Ask Dean

I’m considering buying a Spare Drive for my G-Safe. What is the best way to use it?

2011-09-07T13:58:00.003-05:00

A: Good question. A spare drive is useful to have in case of an emergency. (Even the best drives go bad.) It’s also a good way to create an off-site backup. More on that later. Right now, let’s assume the G-Safe alarm has sounded, alerting you that one of your drives has failed.

Step 1: Mute that pesky alarm.
The mute button is located on the front of G-Safe unit, right below the status LED.

Step 2: Identify the injured drive.
Your LCD panel will tell you which drive failed.

Also, a blue LED will light up on the failed drive. Be careful not to remove the wrong drive; the results could be catastrophic.

Step 3: Remove the failed drive.
Use the special “key” you received with your G-Safe to unlock the drive and gently remove the module.

Step 4: Insert the new drive.
The G-Safe will now ask you (via the LCD screen) whether you want to rebuild the new drive. Press the “ENT” button to begin the process. (It’s just left of the mute button.) Or to cancel, press the “ESC” button (that one is to the left of the status LED).

Step 5: Wait.
The G-Safe is now rebuilding the new drive. This will take a very, very long time: anywhere from 8 to 12 hours (or longer) for a 2TB unit. You’ll know the rebuild is complete when you see this message:

Because the G-Safe can rebuild your data when a drive is replaced, you can add a layer of protection by storing a copy of your drive offsite. By rotating the drives regularly, you’ll always have a copy of your data.

To create your offsite copy:

Step 1: Unmount your G-Safe from your computer and turn it off.
For Mac, you just drag the G-Safe icon to the trash located in the dock, and you’re ready to power down. For PC, you’ll need to right click on the “eject” icon (bottom of your monitor, near the clock). You’ll get a popup message that reads “Safely Remove Hardware,” click on the box. You’ll get another popup window that shows your hardware devices. Make sure the G-Safe drive is highlighted and click on the “stop” button. Now, you can turn off the power.

Step 2: Remove the one of the drives and turn the unit back on.
An alarm will sound and the G-Safe’s LCD display will tell you that one drive is OK and the other drive is missing.

Press the mute button.

Step 3: With the G-Safe still on, insert the new drive into the unit.
The LCD screen will ask you if you want to rebuild the drive you just inserted. Press the “ENT” button and wait for the drive to rebuild the data onto the new drive. Once this is finished you can safely transport the drive you removed to an offsite location.

Remember, although the G-Safe is an extremely reliable RAID-1 solution, providing mirrored, redundant working storage of your data, like any hard drive, given the right circumstances, it can fail and data could be lost. This is why needs to be backed up to a stable archival media such as LTO or Blu-ray. Your Polyline sales rep can explain more about the archival media options available to you.

Want a FREE spare G-Safe drive? Through Sept. 30, 2011, when you purchase a 2TB or 3TB G-Safe, you can receive a free spare drive. Keep it in case of an emergency or use it to rotate your drives through offsite storage. There's no forms to fill out or mail in. Just purchase your new 2TB or 3TB G-Safe and you'll be sent the spare module with your order.

Why does the Four-Layer disc only have 128GB capacity? Why didn’t the capacity double again?

2011-07-21T08:00:00.003-05:00

The capacity per layer is different in the Single Layer/Dual Layer, Triple Layer and Quadruple Layer formats:

	Single Layer	Dual Layer	Triple Layer	Quadruple Layer
Total Capacity	25GB	50GB	100GB	128GB
Capacity per Layer	25GB		33.4GB	32GB
Minimum Mark Width	.149 µm		.112 µm	.117 µm

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Polyline has triple-layer, 100GB, recordable BDXL discs in stock and ready to
ship. Want to learn more? Visit http://www.PolylineCorp.com/Line1/.

Can my current recorder/player read/write the BDXL format?

2011-07-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

Legacy Blu-ray devices cannot read the new BDXL format. The BDA created a new BDXL logo to distinguish the new BDXL media and devices from the legacy machines. If your device does not have the new BDXL logo, than it is a legacy machine.

It is not mandatory, but a new device supporting BDXL discs can be easily designed to support the 15GB/50GB discs. So the new specs say that it’s possible that new BDXL machines can read/write to older discs, but it’s not required.

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Polyline has triple-layer, 100GB, recordable BDXL discs in stock and ready to
ship. Want to learn more? Visit http://www.PolylineCorp.com/Line1/.

