CBHD Beating Blu-ray in China

China Blue High-definition Disk (”CBHD”), a format eerily similar to the defeated HD DVD format, is outselling Blu-ray 3 to 1 in China. Apparently the advantage comes in price. The HD DVD equipment is slightly adapted to accomodate a different codec and new security features. Current DVD manufacturers can update their existing lines to make CBHDs for approximately $800,000 USD. Compared to $3 million USD for a new Blu-ray line, this translates into a much lower barrier to manufacturing this product.
The retail price per disc in China is selling between $7 and $10 USD and Warner brothers has adopted the format. Does the Chinese format stand a chance to come over to the US?

www.glmt.com

$98 Blu-Ray Player!!!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10285229-58.html

What does the Future Hold for Optical Media?

Some will go ahead and say “Optical Disc is Dead.” Some will point to the music industry and the shrinking number of brick and mortar music retailers as proof of this doomsday assertion. iTunes has made revolutionary advances in its product offerings as the “AppStore” is celebrating its one year anniversary this July.

Proof in the alternative can easily be found in the video game industry. Here we have the most technically savvy consumer and yet the most effective distribution of content is via optical media. However, a totally optimistic view of optical disc product expansion is likely misguided.

There are certain situations where digital delivery makes perfect sense. Sub-1 gig applications like music, casual games, and ring tones are perfect examples of this. In the consumer market, as we recover from this economic crisis, our insatiable hunger for rich entertainment applications will intensify. Boundaries will be pushed instead of retracted as has happened in the past 5 years. The need for larger tangible storage and delivery solutions will continue to outpace the necessary bandwidth needed for digital delivery of these rich applications.

Corporate promo videos and applications likely aren’t perfect for digital delivery. Email marketing is becoming less and less effective, so how do you steer people to your download space with high rates of success? Packaged media provides savvy marketers two avenues for promotional real estate- the media and the packaging. Proof can be found in the “As Seen on TV” market. How many free DVD offers do you see now?

There will be effective uses for both methods over the next 10 years. Great Lakes Media Technology will be positioning itself to help with both methods. Currently we offer solutions for your developed or undeveloped content to be delivered on disc or web. No matter how you need it done, we’ll help deliver it.

GLMT Discs: Made in the USA

I'll just come right out and say it: this recession sucks. There's really no way around it. How did we get to this point? Well, one could go on forever with a million different explanations (I'll spare you my personal opinion). Instead, I prefer to focus on something more positive - the things I have control over. This includes how I spend the few precious extra dollars I have. One thing I have been more conscious of is buying local products; using the power of the free market to help those closest to me. I've been taking the extra moment at the store to look for the sticker that tells me where a product was made. If I see “Made in the USA,” I find myself just a little more likely to put that thing in my cart.

With that, I am proud to say that GLMT replicates discs right here in the United States. No outsourcing to China here; the machines are right here in Mequon, Wisconsin, with American workers cranking out the product. Discs go straight from the replication machine, to the printing press, to the packaging line, without ever leaving the building! We don't slap a big “made in the USA” sticker on the back (we'd rather make sure your drive can read the data), but we want you to know that when you buy from us, you're keeping jobs right at home.

1GB Doesn't Necessarily Mean 1GB

Actual capacity does in fact differ from the stated capacity of a USB drive. When you are supplying data to be uploaded to a USB drive, it's best to leave at least 10% of blank space to ensure that none of your data gets cut off.

For example, on a 1GB flash drive, we recommend supplying no more than 900MB of data to be uploaded. Due to rounding by manufacturers and a whole lot of fun computer terminology - we need to be aware that not all sticks carry their stated capacity.

Technology presumes there's just one right way to do things and there never is. ~Robert M. Pirsig

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET FOR FREE?

Promotional Items at their Best

I admit it. When I notice free stuff being handed out I at least have to see what it’s all about. I love to grab the little note pads and Post-Its with other companies’ logos on them. All my pens have either my dentist’s or pharmacist’s name carefully imprinted on the plastic.

My favorites, though, are the ones I can use over and over again like my company T-shirts or my mugs. All these promotional items are given away for free but have value to me. I wear my T-shirts everywhere and advertise my company. I use pens and pencils, mugs, note pads, whatever else, and people notice.

