Overall Rating: ( 3 reviews )

1. ( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 25 2008

   Bravo II works great just make sure you do the alignment everytime you change the ink cartridges. If you do it make very impressive full color lables. I had trouble with the color ink cartridge that came with the unit. Good thing I has a spare to try. Primera said they would send me a replacement but I haven't seen it yet.

2. ( 3 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: Feb 1 2007

   I made the mistake of getting a Microboards DX1 instead of a Primera and it was a NIGHTMARE!!! I can't stress that enough. I'm not here to review Microboards, I did that for the Microboards Print Factory, so read up on that review if you want to see what I hated about it. In the end I sold the Microboards and bought a Primera Bravo II, and I love it. I have gone through over 2000 discs so far without a single hitch. The arm works flawlesly with picking up discs. If you're in the market for a duplicator, or just a printer model, do yourself a favor and pick up a Primera. They are usually cheaper and INFINITELY more reliable. Get one and just enjoy the piece of mind.

3. ( 5 of 5 found this review helpful ) Posted: Aug 17 2006

   I'm the sole proprietor of a small company and we sell health related DVDs. I used to have to check on my PC every 5 minutes when duplicating, then stick the labels on them individually. Now, I just toss a bundle into the machine, it prints my design right on the disc, then I just remove the finished stack. The automated arm is exciting to watch... the first few times. It's quiet, inexpensive, and gets the job done w/out headache. Saves me a lot of time!!! Plus, it's easy to operate.

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Overall Rating: ( 3 reviews )

1. Posted: Jul 15 2008

   I've used this printer for a couple of years now working in a small office. It has never broken down per say, but it has NOT been a smooth ride. There were a couple of occasions when the fans began making a horrendous noise and the printing slowed to a fraction of the normal speed. Pounding the side of it fixed this once. Turning it off for several hours fixed it the second time. My main complaint is that there is no feedback to the user as to what is going on when the printer is experiencing an error. There are just two cryptically-labeled blue buttons. One looks like a power button but is not. The other looks like an upside-down file folder, but I think it's supposed to represent the tray. When the printer has a problem these two buttons will flash spasmatically until you press them in the right way. Usually holding both down at the same time does the trick, but other times you have to also press one or the other in some certain combination. Sometimes you must also power down completely by flipping the switch in the back. Once you have got the "power" button to a solid blue and the "folder" button to be either off or solid, then you are good to go. The claw that grabs the discs moves right in your hand's way when you open the lid to insert blank discs. Then you have to wait a few seconds for it to retract to its resting position. There is no apparent reason why it is programmed this way. Occasionally the Bravo Pro to stacks a disc on top of another disc, causing the print to be misaligned and sometimes jamming the tray. This is because it does not have any means of checking to see if there is already a disc in the tray when it grabs another. One example of when a disc might already be in the tray is if the previous print request failed. Sometimes it refuses to retract the tray when it should, or fails to eject the tray when it should. Then you are back to wanking around with the two buttons again. The read-out of ink levels can be misleading. We printed for many months with a read-out of 100% black. Turns out there was no black at all. "So that's why the black always looks like really dark green!" all this time we thought the ink was just poor quality...until I noticed the black cartridges we were ordering never got used. When re-loading ink cartridges an alignment test must be performed. It is not uncommon to get the error "alignment failed" several times in a row. Random 1-pixel wide black lines started appearing through every other disc during an important mass-mailing. Luckily I discovered that this was only occurring on white discs and I got around it by making a very faint gray rim around every white disc layout. This "woke up" the print head ahead of time and the black lines showed up as just a couple of dots on the very outermost part of the discs. Hardly noticeable now, but what a hack of a workaround! We are not able to print all the way to the hub on discs, so there is always a white ring left on the inside. While we have not been able to absolutely confirm whether this is a software problem or a hardware problem, the software we use (Discus) DOES support printing all the way to the hub, so I believe it is a limitation of this printer. Positive traits about the Bravo Pro: - The proprietary ink isn't much of an issue. It can be bought affordably from supermediastore.com. - The printer is Mac compatible. I was very surprised by the positive reviews others have written...maybe we're just cursed. I'll give it the first star because it does function to some degree, a second star because other two reviews were so positive that our experience may not represent a typical user experience with the Bravo Pro. It seems many of these problems could be fixed with better firmware and/or drivers. It is possible that updates have addressed this in newer models, but who knows. I'd stay away if I were you.

