Information Today
Volume17, Number 3 • March 2000
MediaFORM Introduces SmartDRIVE2

MediaFORM, a manufacturer of CD-R duplicators, has announced the release of SmartDRIVE2, a CD-R drive. Christopher Bradlee, MediaFORM’s vice president of sales and marketing, said: “SmartDRIVE2 is the first 12x-compatible CD-R drive made for professional duplication systems. But what really makes it unique is the array of newly developed features that address media handling, the protection of intellectual property, and piracy issues in general—which challenge today’s software and audio CD developers as well as manufacturers.”

Piracy continues to be a critical problem within the CD-R duplication industry. An industry analyst said: “With the tremendous growth in duplication and imaging over recent years, the piracy of intellectual property has become a serious concern among service providers, manufacturers, and distributors. The problem is estimated to have cost legitimate companies well in the billions.”

SmartDRIVE2’s features include Copy Protection, Watermarking, SmartSTAMP, SmartMEDIA, SmartRID, Frame Accurate Recording, and Mini-Disc & Business Card CD-R Compatibility.

The Copy Protection feature protects content developers from pirating and revenue loss through illegal copying of CD-R and intellectual property. According to the company, no other CD-R drive on the market offers copy protection of any sort. On MediaFORM stand-alone systems, copy protection is pre-defined for a single area of the disc. MediaFORM’s NT-based systems allow greater flexibility for copy protection through mobile protection schemes.

The electronic watermarking on audio and data discs is an effective “fingerprint” on every CD-R produced by SmartDRIVE2-equipped MediaFORM products. SmartDRIVE2 watermarking can, for instance, imprint the date, time, and specific drive burning the CD. Watermarking on SmartDRIVE2 is compliant with all the industry standards, including Red Book, Orange Book, and Yellow Book.

The SmartSTAMP feature is similar to watermarking but only usable on data-oriented CDs. SmartSTAMP allows optional activation; the user can turn it on or off in various production scenarios.

The SmartMEDIA feature allows corporations to outsource software production with the knowledge and confidence that intellectual property is being protected, while being duplicated to their specifications. The SmartMEDIA feature can also lock in specific proprietary media, assuring that only that media will be used in production situations. SmartMEDIA limits CD-R usage on premises, regulates internal production, assists in the prevention of employee piracy, and offers an effective method of monitoring cost-per-copy for outsourcing facilities.

The SmartRID feature assures organizations compliance and compatibility with audio-industry standards and regulatory requirements. In addition, SmartDRIVE2 supplies the option of activating or deactivating RID, which allows provision of both Red Book and Orange Book compliance.

According to the company, the Frame Accurate Recording audio feature in effect raises the production quality level to that of CD-R replication, ensuring an exact copy of each master and virtually eliminating the possibility of drop-out, click, or inaccurate duplication. It also offers the ability to verify all formats including CDDA, CDE, and CDI, as well as standard data discs.

Source: MediaFORM, Exton, PA, 610/458-9200; Fax: 610/458-9554; http://www.mediaform.com.


Table of Contents Information Today Home Page