My favorites, as you may have noticed, can be used in everyday life. I love a free-something that fits in with my life. The very best one now, I think, is the USB stick some companies are starting to hand out.

This is the best of both worlds. The outside can be imprinted with a company logo, and it can also contain a message or a program the consumer can view and interact with on a computer. Best of all though, for me, is the extra space left over on the flash drive where I can store my photos or music, whatever I want to move around.

Custom printed USB Thumb Drives are now available at GLMT. They come in all sorts of colors and options, and I promise you, we will love them forever!

Universal Serial Bus?

Yep. That is what USB stands for. USB sticks have quickly evolved into an effective way to distribute information and promote your products and services.

USB sticks have many names. Here are all of the names that I have found:

1. Thumb Drive
2. Jump Drive
3. Memory Stick
4. Jump Stick
5. Flash Stick
6. Memory Key

Please comment below with more names of sticks!

Organizing Your iTunes Library

Seeing this a lot in your iTunes music library?

I've recently had a lot of friends ask me about "quirks" with their iTunes library. And by "quirks", I mean missing ID tags, cover art, etc. This is usually caused by getting music from a variety of different sources like a friends hard drive. I'm here to tell you that help has arrived... in the form of Tune Up Companion. It is a plug in for iTunes that helps solve these issues. Instead of manually going through your music library to add artist name, song title, cover art, etc, Tune up automatically does this for you with a drag & drop interface. There is a free version that offers limited "clean ups" and a few different "pay" versions. Check it out here.

GETTING HIP WITH IT
Staying with and sometimes ahead of the times

I like to think of myself as somewhat with the times when it comes to technology. I am definitely not one to jump in on any new thing though. I like any new invention to get broken in by someone other than me. As such, I still do not have a DVR. I realize this has been out for a while, but my life is not so incomplete without it and I have not taken the plunge.

I have, however, discovered the wonderful world of Hulu.com. Hulu is a website where you can view all kinds of TV shows, clips, and movies originally aired on TV stations. I have found it a wonderful place to catch up on all the episodes of Fringe I missed or was unable to watch all the way through due to a screaming toddler.

Hulu will offer episodes for viewing about 8 days after it originally aired, with limited commercials. Whenever I watch I believe I only see about three or four commercials come on during an entire show. Because Hulu consists of only certain networks, not everything is available.

This website discovery has been great for me. I will have it playing on the computer next to me at night while I am working on my projects. I feel liberated. I am no longer chained to what is on TV that night. Together with my Netflix streaming capabilities, I feel my viewing potential is without boundaries. It must feel close to what it’s like to have a DVR!

DVD Recordable Compatibility Issues

An issue that comes up now and then is one that we unfortunately have a hard time explaining to our customers - the issue of DVD-r compatibility. Let me first explain quickly the difference between a burned (duplicated) DVD-r and a pressed (replicated) DVD.

A replicated DVD is usually done here at GLMT on quantities 500 and greater. Very few (if any) compatibility issues arise from this process because all players are designed to read a pressed disc.

A duplicated DVD-r is the process of burning discs in towers - similar to a home computer burn. This is usually done on quantities less than 500. The problems that lie within this process are more than one...

1. Due to the different reflectivity of DVD-r, not all players are designed to read this format.

2. The variables involved in computers - customer's may have to download certain software to play the DVD-r (in older PC's you may have to upgrade your windows media player).

3. Another issue may lie in the authoring of the disc - GLMT can author your disc to ensure the highest probability of compatibility.

4. Poor quality media - here at Great Lakes we use the highest quality Taiyo Yuden Grade A media for all burning.

5. Playing a DVD-r in a CD drive - Funny yes, but it's happened more than once.

And finally, sometimes we're not really sure. It may play in your set top player, but not in your computer. Or it may work in your PC, but not a Mac. Because of the number of variables involved, it is difficult for us to pinpoint the exact problem. Studies show that about 85% of all DVD-r's will play in existing drives and players.

For the highest compatibility, let GLMT handle your project. We can author your disc, use top quality burning media, and test your disc among a number of players.

Have you had problems with DVD recordables?

2012.... The End...


More and more reports are coming out that Blu-ray will exceed DVD in sales in 2012.

See engadged blog: http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/06/24/blu-ray-disc-sales-estimated-to-exceed-dvds-in-2012/

Was this a cheap ploy to draw conspiracy blog readers to the site? Yes, and it is shameless. I give full credit to our Lead New Media Specialist (DVD Authoring) Vince Clore for the ploy.

