Building a 9 Bay DVD Duplication Tower...

Ken McGrath · November 16th, 2006, 12:54 PM

I am building a duplicator, but I am not clear on whether I am supposed to use an "image" file (.iso extension when I create using Encore DVD) or do I use a DVD that has already been burned as the source for duplicator?

Cory Weekes · November 18th, 2006, 05:12 AM

Do you have a manual with the controller you bought? it should explain it in there. If not, I owuld go with the dvd as the source to store from.

Ken McGrath · November 18th, 2006, 08:15 PM

I downloaded the manual (I am still awaiting delivery of the controller unit), but they are not specific about the nature of the source. Maybe I am making this much more complicated than it needs to be and all I have to do is burn a DVD and load it into the dvd-rom of the duplicator, save it to the hard drive, and start duplicating. That is my best guess, but I was hoping some of the existing users out there could clarify this one for me....

Larry Pierce · November 22nd, 2006, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan McCullough

I built an 11 bay about a month ago.

I've got a Wyrton 399 controller and Pioneer 110D burners. I've got a Lite-On DVD-ROM reader drive and a 160 GB hard drive.

Currently I've only got 3 burners in, but the card is expandable to 9 so I'm adding one at a time when I get significant orders. Should be at a full 9 by the end of the year.

It's great, works flawlessly.

The only issue really to plan for is the hard drive. It partitions the drive based upon either CD, DVD or Dual layer DVD. So the partitions are either 800MB, 4.7 GB, or 9 GB. This is important because on my 160GB drive I get 24 partitions. I can load 24 different images onto it. So a 200 MB CD image takes a 4.7 GB partition.

So you end up needing a bigger hard drive than you might think to hold all your stuff.

I also built a 9 target with the Wytron DVD-399 all of a sudden using the Load function at start-up it appears to no longer copy to the hard drive first. but will work with the Copy function disc to disc ! got any ideas ? I took the 120 gig hard drive out and checked it it appears to be ok. I reformated it did not know if it just got full or if the controller keeps the drive up to date. It still wont work... went thru the set up again if you have no ideas I guess it is back to company with the card and just when I was getting a fairly decent job to copy ?

if anyboody else has had this problem I would appreciate any help . I have updated the firmware to 3.27 I think is the latest

Larry

Jake McKensy · May 12th, 2007, 07:23 AM

Greetings,

I'm new to the forum, I signed up here mainly for this thread. I'm planning on building a duplication tower and this thread has been the single best resource on the web for me!

My first question is, does a tower need any software, other than what comes with the hardware? Or is that not necessary at all? For example, some of the burner drives come with Nero or other burning software. Is that necessary for the burners to work? Or can that be detrimental for compatibility with the controller card?

My other question is, how do you upgrade firmware? Do you hook up the controller, DVD drives etc. to a computer, download firmware off the web and install it like that? Do you burn firmware to a disc and run it in the drives? How does that work?

Thanks for the help, I'm glad I've found this place and I'm glad to be here.

Larry Pierce · May 12th, 2007, 08:25 AM

My first question is, does a tower need any software,

Controller cards have all the software you need for copying and other functions a little bit of a learning curve on each card.

My other question is, how do you upgrade firmware?

I've never ungraded my firmware but the Manuel for the card will describe how to download the firmware and copy to a CD then that is placed in the read drive to update all the drives.. at once. I use a Acard 9 burner model card with Pioneer 16 X burners

Larry Pierce

Steven Davis · May 12th, 2007, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Pierce

My first question is, does a tower need any software,

Controller cards have all the software you need for copying and other functions a little bit of a learning curve on each card.

My other question is, how do you upgrade firmware?

I've never ungraded my firmware but the Manuel for the card will describe how to download the firmware and copy to a CD then that is placed in the read drive to update all the drives.. at once. I use a Acard 9 burner model card with Pioneer 16 X burners

Larry Pierce

No, the controller card you buy takes care of the duplication control. Firmware, not sure.

Jake McKensy · May 12th, 2007, 10:38 PM

Thanks for the replies Larry and Steven. I'm about ready to make my purchases. Any other pointers people have on this subject is welcome. Thanks again.

Jake

Jake McKensy · May 13th, 2007, 01:48 PM

Is it a good idea to stay away from OEM drives as general practice? I'm reading reviews at newegg and every drive out there has negative reviews mixed in with the positive ones. It makes me feel like I'm just rolling the dice with whatever choice I make.

Does anyone have any recommendations or words of wisdom for choosing my set of burner drives?

Thanks,

Jake

Jake McKensy · May 20th, 2007, 09:27 PM

Greetings,

I have a couple other questions.

Do DVD drives usually come with IDE cables?

And, how do you power your drives? Do you need to hook them up with separate power cables? If so, how does that work?

Please excuse my ignorance, and thanks for all the help.

