Not only is an optical disc safer for your archival storage, but it’s also cheaper to maintain as well. Often people don’t think about the costs associated with storing content in “The Cloud”, but over time it really adds up. Yet, outside of the initial cost for the disc itself, there are no residual costs associated with storing content on optical discs. It cost nothing to store an optical disc in a drawer for safe keeping, when you need it you load it into a disc reader and view the content instantly. Yet when you store that content on “The Coud”, which is essentially just a server farm that a 3rd party controls, or even on your own servers, then there is a continuous cost that accumulates day after day, month after month and year after year.

Servers require a lot of electricity to operate, both to operate and maintain the server but even more so for the air conditioning that maintains the server’s temperature and protects against overheating. Even if you think The Cloud is free, once you go over the small allotment of “free” space, then many opt to pay a monthly or annual fee for greater storage capacity. It may seem fairly inexpensive in the short term, but rarely does anyone delete old content to make room for the new content, so those fees just continue to accumulate and escalate. Once you calculate those fees over the long term, then you’ll see how these small fees can really add up and the more content you store the more the cost of maintaining it increases.

Case in point, Facebook recently teamed up with Panasonic to create a whole ecosystem for offloading cold data (old content that is rarely if ever reviewed, but still needs to be available) from their servers and stored onto optical discs instead. They invested in storing content on optical discs in order to keep the content safe and easily available, while freeing up valuable storage space on their servers for new data that is more frequently accessed. This application drastically reduces the overall energy demand, saving a remarkably large amount of money. If it costs hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to develop and implement this new cold data optical disc storage hardware and software, then you can imagine how much they must be spending on energy costs for that investment to make financial sense.

You may not be on the same level as Facebook, but the key is there are expenses that you could drastically reduce or eliminate by reducing the content stored on in The Cloud or on your own servers by placing cold data on optical discs and storing them in a safe and convenient location.

For more details on any of the products that Vinpower carries, please visit our website at www.vinpowerdigital.com or speak with an official Vinpower representative near you.

I’ve spoken on this topic before, describing why maintaining important digital files, like photographs, videos, financial documents, legal documents, etc., should be backed-up onto optical discs rather than just maintained on a hard drive or stored in the cloud. I’d like to further illustrate the importance and ideal method for archiving digital content onto optical discs.

Firstly, why are optical discs safer than archiving that content onto a flash, hard drive, or in the cloud? The main reason is the fact that the content on optical discs cannot be overwritten or erased. In addition, optical discs cannot contract a virus or be the subject to a remote data breach. Write once optical discs are permanent and as long as they are safely stored, the content will remain intact for many years to come without worrying whether someone could remotely access, alter, or delete your most important files. In the case of flash memory or hard drives, the content could be accidentally overwritten or infected with a virus that could be passed on to other computers.

Secondly, when using optical discs as your archival back-ups, it’s best to ensure that you have discs which have been rated for a minimum of 50 years shelf life. If you use low quality media, the content on the disc could oxidize or become corrupted within as little as 3 to 5 years. So if you’re using optical discs to back up your important data, make sure that your media is going to hold up. That’s why we ensure that Vinpower’s lines of OptoDisc media can last at least 50 years under proper conditions.

Thirdly, once you’ve purchased a suitable media, like OptoDisc, and ensured that you properly burned the content you want to back-up and archive, then you need to store the disc(s) in a location that is relatively regulated for temperature, humidity and UV exposure. The good thing is that by nature, optical discs are fairly small and extremely thin, so it’s easy to store a large quantity of discs in a desk drawer or file cabinet. Ideally, the recorded media should be stored at a temperature around 23°C / 74°F with roughly 50% relative humidity and kept in a dark location that is not overly exposed to sunlight. This is fairly easy by simply storing the discs in a protected cake box or paper sleeves inside a drawer or safe.

Lastly, it’s important to check the discs every 5 ~ 7 years by simply loading them in a player or computer to ensure they still play and show the correct files. This way, if you start to see any issues with the media, you can easily transfer the content to another disc without losing any data or lowering the quality of the content.

I have had incidents that have happened to me or people I know where the content on their hard drives and even the back-up files on the servers were wiped out because of a virus or hard drive/server corruption. The only reason everything wasn’t lost was because I had back-ups on optical discs, otherwise it would have been a nightmare. So it’s your choice, but isn’t better to spend a short time and some pocket change for the peace of mind that comes with backing up your files on optical discs, or live in denial and suffer the consequences when the unthinkable happens?

For more details on any of the products that Vinpower carries, please visit our website at www.vinpowerdigital.com or speak with an official Vinpower representative near you.

February 8, 2016 is the start of the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Monkey. Whether or not you celebrate the Chinese New Year, everyone at Vinpower wishes you much prosperity and good health throughout the New Year.

Please be aware that the Taiwan and China offices will be closed Saturday, February 6, through Sunday, February 14, in observance of the Chinese New Year. If you have any requirements that require attention from one of these offices, please contact us prior to the offices shutting down for the holiday. Otherwise, any issues or if you need to reach a representative during the time the offices are closed, please contact a member of the US Vinpower office and we will be happy to assist you.

