes the packaging a downright pleasure to hold. They are also shaped to resemble a hard-cover book, making them the ideal packaging solution for study materials, seminar materials and books on tape.

It is the pliable nature of the product’s exterior, however, that has caused isolated instances of cracking – particularly during hot summer months or cold winter months.

“We’ve found that cold weather affects it more,” said Michael Schlobohm, COO of Polyline. “PVC – the base material for all vinyl compounds – is brittle by nature. Extreme changes in temperature will cause the softer vinyl to expand and contract, which could create cracks along the spine.”

This exposure to temperature change happens during shipping, when the cases of vinyl albums and binders are placed into trucks and cargo-holds that are not climate controlled. To maintain the quality of your vinyl binders and albums, just allow the product to slowly return to room temperature before using it. Schlobohm both recommend leaving the vinyl products in their cases (in the location they will be used) for 24- to 48-hours prior to using them. That should provide them enough time to become acclimated to room temperature.

“You also have to consider these temperature issues could affect you even if the weather in your location is moderate,” said Nilda Reillo, team leader and trainer in Polyline’s customer service department. “We ship from California and Illinois. So, while it could be 70 degrees in Florida, it could still be only 20 degrees here in Illinois.”

Another lesser seen problem with vinyl albums and binders has also been associated with temperature change: wrinkling. Wrinkling is most common when the overlay is made of poly or is very thin. When the vinyl packaging materials are exposed to extreme temperatures the vinyl and the thinner overlay are expanding and contracting at different rates, explained Schlobohm. It is this different expansion rate that is causes the wrinkles.

“The vinyl album we’re using now has a thicker overlay,” said Reillo. “Thicker is better: no wrinkles.”

Again, allowing the materials to rest at least 24 hours in the packing area prior to using the vinyl products is the best way to ensure quality. It requires a little extra planning, because customers need to plan for this rest period when they are restocking. The polished finished look of the packaging is well worth the wait however.

“Whenever we have a customer who is really trying to impress a client, we recommend vinyl,” said Reillo.

How do you know you are getting a "real" Amaray brand DVD case?

2007-03-15T10:21:00.000-05:00

Polyline is very particular about how and when it uses a product’s brand name. So, when Polyline uses the term "Amaray," we always mean an Amaray brand case as opposed to an Amaray-style case. But how can you be sure you are getting a true Amaray brand case?

1. Check the product description or ask your sales rep if the DVD case can be used on an automated line.
Because Amaray DVD cases are made from 100% virgin material, the cases are strong enough and consistent enough in size that they can be used on any automated line.

2. Check the shipping weight.
Because recycled plastics weigh less, Amaray DVD cases are heavier – around 67 grams per piece.

3. Look for the logo.
Ask for a sample of the DVD case you plan to order. Amaray cases have a unique, pattended push-button hub. And near this hub, you’ll find a stylized A logo embossed into the case. (The "A" doesn’t stand for Amaray. It’s the logo for "AGI" as in "AGI Amaray" and "AGI Media," the current patent holders for the hub design.) If you search further, you’ll also find the word "Amaray" embossed inside the case. This is usually located on the case’s binding.

4. Smell the difference.
If you are daring, you can also try sniffing the DVD case. Recycled plastics have a distinctive scent – kind of like burnt rubber. The more recycled content a DVD case has the more noticeable that scent becomes.

When is an Amaray case not an Amaray case?

2007-03-15T10:19:00.000-05:00

Amaray has long been considered the market leader in media packaging – particularly for DVD cases. And, for a long time, the company had been a victim of its own success with the term “Amaray case” becoming synonymous with “DVD case” regardless of what brand. Polyline, however, is starting to see a reversal of this trend. Fewer people are using the terms interchangeably; most customers prefer to use the term “DVD cases” when placing an order.

Out of the hundred or so calls an inside sales person will field in a given day, only one or two of those callers will ask for an Amaray case. But, out of those callers who are asking for Amaray by name, most of those are still using the term generically. Some of our competitors are doing this as well, which has led to some confusion when our customers are trying to compare prices.

“When a customer asks for an Amaray case, the first thing we want to know is how much the customer is looking to spend,” Mary Crevoiserat, inside sales manager for Polyline, said. “That will tell us whether they are looking for a real Amaray brand DVD case, because people who are seeking an Amaray brand case usually know the value of the case.”

“Our only problem right now is the Internet,” she continued. There are sites advertising Amaray cases for 10 or 15-cents per piece, which just isn’t possible when you’re talking about Amaray as a brand.

True Amaray brand DVD cases are made with 100% virgin material. This creates a case that is heavier and stronger than cases which contain recycled materials. It also creates a case that is more expensive to produce.

“Amaray has long been known for the quality and durability of its products,” said Crevoiserat. “They are known for making excellent products that last and are usually a little more expensive.”

You’d think that once a brand name becomes synonymous with a category of items that its use would only become more pervasive, but Amaray has been a long-time player in the media packaging industry and the use of its name has changed over the years. Polyline has been carrying a variety of Amaray media packaging since the 1970s, said Chief Operating Officer Mike Schlobohm. For a long time, when someone asked for an Amaray case, they were talking about the Amaray audio cassette box, he said.

As one of the first manufacturers of DVD cases, Amaray worked hand-in-hand with DVD producers to create packaging that made sense for this burgeoning industry. In this case, it meant creating a packaging solution that was similar in size to VHS packaging. Why? Because that meant that video stores could use the same point of sale displays to feature DVDs or VHS tapes. And, for the home consumer, it meant that DVDs could be stored on the same shelves as their VHS tapes.

So, when the DVD industry was new, Amaray took the lead and created a case that became a standard in the media packaging industry. As a result, the phrase Amaray case became interchangeable with DVD case. It was Amaray’s reputation for quality, however, that made the name last as long as it had.

“I’d have to say there will always be some people who will use the name Amaray generically for a DVD case,” said Schlobohm, “but I think the trend is fading.”