Here is some CD-ROM information that will help you understand the pros and cons of this format in relation to other options.

If the information your want to share can be well-conveyed by the written word alone, you can print it or post it on your Internet site. If your message could benefit from a more dynamic presentation, consider one or more of the four delivery vehicles. These "multi-media" options are: videotape, DVD, CD-ROM and Streaming Media on the Internet. Multi-media may include some or all of the following: the written word (text, titles, bullet points), graphics, video clips, narration (also known as voice-over), and music. Each of these four has their strong and weak points. Some are mentioned below, and others are offered during our free consultation.

Business applications for CD-ROM

CD-ROMs have been used in the business world for more than 10 years. They have an established role in many Fortune 500 companies, whose higher budgets allow for sophisticated and detailed presentations. CD-ROMs, in comparison to other media, provide the most comprehensive interactivity, with the greatest depth of information. CD-ROMs have been utilized by most Fortune 500 companies, but those companies usually have stronger, tightly-crafted needs and messages. In addition, Fortune 500 companies have public relations companies, human resource departments, and outside advertising agencies, with budgetary capabilities beyond the means of most small-to-medium sized companies.

There is also a technical side to this. Authoring tools (software for multi-media professionals) have been developed which simply empower everybody with more "interactivity" than DVDs or videos. However, there are also limitations to the CD-ROM. The playback standards vary depending on the computers (memory, CD-ROM drive playback, and CPU speed among other factors). They can not hold much data (640-700 Mb) and the computers that are often used for playback limit the quality of video images. This is why video productions can not play back in full screen (640 x 480) with perfect motion. Perfect motion is 60 fields/sec. like television, free of strobe, stutter, or motion anomalies.

The potential interactivity of CD-ROMs is as high as the most interactive Internet sites, but with better playback of video clips compared with the Internet because the data is already on the disk and doesn't need to be downloaded. Generally downloaded video suffers from severe image compression. The internet has more limited capability for training, although it is improving and will perhaps be equal to CD-ROM within a few years. If you wish to update your program, it is easier and cheaper to do this with a video or the Internet.

Interactivity vs. Results

Remember that "interactivity" can be a plus or a minus. If you want to present a message, such as one that is persuasive... interactivity may diminish your success. If you want to train someone, this can be done well with either interactivity or a straight program. Together we can determine how important interactivity is vs. how important delivering a straight message is to a captive audience.

In spite of the implication that CD-ROMS are only for large companies, the CD-ROM can be used by small-to-medium companies in a more simplified fashion. A blank CD-ROM, like a blank video cassette or blank DVD is just a storage media waiting for data or a program.

We can make video movies for a CD-ROM and put those same movies on the Internet. Those CD-ROM, half-size movies (specified in the trade as 320x240 pixels or 360 x 240 pixels) are converted for Internet downloads into smaller streaming video (around 120 or 180 pixels wide).

Q. How are CD-ROMs produced in quantity?

A. The terms replication and duplication are used to describe duplication. CD-ROM copies are produced by either burning the data onto a blank CD, or pressing them from raw materials in a big facility. Pressing usually requires 500-1,000 copies as a minimum because of the set up costs (glass masters, molds, etc.). At 1,000 copies, CD-ROM production becomes very economical.

Q. What is CD-ROM authoring?

A. Authoring is the process that creates the actual application your user interacts with. It often involves linking together the various assets, synchronizing events and programming the functions that define what the user can do.

Q. How should I package my CD-ROM?

A. That depends on its intended use. If you are using your CD-ROM in-house only, a basic cardboard mini jacket will probably do. For demos, presentations, and some retail sales you may want to package your CD-ROM in a plastic jewel box with a professionally designed and printed insert. Note that these hard plastic cases are prone to cracking; you may have noticed this with musical CDs. For small-to-medium sized companies we recommend an attractive color face placed in a soft plastic sleeve.

Q. What type of graphics or titling should be printed on the face of the CD-ROM?

A. On a small run or if you are on a tight budget, simple printing of type may do. If your intended audience expects something a little more contemporary or commercial looking, full color graphics treatment is what you should consider.

Q. Will my CD-ROMs play back on PCs and Macs?

A. Yes, if we design them that way. The term "Hybrid" usually refers to a disc which can be used on both Macintosh and PC platforms. No standards exist for creating a hybrid disc, although there are generally two methods used. The simplest, but arguably the least efficient, is to create a disc with two separate volumes, one for Mac HFS files and one for ISO 9660 files. No files are shared between the two systems since the two remain separate on the disc. The alternative is to create one ISO 9660 image containing both Mac and PC files and share as many files as possible (typically "content" files like images and movies) to maximize available disc space.