What is BDXL?

2011-07-14T08:00:00.003-05:00

BDXL is a multi-layer recordable Blu-ray disc format with up to 128GB capacity. In April 2010, the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) created specifications for triple-layer, 100GB Recordable and Rewritable discs and a quadruple-layer, 128GB for Recordable disc. Both the triple-layer and quadruple-layer formats can be called BDXL.

The high capacity format is being targeted at commercial segments such as broadcasting, medical and document imaging enterprises with significant archiving needs. The BDXL format was created as a long-term and stable solution for archiving large amounts of sensitive data, video and graphic images.
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Polyline has triple-layer, 100GB, recordable BDXL discs in stock and ready to
ship. Want to learn more? Visit http://www.PolylineCorp.com/Line1/.

How do thermal disc printers work?

2011-06-07T08:30:00.010-05:00

A: There are a couple of different ways that thermal disc printers work, both of which involve the use of a fixed print head and a polyester ribbon coated with ink:

As a disc and the print ribbon are forced under the print head, tiny pixels are heated and cooled to melt the ink off of the polyester film.
Thermal retransfer printers use the same basic steps but, instead of printing directly to the disc, the image is printed on the underside of a retransfer ribbon. The retransfer ribbon is then fused with the disc. This method will help cover any irregularities that may be on the disc surface and provides additional UV protection to your disc art.

Polyline has just added Rimage thermal printers and publishers to our disc publishing product line. We're still working on the marketing materials, but feel free to call us at 1-877-807-8095 to ask about the Rimage line.

Is It Possible for a Disc to Fall of Its Hub During Shipping?

2011-06-02T08:30:00.002-05:00

Q: I just bought a new DVD in its original packaging and, when I opened the box, the disc was loose. It’s an older movie. Is it possible it wasn’t really “new” as advertised? Or is it possible for the discs to fall off their hubs during shipping?

A: It’s absolutely possible for discs to pop off their hubs and move around during shipping. In our business, we call these “floaters.”

The problem could be caused by a push button hub. Push button hubs are the darlings of end users (who don't want to worry about cracking their discs while removing them from the original case). With thin DVD cases or cases made of inexpensive (recycled) plastic, however, the button can get pushed from the weight of other DVD cases in the carton. Also, poorly designed hubs that don't fit the disc snuggly can cause the disc to come loose when the DVD package is jostled, as it would be during shipping.

For a great DVD case (with push button hubs) that resists floaters, check out our DV141 Series of DVD Cases.

What is a WaterShield DVD?

2011-05-31T08:30:00.002-05:00

A: The JVC/Taiyo Yuden WaterShield CD-Rs and DVD-Rs are discs that repel water so that your inkjet printed disc art can resist smudges and smears. The added bonus was the protective surface also created a super-glossy look. In essence, they leveled the playing field by creating an inkjet printable disc that was an affordable and viable competitor of thermal printed discs.

Since the introduction of Watershield, other disc makers have created water resistant inkjet printable discs. In addition, JVC/Taiyo Yuden and other manufacturers have created new finishes that are either glossy or water-repellent in an effort to create more (and more affordable) options for today’s professional disc duplicator.

Here are some of the new WaterShield alternatives that are available:

JVC/Taiyo Yuden “PrintPlus!” What can I say about PrintPlus! media? It’s water resistant. It’s JVC/Taiyo Yuden. And it’s got a matte finish.

PrintPlus! DVD-Rs, starting at $.426/ea. Order here.
PrintPlus! CD-Rs, starting at $.433/ea. Order here.

Falcon “Smart Guard.” These feature a water-resistant, inkjet glossy surface. The Smart Guard layer offers a superb bright photographic finish, excellent ink absorption. It is also resistant to smudges and bleeding due to moisture and humidity.

Smart Guard DVD-Rs, starting at $.701/ea. Order here.
Smart Guard CD-Rs, starting at $.595/ea. Order here.

Falcon Glossy Inkjet. If you like the super glossy look of Smart Guard but want something that’s more affordable (and the whole, water-resistant thing is unimportant to you), Falcon’s Glossy Inkjet discs are a good alternative. Glossy Inkjet printable offers a high gloss finish with superior color contrasts reproducing true-to-life glossy photo quality printing at an affordable price.

Glossy Inkjet DVD-Rs, starting at $.264/ea. Order here.

MBI AquaShield. Water-resistant and glossy, plus the benefits of MBI’s Professional Select Discs (like a hub center that doesn’t show tonal variations when you use edge-to-edge printing).

