polyNEWSline

Free Shipping on Select Moser Baer Discs

2013-01-31T09:00:00.000-06:00

In case you missed the news, Polyline is offering free shipping and reduced prices on select Moser Baer items. Supplies are limited on these items, so act quickly to get our best prices of the season.

AquaShield

Moser Baer's AquaShield discs are water-resistant, smudge-resistant, professional-grade inkjet printable discs.
These are glossy, white, hub-printable discs.

Item #	Description	as low as
MB617HIW-540	DVD-R 16X	$.417/ea.

Professional Select Printable CD-Rs & DVD-Rs

Professional Select discs provide a uniform print from edge to hub with no tonal variations near the disc's center. What this means is that you don't have "fading" around the hub. Your label remains a consistent, photo-quality image across the entire surface of the disc.

Item #	Description	as low as
MB166TWH-600	CD-R Thermal, White	$.198/ea.

MB610S-600	DVD-R 16X, Silver	$.185/ea
MB609S-600	DVD-R 16X, Silver (tape wrapped spindles)	$.163/ea
MB613TWH-600	DVD-R 16X, Thermal White	$.214/ea.
MB634TSH-600	DVD-R 16X, Thermal Silver	$.174/ea.
MB638ISH-600	DVD-R 16X, Inkjet Silver	$.214/ea.

Inkjet Printable CD-Rs

Moser Baer's professional quality, inkjet printable discs are highly advanced CD-Rs and DVD-Rs that work with most conventional recording drives and printers. They are also one of the most affordable discs options available.

Item #	Description	as low as
MB133IS-600	silver	$.181/ea

LTO Generation 6 Technology Has Arrived

2013-01-28T08:28:00.000-06:00

The latest generation of LTO Ultrium products (LTO 6) started to hit the market this month. LTO Ultrium Generation 6 technology provides a significant upgrade in speed and capacity over the previous generation, with a single tape offering up 6.25 TB of compressed capacity* – more than twice the compressed capacity of LTO Ultrium Generation 5 tape – and up to a 400 MB per second data transfer rate compressed for outstanding productivity.

With LTO-6 technology, video producers can back up their content at high speeds of up to 160MB per second (native). And for storage, imagine being able to fit over 100 feature-length Blu-ray movies on one tape… With LTO-6 technology, it's possible.

LTO-6 specifications also continue to provide for the features that you've come to rely upon from previous generations: WORM to address compliance requirements, encryption to help secure sensitive information and partitioning – which allows for "game changing" Linear Tape File System (LTFS) that gives tape easy-to-use file "drag and drop" capabilities for a variety of compatible operating systems. LTO-6 drives also continue LTO Ultrium technology backward compatibility capabilities, helping to preserve investments by reading LTO-4, LTO-5 and LTO-6 tapes and writing to LTO-5 and LTO-6 tapes.

Call your favorite Polyline sales rep at 1-800-701-7689 for more information.

Panasonic Playback Payback Returns

2013-01-24T11:38:00.000-06:00

New Promo Period: Oct. 1, 2012 - March 31, 2013

Polyline's popular Panasonic Playback Payback promotion has returned for 2013. Program enrollees can receive 5% back on qualifying Panasonic products on an American Express gift card.

New for this program period, you’ll receive 10% back (that’s double the usual 5%) for your purchases of Panasonic Pro SDB Series SDHC cards.

You must register for the program to earn your rebates, but the rewards are retroactive for any purchases made through Polyline. You can register and check out all the rules at our Web site, http://www.polylinecorp.com/ppp/.

When Good Drives Go Bad

2011-12-16T08:30:00.001-06:00

What to do in a Hard Drive Emergency

If possible, back up data immediately. Do this if you start getting intermittent disk errors or you computer is having trouble recognizing your device. Do not do it if your drive is making strange noises.
If your hard drive is making clicking, grinding, scraping, tapping, "singing," or whining sounds, shut
it down immediately. These sounds could be the read/write heads hitting or scraping the platters (which is where your data is stored). If you keep running your hard drive, you could be destroying your data. That means:
- Do not use utility software
- Do not power the device back up
If you're drive is making unusual sounds, don't try to fix it yourself by turning it on and off, using a diagnostic tool or putting the drive in the freezer.
Don't assume your data is unrecoverable.
Call in reinforcements at DriveSavers or call us at 1-877-807-8095.

Polyline customers receive a special discount when using the DriveSavers data recovery services:

$200 "Attempt" Fee is waived. (In the rare instances when DriveSavers can't save your data, you'll pay nothing.)
10% off Services

Just remember to use our discount code: 25716.

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.

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.)

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.