WHAT YOU SEE...AND WHAT YOU DON’T
Working behind the scenes

What is important to you when placing an order for a disc? Do you want the best price? Do you want it yesterday? Do you want it to look good and stand out from the rest of the discs out there? Perhaps you want all of these? My goal is to get you a great-looking disc every time, on time.

Daily I struggle with art files to get an optimal print possible on our discs. Each art file is unique and comes with special problems. Rare is the art file that sails through the room without issues. Unless the art is a one color, fonts-outlined, totally vector Illustrator file, I often find myself spending at least 15 minutes, if not more, on preparing it to print.

What do I do with your art file, you ask?

Before I send a proof I strip the file of any unnecessary extras which may cause problems during film creation or printing. I remove all live text, extra colors, templates, layers, and masks. The only items I want left in the file are the ones that are supposed to print.

Next I look for any issues that may come up during printing. Are we supposed to match any packaging pieces? Does the file contain halftones or solid colors made up of 4 color process? Are any colors out of spec and will it look terrible printed? I will also glance through the file and look at the spelling, the placement of art, or see if anything in general looks odd. I may see if I can find any better quality logos if the file contains low quality ones. Overall, I remove and fix all questionable spots to ensure a smooth print.

Then I fix the file to the best of my ability. If there are concerns with the file which will cause issues and I cannot fix them, I make my customer aware. This includes anything with color, quality of print, or low quality of files. Sometimes my emails get very long and detailed, but I want to make sure the customer knows precisely how the disc will print.

So you see, preparing the art is not just plopping something in our template and sending it on its merry way. Before the customer even sees the proof I make sure I know or fix known issues. When I send out the proof I will give all warnings and make sure it is understood how this file will print. I take enormous pride in our printing and the work that comes out of my room and want to make sure the best possible product leaves our building and comes to you.

printing specs & templates

Netflix Streaming: Improving the Quality of the Stream

I recently installed a Netflix Streaming Blu-ray player in a friend's house. The idea seemed pretty seemless until you start digging into it. My first observation was the installation is not something a "non-geek" can do with ease. The player did not have the right firmware out of the box and we had to do a complicated USB download and installation (the USB stick had to be totally clear of any other files).

Once we got the correct software loaded on the player, it worked quickly. You queue up some movies in your Netflix account and select them on your on-screen menu and it starts to stream the video to your blu-ray player within 30 seconds.

My problem was with the quality. There was a "quality bar" indicator that showed us that we only had 2 bars out of 10. Apparently the quality of the video codec streamed to your tv depends on your connection. The streaming of the movies were terrible at 2 bars. Barely watchable.

Here are some tips from Netflix on how to improve the quality: http://blog.netflix.com/2009/03/netflix-trying-for-consistent.html

If you do actually get your player to work, at a watchable quality, you will come to know quickly that a very limited library is available for streaming. That was the most disappointing aspect.

As a videophile, I recommend not hassling with the above. It will likely lead to disappointement.

The Adobe ADOBE IS GREAT Corner:
Separations On-Screen

Continuing my “green” waste-not-want-not trend, I’d like to spend a moment on a cool new feature in Illustrator CS4 and InDesign.

In my area of the printing industry, everything gets trapped manually, and printing separations is crucial to verify that everything is printing as it is supposed to.

Our workflow is as follows:

• Strip file clean and proof it in our template
• Once it’s approved, trap all applicable colors and create films
• Check trapping on films and accuracy of text, photos, etc... and send on to make screens

During this process we were printing numerous separations before creating real films. Every time we noticed an error new separations were needed. This was wasting a lot of paper. It is also very difficult to see if colors are actually trapped until the films come back and you can hold them together and verify.

I had been playing around with InDesign CS2 for a while then, and noticed it had a separations palette. Instead of printing the separations on paper I could now view them instantly on-screen. Better yet, I was able to view the trapping between 2 or all colors right on screen. The Separations Palette also displayed the percentage breakdown of the colors when hovering the mouse over parts of the art. This palette can be found in Windows>Output> Separations Preview. In order to see the individual colors you will need to turn the view to Separations and then click on each color to see it individually. If you click on the arrow of the palette you can also play around with how the colors in your file will print.