AquaShield DVD-Rs, starting at $.546/ea. Order here.
AquaShield CD-Rs, starting at $.503ea. Order here.

How Do I Store my DVD Collection?

2011-05-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

Q: How can I store my DVD collection? I assume the original case is probably the best option but I have hundreds of movies and they are taking over my home.

A: When storing your DVD collection, you want to:

Protect the discs from scratches. Polycarbonate, the material used to make optical discs, is very strong. If it gets too many scratches or nicks on its surface, however, the DVD player’s laser won’t be able to focus on the data beneath the polycarbonate, rendering it unreadable.
Protect your DVDs from warping and bending. Store your discs vertically (like a book). Prolonged horizontal storage can warp the disc, which means it wouldn’t spin properly in the drive.

I’ve mentioned this packaging before but, for archiving discs, I really like Univenture’s Unikeep disc wallets. The binders close tightly, which helps prevent the disc sleeves from sagging, drooping or otherwise not standing up vertically. The binders are also very “square” so they fit nicely on a bookshelf. (If you’ve ever tried to store a large number of traditional three-ring binders on a shelf, you’ll understand why this is a benefit.)

You can get these binders preloaded with Safety Sleeves. Safety Sleeves are made of polypropylene, which degrades slowly and is chemically non-aggressive. So, basically, the sleeve won’t get gooey and stick to your disc. Safety Sleeves also have a nonwoven fabric liner that not only protects your disc from dust but actually wipes/cleans the data side of your disc every time you slide it in and out of the sleeve.

Just to let you know, the white, 30-disc Univenture Unikeep wallet is one of the items Polyline has on clearance right now. For a limited time, you can get a full carton (containing ten wallets) for $26. That’s enough wallets to hold 300 movies. (We only have 13 cartons left, so act fast.)

What are measurements for CD sleeves?

2011-05-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

Measurements vary depending on manufacturer and design. But, we’ve found that most standard, paper disc sleeves measure 5 inches wide by 4-7/8 inches tall. (The flap on most paper envelopes is 1.5-inches.)

What kind of paper should I use for my DVD insert?

2011-05-03T05:15:00.003-05:00

1. Select the best paper for your printer. If your using an inkjet printer, select inkjet paper.

2. Glossy papers take longer to dry, but the finished look is polished and professional.

3. Thicker, heavier paper helps prevent inks from bleeding through the paper and also help create a professional look. Don’t just look at the stated “pounds” either, consider whether it’s text paper, cover paper, bond paper, etc. (If talking about 100lb text paper, that means that 500 sheets of 25 x 38” paper weighs 100 poundss. With cover paper, it would be 500 sheets of 20 x 26” paper. The cover paper weighs the same amount for smaller size sheets, so it would be heavier. Get it?)

4. If you don’t have a paper cutter, I recommend selecting an inert paper with scored edges. Polyline carries a great line of DVD inserts with scored edges, including inserts made of glossy paper.

5. Select the brightest white paper you can find. A smooth paper with a whiter surface reflects light more evenly and creates cleaner-looking colors.

6. If you want to make an insert with a bleed (where colors/printing goes all the way to the edges of the insert), look for an insert where the description says something like “centered, full bleed.” These are created so that you’ll print past the edges of the insert and then remove the extra edges.

7. Don’t forget to include a booklet inside your DVD case. You can use it as a mini-catalog for your other products/services, or provide additional information that would be useful to your customers.

What is the difference between the types (generations) of LTO?

2011-04-28T05:15:00.003-05:00

Generation	Capacity		Data Transfer Speed	Additional Features
Generation	Native	Compressed	Data Transfer Speed	Additional Features
LTO-1	100GB	200GB	40 MB/sec
LTO-2	200GB	400GB	80 MB/sec
LTO-3	400GB	800GB	160 MB/sec	Write Once Read Many (WORM) cassettes available.
LTO-4	800GB	1.6TB	240 MB/sec	Write Once Read Many (WORM) cassettes available.
LTO-5	1.5TB	3TB	280 MB/sec	1. Write Once Read Many cassettes available. 2. All tapes include partitioning feature that allows one partition to hold the index, which tells the drive exactly where a file is located. The second partition holds the content.

