CDs and DVDs both offer a wide range of features and value for nearly every communications task. It makes sense, CDs and DVDs are affordable, portable, and can offer dynamic and interactive content that traditional paper collateral simply can’t deliver. While the benefits of optical media are well documented, it can be confusing when trying to pick the correct media type to serve your purpose. It all boils down to two points: know your audience, and evaluate your content.
Come One, Come All
It may sound elementary, but the first question you should ask is who you are trying to reach. Is your disc intended to be used by a single user, or is it meant to be viewed in a larger group? Discs viewed on a computer lend themselves to smaller audiences, typically one or two users at a time. Most home and office computers have built-in CD drives capable of reading CD-R and CD-ROM media, while a much smaller percentage have drives capable of reading DVD media. For presentations, video or other material that is meant for a larger audience, or to be viewed on a television, DVD media may be more appropriate.
Bits and Bytes
An important consideration when determining the correct media is how much and what type of content is to be distributed. A standard CD can hold approximately 700 MB/80 minutes. Common uses for CDs are music, software updates, data or document archival and presentations.
A single layer DVD can hold much more data, 4.7 GB, making it ideal for combined audio/video presentations or large volumes of data. Both CD and DVD media can link to the Internet or be programmed with interactive features to engage the end user.
As you can see, picking the right type of media is just as important as determining the content you wish to distribute. Sales representatives are happy to work with you to determine the most effective and cost-efficient solution to your next project.