This separations palette has been in InDesign since at least the CS2 version. I liked it so much I wanted it for Illustrator as well. I found a plug-in online that allows Illustrator to show separations. With CS4, however, the Separations Palette is now standard in Illustrator as well. This can be found in Windows>Separations Preview. Overprint Preview must be checked in order to view the separations.

The separations palette has become an invaluable tool in my department. We no longer print any separations out, which is saving us an enormous amount of paper. With each file change I can simply update in the links palette and view the updates on my monitor accurately and more precisely than I ever could on paper. It was this feature that finally convinced me to move from Quark Xpress to Adobe InDesign.

720p, 1080i, Oh My..


There seems to be much talk and confusion regarding certain resolutions of HDTVs. CNET.com has posted this article that really helps to explain this. I personally have a 720p/1080i set, and I think it is just fine. If I had a bigger HDTV, say 50" or larger, then a 1080p set would make more sense. Frame rates also come heavily into play, with Panasonic recently introducing a true 24 fps plasma HDTV. 24 frames per second most accurately captures the "cadence" of film.

When creating content for Blu-Ray here at GLMT, we can output to any resolution desired. Of course, the results depend on the way the footage was shot and edited.

Experience Blu: Quantum of Solace

The reviews are in for the new Bond flick Quantum of Solace and it should yield brisk Blu-ray Disc sales. The intent of Experience Blu articles will be to highlight a Blu-ray experience worthy of your valuable time.

VideoBusiness.com states in its review the "Blu-ray presentation looks exceptional, even in the dark and mostly static scenes, and the DTS-HD mix enhances the fun, particularly during an airplane chase. "

GLMT.com is promoting Blu-ray as it is an opportunity to differentiate your company in tradeshow and event presentations. GLMT.com offers a full suite of authoring and encoding options for your these type of applications.

DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Downloading Stop Fighting... Consumer Satisfaction Follows!



Everybody seems to pit optical media formats versus something. DVD vs. Digital Downloading. DVD vs. Blu-ray. Blu-ray vs. YouTube. ENOUGH FIGHTING!!! It is confusing everybody. It looks as though Hollywood is going to mediate a peaceful resolution. The Disney movie Bolt will be released in a package that contains a DVD, a Blu-ray Disc, and a Digital Copy.



When I buy a movie, I want it to work on everything. I want it to work on my phone, my blu-ray player, my DVD player. For once in the last 5 years, I think the industry is doing itself a favor. Plus, disc manufacturers like GLMT should be salivating over the opportunity.

Windowboxing... Why won't you just fill the whole !#%^ screen?!?

Last night I sat down to watch the premiere of The Chopping Block on NBC and was surprised to see that my broadcast was being windowboxed on the screen.

What is windowboxing you ask? While I am watching this program on my 42" LCD HDTV, there is a thick black outline around the entire image, filling up half of my screen with dead space. This phenomenon is occurring more often recently as we shift into High Definition broadcasting.

The traditional tube television displays in an aspect ratio of 4:3 (for those of you not familiar with aspect ratios, that is the relationship between the length of the image and the height of the image). Brand new High Definition televisions now have a screen that is much wider than it is high, with an aspect ratio of 16:9. Just as the devices we use to watch programming have changed their aspect ratio, the cameras used to record the programs also have changed the shape of the images they capture.

So to get a 4:3 image to display without distortion on a 16:9 screen, the image is pillarboxed: the image is centered horizontally on the screen, and black space fills the left and right sides of the screen. Inversely, to view a 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen, the image is letterboxed: centered vertically, and black space fills the top and bottom.

So what I was seeing on my screen last night, was a program that was recorded in 16:9, but then was converted to be viewed on a 4:3 screen, which was then converted to fit my 16:9 screen. Dizzy yet?

Now this would make sense to me if I was watching a station that does not broadcast in HD, but this was not the case! The program before and after filled my screen with all of their HD glory! Apparently this revolution even confuses the "experts".

3D: 1980’s Deja Vu or Video Display of the Future?

The thought of a new high definition version of 3-D is enticing. Prior to the Super Bowl, I picked up a pair of “3-D Glasses” to watch the half-time Sobe Commercial. I naturally assumed that with the advent of HD, 3-D would be greatly enhanced. I was disappointed.