The future generations of
LTO will offer what you probably expected, a higher amount of capacity and
faster data transfer speed. Here’s what you can look forward to in the years
to come:

Generation
6: 8 TB capacity and data transfer speed up to 525 MB/s
Generation
7: 16 TB and data transfer speed up to 788 MB/s
Generation 8: 32 TB and data transfer speed up to
1,1180 MB/s

What is the best shatter-proof CD case that can hold literature?

2011-04-26T05:15:00.026-05:00

Shatter proof CD cases are made of polypropylene, a sturdy little plastic we have a lot of love for, here at Polyline. (Read about the properties of polypropylene on the polyNEWSline blog.) To get one that holds literature, you’re going to want to pick one that has the same (or similar) dimensions to a traditional CD case.

I can recommend any of the following:

The Poly Jewel Box: You’ll need to purchase a one disc tray, which is sold separately. The lid can hold an insert card or booklet up to 1/16” thick. It looks cloudy when it’s empty, but I’ve seen this box loaded with graphics and it still looks pretty good.

Slim, Clear, Polypropylene Jewel Cases: The disc snaps into the bottom. It can hold a 4 3/4 X 4 ¾” insert card, liner notes. This is quickly becoming one of our most popular cases.

Polybox Jewel Case: The disc snaps onto the bottom. The lid (front) accommodates an insert card or booklet up to 4-3/4 x 5-3/16 x 1/16". This is one of our older style cases and remains pretty popular. We also offer this style with a clear overlay. So you can create some beautiful cover art.

What is LTO tape?

2011-04-21T05:15:00.001-05:00

It’s magnetic tape used for data storage. LTO stands for Linear Tape Open. It was originally developed in the late 1990s by HP, IBM and Quantum. LTO is widely used with small and large computer systems, usually for backup, but also for archiving.
Magnetic tape has been used for data storage for more than 50 years and LTO provides excellent performance and capacity in both stand-alone and automated environments. LTO has a large amount of lifespan and if you are normally writing only 50% of the tape’s capacity this will double the tape’s lifespan.

Every LTO cartridge has a cartridge memory chip inside it. It is made up of blocks of memory, and this memory can be read and/or written, and is used to identify tapes, to help drives discriminate between different generations of the technology, and to store tape-use information.

What can I print with a LightScribe disc burner?

2011-04-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

In theory, you should be able to print any design to a LightScribe CD or DVD. I’ve seen some awesome examples online and a quick Google image search will give you plenty of inspiration.

Now, I say “in theory” because the two primary weaknesses of LightScribe burners are (1) they are incredibly slow and (2) they are monochromatic. Still, I like them for home use or anyone who produces discs infrequently. Plus, because many new laptops and desktops come with LightScribe enabled burners built-in, the startup costs are really, really low.

There are a few things that can help you create more effective LightScribe designs:

LightScribe burners etch the disc in concentric circles starting at the center of the disc. So, by creating a design with heavier graphics on the interior and light or no graphics toward the outer edge will allow you to etch your disc more quickly. (Using LightScribe’s “content mode” burns a decorative border around the hub.)
Crank up the contrast. LightScribe creates gray scale images. The deeper the colors appear in your original image, the darker they will burn on the disc.
Make use of the preview function. It can take a long time to print your disc. Imagine etching your entire disc on “best” mode only to discover you misspelled something on the cover.
Try making a negative of your image. This can create a unique and dramatic look for your disc.
For really deep tonal values, you can burn your image twice! LightScribe software can automatically align the disc to make sure the images line up correctly.

Check out our great prices on LightScribe CD-Rs and LightScribe DVD-Rs. And, if you have plans for that inkjet or thermal disc printer in your future, sign up for our Earn Money to Burn customer reward program earn 2% of all your disc purchases back in the form of EM2B dollars, which can be used toward the purchase of new disc printing equipment or extended warranties.

What are P2 cards?

2011-03-15T05:30:00.001-05:00

P2 Cards are digital video storage for all you video professionals out there. They are a flash memory card and their data transfer rate increases as memory capacity increases.

The P2 card records the same way that digital still cameras record onto memory cards – they store the footage as pre-digitized computer files. Instead of recording the video as video data, the P2 cards record the footage as computer data files. These files are instantly editable and can be transferred to other computer storage devices directly. P2 Cards are recorded in sequence, and when a card is full, it can be swapped out while another card is recording. This limits recording time only by power supply and the available amount of cards.

P2 Cards are still seen in the production world as a maturing format, since storage media is so costly, and little has been done to address archiving tape-less productions. That means, you have to come up with your own way to archive your raw footage. Most of our customers are archiving on tape, like LTO. (Kind of ironic, huh?)

