OPTICAL DISC NEWS ---- CD DVD REPLICATION

   Bazlers Process Systems claim to be the world market leader for MiniDisc production systems. At the Replitech show in Hong Kong, at a presentation, Balzers indicated the strong growth in sales of their MiniDisc systems. The graph indicates in 1998 Balzers MiniDisc systems will exceed 40. Nearly 25 MiniDisc installations have happened in 1997 itself. Sales of 45,000 players per month are indicated by Balzers.
   A survey by Strategy Analytics consumer products states

100 with up to 500 discs per hour.
   Balzers introduces the SDS concept system for the production of rewritable optical discs which includes magneto optical discs.
   Sony offers total production system from mastering, replication to test equipment. Although the metallizer is sourced from outside, it can be integrated into the quality system. The Sony SLIM can produce masters for recordable MiniDiscs as well. As for pre-recorded 

 that 25% of US households will opt for the MiniDisc player by the year 2005, up from only 1% presently .
   The MiniDisc has made it in Japan, states Helfried Weinzerl of Balzers. Sony introduced the MiniDisc in 1992. In 1997, Europe and the US are expected to 

1,40,000 in US. The retail market for  players will be worth US$ 1.6 billion by the end of the year 2000. Expectation are 2 million players will be sold annually in the US and 4 million players in Europe, three years from now. 
    With respect to pre-recorded MiniDiscs, the US and Europe market will be worth $6.6 million against sales of 440 MiniDiscs by 2005.
   Balzers offers the SDS 100 metalizer from the SDS (Single Disc System) family used in mass producing MiniDiscs, with a throughput of 360 disks per hour. The Sprinter is a high throughput, low-cost version of the SDS 

MiniDisc, only Sony, Toshiba-EMI and Memory Tech in Japan is producing it. While Leybold, ODME and Nimbus may be able to master pre-recorded MiniDiscs. For MiniDisc replication a license is required from Sony. 
   Minidisc industry hardware: Sony, JVC, Kenwood, Aiwa, Sharp, Sanyo, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Sansui, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Panasonic, Pioneer, Denon, Clarion, Onkyo, Fujitsu-Ten, Teac, Yamaha, Alphine, Gold-Star, RCA and Telefunken.
MiniDisc recording media: Sony, TDK, Kuraray, Maxwell, Fuji, Sharp, JVC, Denon, Hitachi, Konica, Xeus, 3M, Idemistsu, Panasonic, Tsutaya, Kao, MPO and BASF.

   Mercury Entertainment, a replication facility in Malaysia, is using Robi System's DVD 9 twin line with two single cavity moulding subsystems to meet demanding replication needs. Since its installation, Mercury Entertainment has produced over 100,000 DVDs for movies and music with the Robi DVD 9 twin-line.
   Executive Director Lim Tai Wah says, "We decided to go with Robi because we needed an integrator and Robi was the only one that provided the solution. They were willing to integrate the components as we specified. "With expected production of DVD for 1998 being 300,000 and clients asking for DVD 9, Mercury Entertainment also chose Robi System to provide more disc capacity.
   In today's competitive and demanding marketplace, replication equipment has to be dependable and produce well-manufactured discs. "DVD is a very complicated process,"  says Lim. "Every component has to play its part and the whole process has to work correctly. In manufacturing you have up time and yield time. If the machine is down, it is of no use to us. The Robi System DVd 9 twin line is reliable and produces a high quality disc. We are running twenty-four day to meet deadlines.

Producing high quality discs is essential to business because our reputation is on the line with every disc we produce."
   Customer support was also important to Mercury Entertainment in their decision to choose Robi System Lim says," Robi's customer support has been great. We have received extensive on the job training. Robi instructors came here and provided us with six months training. We know replication but everyday we learn something new."
   Mercury Entertainment also produces laser discs and will be expanding to include DVD ROM production in the near future. "Originally we chose the DVD 9 line because it will allow us to grow into the computer end of production," explains Lim. "We had more that enough to keep us busy  this past year with production of movies in the DVD line up."
   Mercury Entertainment has been in the replication business since 1994 and primarily serves the Asian market with strong interest from Europe and Hong Kong. The Malaysian market is just starting out as well and Mercury Entertainment hopes to sell 100,000 discs to this market in six months time.