I went on to read that the version of 3-D used fro the halftime show was not actually new technology. It was the same old school, eye-fatiguing, red and blue-lens technology used as a gimmick in the late eighties.

However, this attempt to raise 3-D awareness was merely a marketing ploy and not a display of the power of the technology. Apparently, new movies like Coraline that utilize “RealD” technology are incredibly impressive. I will be viewing one of these movies in the next week and I will write about my observations.

GLMT Featured In One To One Magazine!!!

Please take a look at the article published in One To One magazine featuring Great Lakes Media Technology and its unrivaled blu-ray authoring services.

Staying Green in a Conservative World

I have to come clean. I have numerous conservative tendencies that fight to become dominant. I am conservative in nature; I like things to stay constant, I like to drive my gas-guzzling vehicle (28 mpg) around for hours on end (15 minutes each way to work, thank you), and I am in no way environmentally conscious. Really?

I am not supposed to care about the environment. I am an evil conservative who wishes to fill the air with smog and stuff the landfills until they overflow into your backyards. I love to litter. Except that I don’t. I die a little each time I throw a can in the regular bin. I cringe when I drop a paper towel in the garbage. I start screaming at my husband for daring to toss the rest of an apple in with the garbage.

I hate to waste anything. My thought is that if it can be used again, it does not belong in the garbage. To that end, I recycle anything I can. I am proudly storing bags upon bags of refuse on my deck, waiting for a sunny day before making my way through the soggy garden to the compost pile. I painstakingly wash out my bottles and cans to put with the recycling. I buy the smaller paper towels and tear off only as much as I need, sometimes a square inch for the little messes. I think about what I use in my daily life.

I have to admit, though, my striving to make mine a “green” world is not so much environmental as fiscal. I hate to spend money if I don’t have to. Buying a car that has higher gas mileage, composting, turning the lights off when not in use. All these things save me money and as an aside also end up being good for the environment since I am not using up so many resources. So call me cheap or call me green. In the end I think they are the same for me.

I am addicted to the digital world.

Today is a fantastic day. After work, my world will return to normalcy. The void I have lived with for the last 6 months will finally be filled. My new DirecTV service with HD/DVR will be hooked up when I get home!

In my 26 years on this planet, I have never known life before Cable TV. A proud member of “Generation Y,” I was born with a remote control in my hand. I always had cable: growing up, in my college dorm, in my first apartment, and finally in my first house.

This all changed about 6 months ago. Like many other Americans, Nate and I re-evaluated our budget, trying to find ways to save a few bucks here and there. We canceled the land line (only telemarketers call that anyways), combined cell phone services, and even switched to generic soda. Right around this time our contract with Dish Network was expiring, and we thought, “do we really need to spend $85/mo on television when we can just watch the networks for free?” We bit the bullet. We canceled. The Dark Age began.

It wasn’t so bad at first. I re-discovered PBS. My new favorite shows became American Scientific Frontiers and Cook's Country. If nothing was on, I’d actually turn off the TV and move on to other things - take a bike ride, weed the garden, play PS3, rent a Blu-Ray. A new world had opened up.

Then winter set in. A horrible, awful winter. Over 35 inches of snow in December alone! Now, it’s the cold snap that seems to last forever. For the last 2 months, leaving the house has been unbearable! When you are cooped up inside for so long, there are only so many ways you can pass the time. The Locals just don’t cut it anymore. I don’t think I can ever watch another episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? or Judge Judy.

But what do I miss most about life before the Dark Age? DVR. I’ve wasted far too much time watching commercials. Now that American Idol is back on, I can’t bear to actually waste 2 hours of my valuable evening time watching it. With a DVR, I can watch an entire episode in 35 minutes, not miss any of the action, and get on with my life.

Oh modern technology, how I have missed you. I promise never to leave you again. I’ll just have to find something else to sacrifice...

THE ADOBE CS4 CORNER:
Scaling the modern way in Photoshop CS4

Have you ever had a photo that just wouldn’t fit where you wanted it to? I have. I am always trying to get art to fit properly on a 4 ½” circle. An important part of the photo always seems to be cut off by the circle in the center or the curved outside edges. The fix is usually to include only parts of the image or reduce the size and harm the integrity of the design.

Enter Photoshop CS4. One of the new features is the Content-Aware Scale. This feature Free-Transforms your photo to fit the designated size but does it in a smart way. The function will look for empty areas and compact those before resizing the real objects.