There are various P2 cards out there on the market. So, what is the difference between them all? Well, it’s all about capacity. P2 cards are available in capacities of 4, 8, 16, 32GB and 64GB.

The most popular ones can be broken down as follows:

16GB Card delivers long record times, no-moving-parts reliability and the benefits of an IT file-based workflow.
32GB provides recording capacity greater than most tape-based and disc-based systems.
64 GB memory cards have improved 800 Mbps transfer rates and provide even greater recording capacity with faster transfer and offload performance.

How much does a standard jewel case weigh?

2011-03-10T10:16:00.001-06:00

Pictured are a standard sized jewel case and a slimline jewel case.

It depends on the plastic content of the case. Cases with higher plastic content are heavier, but are considered higher-quality cases.

From our own product line, our highest quality one-disc, standard size, assembled jewel case weighs approximately between 2.24 and 2.88 ounces. The variation depends a lot on what color tray you're using (black trays weigh more than clear).

Our slimmest slimline CD jewel case weighs between 1.4 and 1.52 ounces each.

Of course, these are both standard, polystyrene jewel cases. Jewel cases made with polypropylene weigh less.

Quick Announcement: Polyline's Huge Overstock Sale

2011-03-08T05:30:00.009-06:00

I just wanted to remind my readers that Polyline's Huge Overstock Sale is still going on. Most of the items on sale are real "overstock" (that is, they are items we just have too much of in stock) but there are a couple of discontinued items on there, as well.

What makes this sale unusual for Polyline is we've eliminated column pricing for the overstock items. So, everyone is getting our best price, no matter what quantity they buy.

Some items have already sold out. And, I've heard, there are plans to add new items soon. Visit http://www.polylinecorp.com/special/overstock/ to see what deals you could be getting.

What is the difference between Blu-ray rewritable discs and Blu-ray recordable?

2011-03-03T05:00:00.003-06:00

The recordable disc is called a BD-R. BD-Rs are sector-based, so you can keep writing to it until it's full. (CDs and DVDs can only be written to once, even if you don't use all the available space.)
That's why Blu-ray is such a good archiving tool: you can keep adding to it, but you can't overwrite on the part that was already burned.

The rewritable Blu-ray disc is called a BD-RE, and offers the same large capacity in a disc format that allows for repetitive usage. It can be burned and erased many times.

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I'm a wedding videographer. What wedding DVD case options are available?

2011-03-01T05:30:00.001-06:00

The most flexible and customizable solution is to purchase standard, white DVD cases and create a custom, photo insert for your brides. (I recommend using an insert with heavy stock and a glossy look and running it through your inkjet/photo printer.) Using this technique, each case can be personalized with an image from the wedding.

Another option is a soft, padded vinyl case with a foil stamp design. At Polyline, you can choose between a case that says "Our Wedding Memories" or "Special Memories." These cases also have an inner flap that's perfect for holding a printed photo album.

If you're the crafty type and are willing to put in the work, you can use die cuts to dress up plain, cardboard or paper envelopes to create a custom disc sleeve. 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 in the Scrapbooking section on about.com.)

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What is RAID?

2011-02-24T05:30:00.002-06:00

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. A 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 the most commonly used RAID levels:

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.
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.
RAID 0+1: RAID 0+1 Arrays require disks in multiples of four and is composied of a mirror of striped sets. It provides good speeds because of the RAID 0 striping, but cuts the available capacity of a device in half.
RAID 5: Combines RAID 0 striping with data redundancy in an array with three or more disks. RAID 5 combines data safety with efficient use of isk space. Disk failure does not result in a service interruption because the data is read from "parity blocks." RAID 5 is useful for storage and for people who need performance and constant access to their data.
RAID 10: Sometimes called RAID 1+0, it’s similar to a RAID 0+1 but reversed since RAID 10 is a stripe of mirrors. The data is striped, with each stripe appearing on two disks. One disk from each mirror pair can fail without losing your data. However, the remaining disk in the array becomes a weak point and (if it also fails) you lose data. RAID 10 arrays have disks in multiples of four. It provides good speed because of the striping, but the available capacity is cut in half.
Concatenation: JBOD - "Just a Bunch of Disks." Each disk in the array is, well, a separate disk: there is no striping or mirroring. It's an easy way to add a large amount of storage capacity.

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What is USB 3.0?

