Most people might think that all DVDs are created equal, so why not find the cheapest place you can find? The truth is, not all DVDs are created equal. Never ever just go for the company with the lowest price quote. It cannot be more wrong. The list below serves as a guide on how to find professional duplication / replication services at a reasonable price.

1. One-stop-shop: By doing the authoring, package design, duplication / replication in one place, you can negotiate a packaged deal, which will in turn save money. Keeping it all in one place will also cut down significant time in shipping and communication back and forth.

2. Get referrals on services: when you are in a time-crunch, the tendency is to go with the first or cheapest company that you can find. Ask around for referrals because with time and financial constraint, you have less room to risk for errors.

3. Go local: Working with a company cross country can be quite frustrating because of time zones and shipping times. In a time-critical job, it's better to work with a local company who you can contact and meet face-to-face. Any problems can be resolved faster if you are just a few miles away. Keep in mind that most replication quotes do not include shipping time and charge.

4. Trust the pros: It might save you a few hundred dollars to author the DVD yourself, or have your roommate do it. Keep in mind that professional authoring houses and replicators do this day in and day out, what they can do in a few days without errors may take you longer to complete. A DVD not properly authored causes more damages than the money you save. This might be the worst decision you can make in order to save money.

5. The artist's touch: Find someone trustworthy with print experience to design your packaging may make all the difference in retail sales. It is the first thing customers see even before opening the DVD. Make your product stand out among all the competitors. The payoff will definitely be worth the cost. Also remember that a web design may not do well in print and vice versa.

6. Proof again and again: It takes time whenever changes are to be made to the master and artwork when it is already in production. Printers often charge for additional print proofs and additional stamper is needed if a problem is found in check disc. Either case it delays the schedule and increases the overall project cost. So do yourself a big favor, before you send everything off to the replicator, check all materials thoroughly.