For example, I have a photo I would like to fit on a disc.


I really like the tree on the left but I also want to keep all the boats on the right. Before CS4 I would have had to place the image in a disc template and leave white space around it or attempt to fill it in with whatever struck my fancy at the time. I hate white space. I do not like to try and balance an image on a disc with white space. So I now use the Content-Aware Scale to fit all the objects I want on a disc.

The disc on the left shows how I would need to fit the photo to get all of it to print. The disc on the right fills the whole surface with a modified image. Some of the objects are distorted, but in my opinion not so much that you would be able to tell unless you were familiar with the original photo.

This next photo shows how much of an image can be compressed while leaving the objects virtually untouched. It compacts mostly the blue sky and clouds and leaves the trees alone. The first, again, shows the original image. The second shows my "fixed" image.



While I do love this feature, it cannot be used for every photo. There has to be some empty space in the photo for the feature to compact. I have tried this with very busy photographs and the result is a confusing jumble of pixels. If you would like to try this feature, it can be found in Edit>Content-Aware Scale when you have an editable file open (see below).


If you would like to find other new features in your Adobe CS4 suite go to Windows>Workspace>What's New in CS4. This will highlight all the new features in the pull-down menus.

All this and more I learned at a fantastic seminar at the 2008 Graph Expo in Chicago. The seminar was given by Sandee Cohen, a well-known expert in various Adobe products. Beyond her seminars and speaking engagements, she has written numerous books including her latest, InDesign CS4 for Macintosh and Windows: Visual Quickstart Guide.

CNET Posts on why Blu-ray will Succeed:

Summarized:

1. Digital downloads will not eliminate the need for discs anytime soon.
2. Having one clear standard is a big advantage.
3. Blu-ray isn't going to be replaced by another disc format anytime soon.
4. Prices for large-screen HDTVs will continue to drop.
5. Prices for Blu-ray players will continue to drop.
6. Prices for Blu-ray discs will drop to near DVD price levels.
7. Sony will sell lots of PlayStation 3 game consoles.
8. Sony can't afford to have Blu-ray fail.
9. Sony and its partners will figure out a way to have Blu-ray resonate with the public.

Read the full article here.

If it has an i in front of it, it must be cool!

I am fairly level-headed in most cases and try not to let ads and brand names sway me. However, I freely admit to being sucked in by Apple’s ingenious marketing schemes. I look forward to each new ad out featuring the Mac and PC characters. I will go to Apple’s website and watch them, snickering quietly as my husband stares at me. In my opinion, Apple has successfully combined breathtakingly beautiful products with clever branding. Their iPod has set off an industry of gadgets. Anything cool nowadays begins with an i.

With all the bargains to be had this year, the Christmas tree towered above a bevy of gadgets. My favorite present by far was my Apple iPod touch. As I explained to my husband when asked why I wanted one, the reasons were very plain. An iPod touch is a very useful tool in every day life. It can keep track of your appointments, surf the net, store your formerly-wallet photos, and, most importantly, it looks oh-so cool. I easily defend my choice when asked why not a cheaper MP3 player. A simple they’re not Apple will suffice.

There seems to be no end to the entertainment an iPod touch can provide. I have uploaded my favorite music and latest photos, my favorite games, and I finally started an appointment book I hopefully won’t lose. There are numerous free applications to put on your iPod touch including Pac-Man and Facebook. If inclined, I could even turn it into a lightsaber! No bright light, but definitely the cool sound effects.

As with the other Apple products I own, this was no disappointment. I love to scroll through everything I have on this beautiful little machine. I carry it with me everywhere. I am now and possibly forever, an Apple fan.

Disc Design Tips: When to add a Spot Color

Here in the GLMT prepress department, one of the most common questions we are asked is when to design in spot colors versus process color. So, I thought I would take a moment to explain the difference and how to apply them in your CD and DVD designs.

When you print something on your desktop inkjet printer at home, you are printing in process colors (CMYK). The printer is taking 4 different ink colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), and spraying little dots of each in various patterns that when viewed by the human eye appears to be all the colors of the rainbow. Our screen and offset presses run on the same principle. An image can be split up into these 4 different colors and each is laid onto the disc one at a time, resulting in the appearance of a nearly infinite amount of colors. Process colors work fantastic for photographic images. They are able to capture all the subtle differences in tones, shadows, and highlights.