2011-02-22T05:30:00.001-06:00

Photo via USB Implementers Forum, Inc.

USB 3.0 or "SuperSpeed" USB, is the newest generation of USB interface. And, for Polyline's demographic, that's probably the most important thing you have to know about USB 3.0; it's super fast.

Basically, the "old" USB (a.k.a. USB 2.0) cable had four wires: ground, power, data in and data out. USB 3.0 has double that (8 wires) so you have two wires covering data coming in and two for data going out. This means you can, theoretically, get up to 4.8Gbps in transfer speeds. (I know you content creation professionals are excited about this!)

The extra power wire also increases the maximum bus power. That means those power-hungry devices (like portable hard drives) are getting more power and that battery-powered devices (like cameras or "readers") that can be charged using the USB should charge more quickly.

Here's the cool thing. Let's say you're interested in purchasing a LaCie Rugged USB 3.0, but your computer doesn't have the proper SuperSpeed USB connection. You can still use the Rugged USB 3.0! You won't get the super cool benefits of USB 3.0, but it will work the same as a USB 2.0 connection. So, when you're ready to upgrade your computer so it has one or more of these connections, you'll already have a hard drive that can satisfy your need for speed.

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Why does my computer say my brand new hard drive has less capacity than was advertised?

2011-02-17T05:30:00.002-06:00

It's because hard drive manufacturers define gigabytes and megabytes differently than some computer systems.

For simplicity, hard drive manufacturers define a megabyte as 1,000,000 bytes and a gigabyte as 1,000,000,000 bytes. This is a decimal system and seems familiar to anyone who worked with the metric system in school. (Here in the United States, we're introduced to the metric system in school, even if we don't use it very often.) It's the way hard drive manufacturers have always defined these terms.

Computers, however, sometimes define a megabyte as 1,048,576 bytes and a gigabyte as 1,073,741,824 bytes. This is called a binary measurement and it's the method historically used by computers.

Hard Drive manufacturer G-Tech likens this to the difference between 0 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Fahrenheit: it's really the same thing, we just use different names.

Now, hard drive capacities are moving into 2, 4, 6 (and higher) Terabytes. A terabyte equals either 1,000,000,000,000 bytes or 1,099,511,627,776 bytes depending on what system you use:

Advertised Size (Decimal)	=	"Computer" Size (Binary)	=	Number of Bytes
1TB		931.10GB		1,000,000,000,000
2TB		1.82 TB		2,000,000,000,000
4TB		3.64TB		4,000,000,000,000
6TB		5.46TB		6,000,000,000,000
8TB		7.28TB		8,000,000,000,000

(I rounded the numbers after the second decimal place. )

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Who is a good BD-R manufacturer?

2011-02-15T05:30:00.002-06:00

You'll want to stick with a brand name that you recognize: Falcon, Panasonic, Sony, Verbatim, etc. Many of these brands have a lot invested in the original development of the Blu-ray format and all of them have a lot invested in their brands' reputations. You can rest assured that these companies have paid the appropriate licensing fees and are adhering to the strict specifications of the format.

Just as important as the brand of BD-R, are the people you decide to buy from. Here are some tips to help ensure you're purchasing quality BD-R media from a reputable distributor:

When selecting a distributor, try calling the dealer on the phone first. You want a distributor that not only publishes a phone number, but actually answers the phone. You also want a distributor that has media experts who can answer all your questions. (Here at Polyline, there are people like me available to answer 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 products.
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.

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Why are CDs made from petroleum?

2011-02-10T05:30:00.011-06:00

CDs are made from polycarbonate, which is made from petroleum.

The simple truth is that, right now, most of our plastics (including the plastics in CD-Rs and other optical media) are made from petroleum.

The bioplastics industry is still in its infancy and it will be years before it really takes hold as a viable replacement for petroleum plastics. Right now there are two big stumbling blocks to using bioplastics in disc production is (1) the limited shelf life of some bioplastics and (2) the manufacturing costs for bioplastics are still too high.

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Is there really a difference between your so-called professional hard drives and commercial hard drives?

2011-02-08T05:30:00.007-06:00

Yes, there are several differences. Professional hard drives have:

•    More metal parts (as opposed to plastic) which means they are more durable
•    Faster transfer speeds
•    Higher capacities
•    Longer warranties
•    Better cooling systems

When Polyline says it has professional hard drives, we mean our hard drives were designed specifically for content professionals. So, they are faster, hold more content and last longer than commercial hard drives.