For more details on any of the products that Vinpower carries, please visit our website at www.vinpowerdigital.com or speak with an official Vinpower representative near you.

Here’s an easy quick guide on how to use the basic functions of the iConnect Mini, by PQI USA, to back-up photos and videos, play music and videos, lock and unlock content, and more. If you recently purchased an iConnect Mini for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, or thinking about doing so, this video will show you how easy it is to perform many of the basic features.

Here’s a link to the video posted on YouTube for quick access to viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbrx5W81qnk

For more details about the iConnect Mini or any product offered by Vinpower Digital or PQI USA, please visit our www.vinpowerdigital.com or contact a Vinpower representative near you.

Thank you to everyone that visited our booth at the 2016 CES trade show. This year, we introduced a number of new products and offering, like the incredibly popular iConnect series for Apple mobile devices from PQI USA, including the iConnect Mini. In addition, we introduced the upcoming official AACS Blu-ray Copy Protection through standalone duplicators and much more.

If you weren’t able to visit us at CES, we hope that you will be able to meet us at one of our upcoming trade shows, such as:
• NAB trade show in Las Vegas, NV, April 18th – 21st,
• Computex in Taipei, Taiwan, May 31st – June 4th,
• or any number of other exhibits we will attend throughout the year.

For more details on any of the products exhibited at CES, or anything that Vinpower carries, please visit our website at www.vinpowerdigital.com or speak with an official Vinpower representative near you.

Vinpower has long touted that archival is the long term direction for optical discs. So the recent press release from Panasonic, stating that it is teaming up with Facebook to create a long term storage solution, specifically for cold data, shouldn’t be a shock to anyone. Cold data essentially means older data that is very unlikely to need to be reviewed or quickly available, so it just sits there. Storage space on servers is critical, especially for extremely high data flow in applications like Facebook. So if you can offload a majority of the Cold Data, then it could free up a tremendous amount of valuable space for more recent relevant data.

Panasonic is taking the opportunity to announce at CES, a new disc-based technology called “FreezeRay”, a successor to the Blu-ray technology Panasonic helped invent with Sony and a host of other companies, which will store 100GB per disc, and which Facebook will use to archive terabytes of data (the “Freeze” part refers to putting data in deep storage — it’s meant for data that does not need to be accessed quickly, unlike, say, the data stored in a database running in flash memory). More importantly, the freeze-ray solution reduces data center operating costs and energy use with strong data integrity. By not having to maintain as much data, with the transference of cold data from the server to an optical disc, that’s less work for the servers to maintain and therefore less effort and energy that needs to be expelled to maintain data that no one is looking at on a regular or even semi-regular basis.

For more details about any of Vinpower’s extensive list of products, visit www.vinpowerdigital.com or contact a Vinpower representative in your area.

Vinpower will showcase their latest advance in the field of optical media duplication, official AACS Blu-ray Copy Protection through Duplication, during the CES trade show in Las Vegas, NV, the week of January 6th – 9th, 2016. Presently, if you want to embed AACS Copy Protection, which is the only recognized copy protection by the Blu-ray Disc Association, onto your Blu-ray content, you had to go through the replication process. Replication differs from duplication in that replication requires very costly large scale equipment that uses dyes and plastic to physically manufacture an optical disc. Duplication, uses very inexpensive hardware that can easily fit on a personal desk and uses recordable optical discs that are readily available. For replication, there’s typically a sizable minimum order quantity, while duplication you can make as few as 1 single copy with no greater expense or time.

So, whether you need to make 1 or thousands of copies of a Blu-ray master content, utilizing the easy to use and inexpensive to operate method of duplication is the easier and more obtainable choice. As Vinpower prepares to release Blu-ray duplicators with the ability to embed true AACS Blu-ray Copy Protection through them, production studios or independent videographers of all sizes can quickly and easily produce Blu-ray content that can offer the same protection as more costly replicated discs.

For more details about Vinpower’s AACS Blu-ray Copy Protection or any of our offerings, please visit our website, www.vinpowerdigital.com, or contact a Vinpower representative near you.

Vinpower’s version of Plextools, offers the improved functionality of being able to trace back the origin of which drive created that specific copy. Through the Plextools software, one could load a previously burned recordable disc and the software can identify the make, model, and internal serial number of the drive that burned that specific disc.

The application has numerous applications, but two of the key benefits are related to:
1. Identifying a bad drive: If customers are complaining that they are not able to view a project provided to them on a burned disc, often times that the result of a drive that is partially failing. If may pass the disc as successfully burned, but there could be glitches or burn marks that make it difficult for playback. By using Vinpower’s Plextools, you can identify which drive(s) those discs were burned from and replace the drive(s) to avoid making additional defective copies.