2. Posted: Mar 2 2008

   The Bravo Pro CD/DVD Publisher has performed just as advertised! This *BIG* desktop unit takes up a lot of space, but somewhat less than the combined size of the devices it is replacing, my Disc Duplication Tower and my stand alone Disc Printer. The unit was easy to setup and we were able to print an burn a small batch of discs within an hour of unboxing it. Here are my observations: Pros: * Easy to setup * Good software for Disc art design * Good software for the duplicator * Flawless operation Cons: * Requires external PC with USB 2.0 (other units are stand alone) * "Propriety" print cartridges (another reviewer pointed out that they might be HP) * No Toll Free support number (disappointing for a big ticket item) * Kiosk configuration requires the hopper to hang over the side of the desk This really is a great robot for the small business that needs sporadic mass duplication of professional looking CD/DVDs. Our runs tend to be anywhere from 5 to 100 discs at a time perhaps 5 times a month, so this machine is exactly what we were looking for in a CD/DVD Publisher. Just an idea of the speeds involved, it unattended burned and printed 10 4.2G DVDs with full color art work in under 45 minutes. That job would have taken me almost 2 hours and required manual processing before we got the Bravo Pro CD/DVD Publisher. Highly recommended.

3. ( 4 of 4 found this review helpful ) Posted: Aug 29 2006

   OK, I duplicate more than the average number of DVD's in a year at home - legally, I should add. Vacation photos, home movies, business records, and so on. For example - when we get home from vacation I upload all the media to iPhoto. I can produce the DVD with iDVD, overlaying a soundtrack with some music and comments on the photos. I'll generate a couple of dozen for my folks, sibs and friends, that will be popped into the mail, and then I'll stash some away for the future, when I or my kids are in a sentimental mood. Come the holidays, I'll send a home movie with greetings in the Christmas cards. I keep my home office records on DVD, too, as well as incremental backups of the HD, so I duplicate a backup copy of them, just to maintain a low paranoia titre. It adds up - maybe 30 or so a month. 'Till recently, the DVD recorder internal to my computer was working way overtime, so after some thought I convinced my wife to let me invest in a Primera Pro Publisher. All I can say is, Wow! The device itself is a little bigger than a desktop inkjet printer. Installation is easy: remove the packing material, install the printer cartriges, connect the cable to your computer and run the installation software (both Mac and PC are supported) - that's it. Load the blanks on the right, and boot Discribe, the included software, You can burn data or media discs, CD's and DVD's, from images or hardcopy. The onboard printer will add a professional-looking face to it. (I suggest the OEM software Disclabel to design disc and case covers.) Tell the robot how many copies to make and offit goes. The software is mostly bulletproof, but occasionally, I've found it stallsa and burps at me, mostly from my own ignorance. After a couple of runs, it is pretty straightforward. I can run off about 10 discs in an hour, using both drives. The Primera Pro is really good at what it does. Discs are checked for errors, and it supports most media types, includeing DVD+, DVD- and DL discs. I expect that Primera will support blueray and HD when the drives become more available. I haven't had any trouble with rejected media, nor with DVD players fussing about the quality of the recording. After a couple of months using it, I haven't had any problems whatsoever. I can't tell you about service, because I haven't had any problems, but there is an optional 1-year replacement plan that costs about $250, that seems like a reasonable investment. Construction is good, so I don't recommend the ruggedized model, but definately consider the Pro over the one-drive models - the robot is smart enough to use both drives so big jobs are done in half (or less) the time. I haven't any real criticisms, but I would like Primera to divulge a replacement cassette for the printer - it looks suspiciously like an HP cartridge, but I don't know for sure. I really would like to refil the cartridges myself. For the small video/picture production house, the Primera is ideal. A photographer can shoot a wedding, upload the pictures edit them, and produce a professional-looking VCD or DVD that can be put in the couples hand before they go on their honeymoon. I anticipate the disc will be with us for anouther five or ten years before it is replaced by another technology (presumably with no moving parts). Until that happens, The DVD will be with us, and I strongly recommend the Primeara Pro to the user who is involved in DVD production or duplication.

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Overall Rating: ( 1 reviews )

1. Posted: Nov 30 2007

   How to use two 1:8 DVD/CD Tower Publisher HLX's together: Aleratec eSATA 4-Port PCI-X Host Adapter Suggested Media for best results: 16x LightScribe DVD+R Media, 120 Minute / 4.7GB, Spindle, 100 Pack Alera 230114 4 16x DVD-R Media CD-r Lightscribe Aleratec CD-R LightScribe Discs (100 Pack)

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Overall Rating: ( 1 reviews )

