'Third parties needed' for effective DVD duplication

The tools commonly available for carrying out DVD duplication are not sufficient for professional usage, it has been claimed.

Jim Richards of DVD Copying Reviews explains that tension within the film industry could soon make it illegal to copy DVDs on a home computer.

Moreover, he asserts that software for such a task - such as that incorporated into the Microsoft Windows operating system - is "not up to the job".

"You'll need third-party tools, to offer more features and greater flexibility," he comments.

Meanwhile, outsourcing DVD duplication to a third party could also be a means of accessing more advanced features than are available on consumer machines.

This might include the ability to print a label directly on to the disc, rather than using a stick-on label.

Houston-based replication firm Disc Inc suggests that stick-on labels can damage discs in the long term, while thermally printed images do not.