2. Tracing the source of unauthorized copies: If you have a project that is sensitive or was not authorized for others to make copies of, Vinpower’s Plextools can identify the exact internal serial number(s) of the drive(s) that created those discs and enable you to better determine who made the unauthorized copies based on who owns the drive(s) that burned those discs. Just like fingerprints, there’s no way to erase the identifying marks, even if the external serial number is removed, the internal serial number cannot be altered or destroyed. Even if the discs do not contain watermarks, Plextools can determine what burned that disc to help you determine who the culprit is.

This is just one beneficial feature provided through Vinpower’s Plextools, if you’d like more information about it or where you can get it, visit Vinpower’s website at www.vinpowerdigital.com or contact a Vinpower sales representative near you.

Vinpower will unveil the iConnect Mini, which will be on display for the 1st time in the US, during the CES tradeshow, taking place January 6th – 9th, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada, located in the South Hall 1st floor, booth # 20651.

The iConnect Mini is an ideal companion for owners of iPhones with a lightning connection as it provides up to 128GB* of added storage, backs-up photos and videos with Apple Touch ID protection, and easily transfers content quickly between your iPhone and a computer or tablet through its high speed USB 3.0 connection.

INCREASE iPHONE’S STORAGE CAPCITY
The iConnect Mini expands your iPhone’s storage capacity, especially on the lower capacity 16GB iPhones. The iConnect Mini allows you to take more high-resolution 12 megapixel photos, live photos, 4K videos, and store them directly in its memory without using up precious storage on the iPhone’s internal memory. The iConnect Mini has an extendable Lightning connector that allows it to stay connected to an iPhone without needing to remove the exterior protective casing.

INSTANT ONE-BUTTON BACK-UP
The iConnect Mini allows the user to backup images and videos with the push of a single button. The iConnect Mini is so fast that it can back-up over 1,000 pictures captured through the iPhone camera and transfer it to the iConnect Mini in just over 4 minutes.

TRANSFER BETWEEN ALL YOUR DEVICES
iConnect Mini lets you easily transfer and share files on all your devices without needing to interface through iTunes or iCloud. Share content stored on your iPhone directly to your computer or from your computer on to your iPhone, via the iConnect with dual-interface USB3.0 and Apple-certified Lightning connector. Easily back-up your data from your iPhone to your Mac or PC, or transfer media and other files from your Mac or PC onto your iPhone.

MADE TO MATCH YOUR iPHONE COLOR
The sleek and modern design of PQI iConnect Mini is made to match your iPhone with matching metallic finish to pair it with your gold, grey and rose gold device. The 360 rotating cap conveniently protects the connector when not in use and can be attached to a keychain or carrier for easier transport and storage.

APPLE CERTIFIED
The PQI iConnect are engineered to meet Apple’s design specifications and are MFI (Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod) Certified.

For more details about the iConnect Mini or any products Vinpower Digital manufactures or distributes, please visit our website or contact a Vinpower representative in your area.

Vinpower Digital, a recognized global manufacturer and distributor of digital duplication equipment and accessories, has received the prestigious Plextor PX-891SAF Optical Disc Drives (ODD’s) and is the exclusive worldwide supplier with drives already in stock in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Contact Vinpower today if you’d like to order these top of the line drives.

The Plextor PX-891SAF drive boasts many advantages to the standard half height burner drives in the following ways:

Better Burning Quality:
• Secure Media Speed Stability – Ensures that media duplication speed does not exceed encoded maximum rates to provide better burning control and virtually eliminates bad burns.
• Enhanced Recording Stabilization Control – Ensures all drives in a single duplication environment burn uniformly to avoid disproportionate speed fluctuations, which lead either to failed discs or less compatible completed discs.
• Stable Recording Control – The drives have an extensive database of media specs and are better able to communicate and convey these details while burning the disc(s) at ultimate speed.
Greater Compatibility with blank media and media players:
• Stable burning throughout – Provides consistent and reliable burning of any file type for the duration of the duplication progress to ensure the recorded media has far greater reliability of playback or that the discs will successfully copy to begin with.
• Archival Burning Capability – Able to burn virtually all makes of specialty archival media, including the 1000 year M-Disc brand.
• Enhanced CD-R Duplication – Limits potential distortion in CD-R audio duplication Drives.
Lasts Longer:
• Built using sturdier components – Compared to alternative drives, this model was built using the true Japanese design and parts lists for a stronger and more reliable system.
• Less Wear and Tear – since there are fewer bad burns, the system is able to complete its jobs in less burns meaning a prolonged life for the drives themselves due to less use.
• Industrial tray gears & pulleys – provides a more stable disc loading tray for a longer life cycle (1 cycle equals 1 tray extend from and then return into the drive)
• Enhanced Error Reporting – Provides greater details as to the cause of any potential duplication failure during the Lead-In.
The Plextor PX-891SAF CD/DVD writer drive is immediately available and can be shipped anywhere in the world. Contact Vinpower for more details, or visit www.vinpowerdigital.com to learn more about the benefits and capabilities of this drive.