Unlike your inkjet printer at home, we have the option of using spot colors in our printing process. I like to compare using spot colors to picking out wall paint colors at a hardware store. There are swatch libraries of hundreds of colors that look exactly the same in the sample book as when printed on the final product. Instead of using little dots of 4 different colors to simulate a color, the ink is pre-mixed to the desired color before being put into the press. Here at GLMT, we use the Pantone Solid Coated Library, which is an industry standard throughout the world.

There are a few different guidelines for when to incorporate spot colors into a design. First, is there something very specific that you want to match? Many corporations depend on specific colors for their identity. Spot colors print consistently across the board. If a customer asks for a "deep blue" it's hard to know what their definition of deep blue is, but if they say "Pantone 286", I know exactly what they mean and can deliver what they expect.

Another time to use spot colors is if the design includes large areas of a single solid color. While 4 color process can produce a huge range of colors, it is very difficult to get these colors to print consistently, especially in the screen printing process. Microscopic variables such as wear on a screen, pressure on a squeegee, surface fluctuations on a disc, and even humidity levels can change how the little dots of color interact with one another. When printing with a spot color, only one screen and one ink is used for each color, reducing any potential variations.

Hopefully this short lesson has cleared up some of the confusion out there about the differences between these printing methods. Please remember that we are always here to answer any questions you may have so we can get you the best looking disc possible.

Can LinkedIn Help Your Company Sell?

Are you diving into the networking craze that so many companies are now doing? Can social media websites such as LinkedIn help you sell your products? I say why not give it a try…LinkedIn is free, easy to use, low maintenance - and if nothing else you’re able to connect with colleagues, partners and friends that maybe you haven’t heard from in awhile. It’s free marketing, and during these tough economic times, surely can’t hurt.

Being in a sales/marketing role here at GLMT, there is no doubt that LinkedIn has been a great resource for current and potential customer contacts. My goal is for people to think of Great Lakes Media Technology and myself when someone needs the products and services we offer - and LinkedIn can only help to increase that brand awareness. Not to mention that observing a contact’s profile helps you learn a little background about the person that you otherwise probably wouldn’t have known. Even tangible networking events usually don’t involve discussions of people who think highly of you (recommendations section of LinkedIn).

As far as me personally generating sales revenue as a result of being in touch through LinkedIn – to be honest I have yet to see any real results. You’re probably laughing by the way I was just talking up how useful the website has been, but believe me I have faith. Even if it does not directly result in a sale, I do believe it has helped me to better connect with existing customers. I’d love to hear your thoughts…

Netflix and Blu-ray
The Perfect Combination?

The road to Blu-ray was a complicated one for me. I wanted to get the most out of my purchase, especially since I was jumping on this technology-bandwagon so soon. My search began when I was looking for a Christmas present for my husband. I decided I wanted to look into streaming Netflix as a gift for him.

You can stream Netflix without purchasing a Blu-ray player or a streaming box. You can connect a computer to your TV. However, the TV we have is quite old and I would have had to purchase extra equipment in order to connect everything. A variety of ways to stream Netflix to your TV is offered online. The box offered by Netflix to stream video looked okay, and was reasonable in price. But, just below this listing I found some Blu-ray players that also stream Netflix. I appreciate multi-functionality in my electronics so I began my search for the perfect combo machine. I finally settled on the Samsung BD-P2500 for a variety of reasons, including price and availability.

Once the BD-P2500 arrived, it was amazingly simple to set up. As soon as the Samsung was plugged into my network, Netflix appeared upon the menu. The player walked me through activating my account. I used to my Netflix account through the computer and added eligible titles to my instant viewing queue to get movies to show up on my player.

There are quite a variety of titles available for both movies and TV shows. I am pretty happy with the selection but I do have some complaints. I chose a few TV shows to watch this weekend. The two series I chose had several episodes unavailable for viewing instantly. This is especially annoying since you do not become aware of it until you start watching. For instance, the first TV show I picked was missing the pilot episode, number three, and number four. I gave up on that show at that point since I prefer to watch everything in order.

I have to say, overall, that I do like the ability to stream Netflix. It gives me a wide variety of shows to watch and I don’t have to “waste” one of my 3 hard copy choices from Netflix to watch them. I also don’t feel guilty if I don’t like the movie and turn it off. This was a great purchase but do be aware you need a Netflix membership and a wired network connection in order to do this.