1. Posted: Nov 28 2007

   Expanding data bases, spreadsheets, documents, presentations, graphics, images, audio and video, make it essential to efficiently archive, manage and distribute increasing volumes of digital content in a variety of formats. With the explosion of digital information every organization and professional environment has accelerating requirements. The most reliable, and cost effective means to archive, manage, and distribute these valuable assets in on optical storage media, currently DVDs and CDs. Observing the needs and environments for processing large volumes of discs, Alera Technologies, the recognized leader in Award Winning tower and desktop DVD and CD Duplication solutions has introduced a totally automated disc duplication system which is the fastest in its class. The 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower is optimized for duplicating speed with a fast robotic loading mechanism and it has no built in printer to limit throughput. Printing is a slower process than duplicating and can be done in advance or after duplication if needed. It is no surprise that our analysis confirms that the majority of users are in an office environment and have little experience with automated equipment other than possibly a copier. In this environment, equipment must be easy to understand and operate. Most automated disc duplication products available today are either very limited in capacity or are fairly complex and cumbersome and not really suited to the office environment. Alera Technologies has carefully considered these factors in the development of the Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower. The system has a 200 disc automatic loading capacity that can truly support unattended operation and operating controls that are very straight forward and intuitive to even the novice user. The Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower is a new robotic duplication system incorporating the highest disc recording speeds and robotic disc handling in a package that facilitates higher productivity and hence is more cost effective than manual duplicating products. Business, government and education offices, audio and video professionals, software and game developers, graphic artists, churches, private organizations, and individual video enthusiasts are constantly looking for more effective methods of duplicating and handling DVDs and CDs for customers, clients, employees, students, organization members, etc. The need to duplicate and publish both DVDs and CDs in your office, where you have total control of the schedules, quantity and content has been growing since the first Optical Technology Recorders came on the scene. Until now, the necessary equipment has been hard to understand and operate, and very expensive. The Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower with advanced robotic disc handling is unique in stand alone DVD duplication systems providing automated, unattended, duplication of high quality DVDs and CDs. The Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower automatically duplicates DVDs and CDs with no operator intervention required. Load a source disc image to the 120GB HDD and up to 180 pieces of blank media, it can duplicate up to 200 discs per job completely unattended. The DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower incorporates the latest 16x DVD recording technology that can make 3 simultaneous copies of two hours of video in as few as 5 minutes per cycle of the 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower. That translates to less than 1.7 minutes per DVD. With the DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower you can duplicate DVDs at speeds up to 16x using 16x certified media. The DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower can also copy up to 8.5GB on Double Layer Media at up to 4x taking advantage of the latest Double Layer recording technology. The Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Towers incorporate a built in 120GB hard disk drive to store frequently used source disc images and the hard disk maximizes copying stability especially in high speed copying operations. Product Features Robotic DVD/CD Duplicator Highest throughput in its class Production capacity up to 200 unattended copies 3 simultaneous DVDs or 3 simultaneous CDs per cycle for throughput of about 30 typical DVDs per hour or 60 typical CDs per hour Built in 120GB Hard Drive for storage of frequently used masters DVD Copies at up to 16x or CD copies at up to 48x Supports all popular DVD formats. Duplicates using DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW and DVD+RW blank media Powerful Control Features with back lighted LCD Display and intuitive menu maximizing copy control, flexibility, and output Professional Black to complement office or computer room Unique "Edit Track" feature to create custom compilations without a computer Completely Stand Alone, no computer required Automated production of high quality DVDs and CDs is quick and easy with the Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower. With the Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower for businesses and professionals you can: Outperform your competition by duplicating video sales presentations and product demonstrations. With DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower you can reproduce discs that can give all of your customers a live, first hand look at your products and their features, advantages and benefits, while optimizing the valuable time of your sales force. Make backups of your in-house training videos, policies, procedures, directories, manuals, etc for safe keeping or make DVD or CD copies for all employees and branch offices providing tamper-proof reference without taking up valuable primary storage space on your workstations or network. Put all of your technical manuals and product instructions in text and video on DVDs to be included with each product purchased increasing value and utility to your customers while not only eliminating the expense, bulk and weight of paper manuals, but also adding the power of live video. Make copies of important information for traveling employees or have available when working at home or to have access to your data on anyone's computer at any time. With the 4.7GB capacity of standard DVD discs and 8.5GB capacity of Double Layer DVDs, there is ample space for many multimedia techniques. Make copies of original software covered by a multiple license agreement and use them to install the software on different machines at different times. Make copies of large work-in-process videos to send to other team members working on the same project without consuming valuable network bandwidth The applications are limitless, everything from the distribution of business videos, graphics, multimedia files, music productions, to making copies of your home video creations for the family. Video and Audio Professionals can control their careers by issuing their pre-release DVDs, making demo copies and custom distributions for studios, all without having to rely on outside services to copy their DVDs. Business, Government, and Education users can create multiple redundant copies of backup data and archive documents, to store safely offsite as recommended by industry experts. Workgroups can distribute large files or videos to other departments. Companies can make copies of training programs and much more. Software Developers and Game Producers can make copies for beta testing and short run distribution to potential customers. With the DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower it is easy to make multiple copies of each version. Graphic Artists can make multiple copies of large image files for review, archiving and distribution to clients and service bureaus. With the Aleratec 1:3 DVD/CD Auto Copy Tower we have created a unique professional strength solution offered at consumer prices. Our goal is to exceed your expectations and we are dedicated to providing you with an Aleratec Experience that is pleasant, straightforward and enjoyable.