Jake

Steven Cowie · May 21st, 2007, 02:59 AM

the duplicator controller normally ships with IDE cables (well all the wytron ones I've ever bought have had full set numbered 1 to 9 included)

the duplicator case power supply will usually have a full set of power plugs, though I've had a few that needed a couple of Y splitters to handle full set of 8 burners, 1 hard disk and the controller (with everything imaged to hard disk I never bother with dedicated readers, I prefer just doubling up one of the burners for reader duties to get 8 burners in a unit rather than 7 and a reader)

Pioneer and toshiba never caused me any problems ran off of wytron controllers

Buy a few extra drives at time of purchase for swapping out any failed ones you might end up with later on That way you wont have to worry about firmware revisions etc - theres nothing worse than trying to scrabble around finding one or two of whats become last years model of burner 12 months down the line to recomplete a matching set.

November 16th, 2006, 12:54 PM	#61
Ken McGrath Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Woodbridge, VA Posts: 57	Source for DVD Duplicators? I am building a duplicator, but I am not clear on whether I am supposed to use an "image" file (.iso extension when I create using Encore DVD) or do I use a DVD that has already been burned as the source for duplicator?

May 12th, 2007, 07:23 AM	#65
Jake McKensy New Boot Join Date: May 2007 Location: Portland Maine Posts: 5	A couple questions Greetings, I'm new to the forum, I signed up here mainly for this thread. I'm planning on building a duplication tower and this thread has been the single best resource on the web for me! My first question is, does a tower need any software, other than what comes with the hardware? Or is that not necessary at all? For example, some of the burner drives come with Nero or other burning software. Is that necessary for the burners to work? Or can that be detrimental for compatibility with the controller card? My other question is, how do you upgrade firmware? Do you hook up the controller, DVD drives etc. to a computer, download firmware off the web and install it like that? Do you burn firmware to a disc and run it in the drives? How does that work? Thanks for the help, I'm glad I've found this place and I'm glad to be here.

May 12th, 2007, 10:38 PM	#68
Jake McKensy New Boot Join Date: May 2007 Location: Portland Maine Posts: 5	Thanks Thanks for the replies Larry and Steven. I'm about ready to make my purchases. Any other pointers people have on this subject is welcome. Thanks again. Jake

May 13th, 2007, 01:48 PM	#69
Jake McKensy New Boot Join Date: May 2007 Location: Portland Maine Posts: 5	Burner Drives? Is it a good idea to stay away from OEM drives as general practice? I'm reading reviews at newegg and every drive out there has negative reviews mixed in with the positive ones. It makes me feel like I'm just rolling the dice with whatever choice I make. Does anyone have any recommendations or words of wisdom for choosing my set of burner drives? Thanks, Jake

May 20th, 2007, 09:27 PM	#70
Jake McKensy New Boot Join Date: May 2007 Location: Portland Maine Posts: 5	IDE Cables? Greetings, I have a couple other questions. Do DVD drives usually come with IDE cables? And, how do you power your drives? Do you need to hook them up with separate power cables? If so, how does that work? Please excuse my ignorance, and thanks for all the help. Jake

November 18th, 2006, 05:12 AM	#62
Cory Weekes New Boot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Brooklyn,NY Posts: 7	Do you have a manual with the controller you bought? it should explain it in there. If not, I owuld go with the dvd as the source to store from.

November 18th, 2006, 08:15 PM	#63
Ken McGrath Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Woodbridge, VA Posts: 57	I downloaded the manual (I am still awaiting delivery of the controller unit), but they are not specific about the nature of the source. Maybe I am making this much more complicated than it needs to be and all I have to do is burn a DVD and load it into the dvd-rom of the duplicator, save it to the hard drive, and start duplicating. That is my best guess, but I was hoping some of the existing users out there could clarify this one for me....

May 12th, 2007, 08:25 AM	#66
Larry Pierce Tourist Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Brazil, Indiana Posts: 2	My first question is, does a tower need any software, Controller cards have all the software you need for copying and other functions a little bit of a learning curve on each card. My other question is, how do you upgrade firmware? I've never ungraded my firmware but the Manuel for the card will describe how to download the firmware and copy to a CD then that is placed in the read drive to update all the drives.. at once. I use a Acard 9 burner model card with Pioneer 16 X burners Larry Pierce

May 21st, 2007, 02:59 AM	#71
Steven Cowie Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Glasgow United Kingdom Posts: 32	the duplicator controller normally ships with IDE cables (well all the wytron ones I've ever bought have had full set numbered 1 to 9 included) the duplicator case power supply will usually have a full set of power plugs, though I've had a few that needed a couple of Y splitters to handle full set of 8 burners, 1 hard disk and the controller (with everything imaged to hard disk I never bother with dedicated readers, I prefer just doubling up one of the burners for reader duties to get 8 burners in a unit rather than 7 and a reader) Pioneer and toshiba never caused me any problems ran off of wytron controllers Buy a few extra drives at time of purchase for swapping out any failed ones you might end up with later on That way you wont have to worry about firmware revisions etc - theres nothing worse than trying to scrabble around finding one or two of whats become last years model of burner 12 months down the line to recomplete a matching set.