GLMT attending North American Music Manufacturer's (NAMM) Show

GLMT will be sending representatives to the 2009 NAMMM Show in Anaheim, January 16th-18th. Many of GLMT's customers and friends are music publishers and manufacturers which makes it an opportune time and location to meet with them.

The NAMM show has been an event that GLMT perennially attends due to its large scale service to the music publishing and manufacturing industry. GLMT has helped with many of the marketing materials distributed at the show and have also manufactured many of the disc-based products sold at the show.

PC World: Blu-ray 4th Quarter shows Blu-ray Success

PC World claims that Blu-ray had a successful 4th quarter of 2008 and is poised for even greater success in 2009. The PC World article states:

"Disc sales have tripled in the past year, according to The Digital Entertainment Group, an organization made up of movie studios and electronics manufacturers who track the industry. Blu-ray sold 28.6 million discs in the fourth quarter of 2008, and there are 10.7 million Blu-ray players currently in the United States.

The biggest seller was The Dark Knight, the number two highest grossing motion picture of all time. The Dark Knight is the first Blu-ray disc to sell over one million copies."

We will keep you posted on the successes of this format and the attention the media gives it.

Does it Matter if XBOX offers a Blu-ray Player?

Microsoft's gaming console XBOX 360 has been purposefully rippling the rumor pond for the last two years about offering a Blu-ray drive. My question is why would it matter?

Of the many statements Microsoft has made in the past, they believe that tangible media will be worthless to their business model in the next couple years. Among the bundled products it has tried pushing with XBOX 360 is this notion of seamlessly downloading software and high definition movies.

This "magic button loading" of content is not that easy. I own XBOX 360 and PS3. I have the option of renting the old fashioned way or downloading. I have tried downloading and it was a yawning experience. HD movies take forever to download (hours), there are complicated internet connection settings to even get to the point of access, there is a fee more than actually renting the real deal, and the quality of the bit rate is super bad. For me, I rent blu-ray discs and DVDs from Blockbuster... Its easy enough... I get my family dinner and pick up a movie or two and pop it in. I'm not an old fashioned guy and I am in the "target demographic" for marketing this service and my opinion is there isn't a whole lot of value in downloading movies to me. Its not easier, its not better, and its not very exciting.

I love all the overhyped publicity downloading gets. Maybe technical advancements in new audio/video technology is slowing so there is nothing more exciting. I have yet to hear of monetary success in the digital video streaming business model other than iTunes. Even iTunes, I've yet to hear of overwhelming profits as it relates to video products.

The point is XBOX 360 has banked on two bad horses for hi-def movie watching and it is doomed as a Hi-Def movie watching apparatus. These horses are HD-DVD and Streaming. It is still a great machine for games and that is how people will use it but I find it very hard to get excited about Microsoft offering an ugly Blu-ray dongle to their current gaming system. Yet every year this time people get all excited that they are going to announce such a contraption at CES. Maybe it is just blu-ray supporters waiting for verification that Microsoft is admitting to some sort of ultimate mistake by going with HD-DVD or Streaming for high definition movies. However, the misbets made by Microsoft in recent times as it relates to HD movies are too numerous to be of any interest to me.

A Layman’s First Impression of High-Definition Television

Let me say, I’m impressed. For the first time in years I sit staring, open-mouthed, at a football game for more than 10 minutes. The crisp images projected in high-definition on a plasma television cannot be beat. I feel as if I’m on the field with the players. I get dizzy when the camera moves quickly, panning the crowd. Watching sports has become pleasurable again. HD viewing gets an A+ from me. 

But, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, a Blu-ray/plasma TV combination tops even the most exciting football game. Together with surround sound, watching the Transformers movie over and over again this weekend at the request of a very excited three-year old proved to be an easy chore. How many times can I watch these robots fighting and flying around the cities? I don’t know, I’m not finished yet. Especially considering this is the only Blu-ray disc I have in the house, and it belongs to my son. I foresee this being played a lot and I won’t get tired of it too soon.

HD television is a pleasure to watch and I look forward to the day when everything is broadcast this way. It’s a disappointment now to watch the older, fuzzy shows. 21st century, here I come!