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Overall Rating: ( 3 reviews )

1. Posted: Dec 13 2007

   For best results use the following "duplicator grade" LightScribe media: Aleratec CD-R LightScribe Discs (100 Pack) CD-r Lightscribe Alera 230114 4 16x DVD-R Media 16x LightScribe DVD+R Media, 120 Minute / 4.7GB, Spindle, 100 Pack

2. ( 10 of 10 found this review helpful ) Posted: Oct 24 2006

   I use this device as follows: I make videos as cottage industry for my children's high school drama productions and local dance studio. The most painful part of this is the "burn" process from Adobe and/or Nero products. The speeds these tools write effectively on my computer is at best 4X. This device seemed like the ideal solution, except for the reviewer on this page, who gave it a 2-star, poor review. I could not find an equal product anywhere for the price, so I took a chance. I have been incredibly happy with the decision. The device not only burns at 16x, but also does QC for you. Now I can edit videos on my computer, which is running Adobe Premiere, and run off videos on the Aleratec at 16x. It makes everything smooth and easy. I have never had a complaint about a disc burned on this device being of poor quality. And there is no thought involved in burning them off: just slap in the new disc and hit one button. I love this product, and if you are running off productions of 15-30 dvds once in a while (like 4 times a year) you should buy this product. It will be worth every penny.

3. ( 24 of 25 found this review helpful ) Posted: Dec 2 2005

   I really wanted to like this DVD/CD duplicator. It is fast, cheap, has all the features I need, and even has LightScribe technology to write a label on the DVD (or CD). It runs as a stand-alone DVD copier (for DVDs you make yourself; it won't copy copy-protected commercial DVDs), or as an external DVD burner for a computer. The problem is, when I used this duplicator as a DVD burner from my computer, , and then tried to play that DVD on my two 5-year-old high-end Toshiba DVD players, the resulting DVD showed a lot of drop-out (little colored squares) on playback. This was true on both of my DVD players. There aren't errors on the DVD, per se. I did a verify, and the data on the DVD is all correct. And when I played the DVD on another player, it played fine. But the depth or quality of the DVD burning was insufficient for the DVD to be reliably readable on my two Toshiba DVD players. Same thing happened when I burned another DVD using this Aleratec DVD cuplicator; lots of drop-out when played on both of my Toshiba DVD players. This problem did not occur when I burned the very same DVD content using my Iomega Super DVD external DVD burner. I have used the Iomega to burn hundreds of DVDs, and every DVD that gets burned by the Iomega drive plays perfectly on every DVD player I have tried, including my two older high-end Toshiba DVD players. The problem I saw seems to be specific to the DVD burner built-in to the Aleratec DVD duplicator. So I tried another experiment. I took a DVD that plays excellently on my two Toshiba DVD players. I then used this Aleratec Copy Cruiser Pro LS to make a copy of the DVD. The copy had the same problem: It showed lots of drop out when played on both of my Toshiba DVD players. I made two more copies the same way, using the Aleratec, and those two additional copies had the very same problem. Maybe it is just my one unit. Maybe it is something about the BenQ DVD burner built-in to the Aleratec. Maybe there is something wrong with the firmware in the Aleratec. I don't know. But it doesn't work well for me. I'm returning this Aleratec unit to Amazon, and buying the other, slightly cheaper Aleratec Copy Cruiser Pro (with no LS on the end) that doesn't have the LightScribe technology. I don't really need the LightScribe, and this other unit I'm buying doesn't use a BenQ DVD burner; it uses some other brand of DVD burner. I'm hoping the one works out. As I say, I really want the Aleratec DVD duplicator to work for me.

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Overall Rating: ( 14 reviews )

1. Posted: May 9 2008

   Good value for the price. Only drawback is that my laptop could not supply enough power for the drive to work reliably, even with power from 2 USB ports. Had to buy an external power adapter to supply power to the drive.

2. Posted: May 2 2008

   The CD drive on my six year old Dell pooped out for no apparent reason and rather than spend big money to replace or fix it or replace the entire system, I tried this as a quick fix. It works fine and saved me time, money and stress.I made a good choice and am very pleased.

3. Posted: Apr 6 2008

   I had never used an external cd drive before. I had no problems what-so-ever. Would definitely suggest this product to friends.

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Overall Rating: ( 1 reviews )

1. ( 1 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jan 15 2007

   It works fine as described except it does not have a LCD display to indicate the status of the progress e.g. time elasped which makes it difficult to tell how long it takes.

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