Primera Bravo SE Nightmare
 

Well, I just spent the better part of a day making copious coasters with my new Bravo SE. To help any other poor souls out there if you've just purchased or plan on purchasing a Bravo SE be sure that the install disk you have for the Mac is version 5.3.27 NOT 5.3.23. Seems that Primera is now using the new Pioneer DVR-112D DVD burners. That actually is not a bad thing. Checking numerous reviews this appears to be a pretty good drive. The bad thing is they are shipping it with a version of their software that does not have the correct drivers. About 15 coasters, one trip to Fry's for 3 more versions of blank DVD's I finally found out after calling them that the version shipped with the unit does not work. I'm using a MacPro with Tiger version 10.4.10. Don't even go there with Leopard. I had a double whammy going against me as I ordered 100 DVD+R's and 100 DVD-R's from mediasupply.com. What they sent me was 100 DVD-R's and 100 CD-R's. I'm trying to burn a 2gig video, with the wrong driver onto meda good for 700Mb. Cripe.....I think it is time for some Chivas. Good thing I don't keep a fire ax in my office.

Oh, and BTW. When you get tech support to email you the correct version, you need to be logged into your Mac as root to do the install or it will not work. Just thought I'd pass this on.

I hope this is not a premonition of things to come............ of course today is Halloween.......

UPDATE. This thing is a complete POS. I'm returning it ASAP. I've tried to dup one DVD with 4 copies each time. Both times it has completely hosed up. Printed wrong, disk slips, printing all off, DVD jams. This thing is garbage. I could not recommend this LOW enough. So.....does someone have a better recommendation for a disk duplicator that runs on a MAC?

I've heard good things about the Microboards GX. It works on both Windows and Mac. I don't use it, but I do use the Print Factory II, and as long as you're using the OEM color ink cartridge, it works great. Compared to the Bravo, the Microboards stuff is built like a tank vs. the cheap plastic feel of the Primera stuff.

I can not recommend Microboards as their products that I have break down repeatedly and their service is poor after the warranty runs out, probably a punishment for not buying the overpriced service contract. Maybe their new offerings have better quality but you'll not find me buying their products again without several 90% positive raves from users.

After some problems with Primera products which I documented earlier in another thread, I've had a trouble free year of use from the two Bravos I own. However in the meantime I have brought a couple of 1x10 16x DVD tower duplicators and am using the Bravos mostly for printing at this point. If your are planning to do volume duplication, I would recommend a tower duplicator and a print only version of the Bravo.

Still waiting for an under $1500 bulk DVD printer that has separate color ink cartridges. Maybe the Epson will be the one.

I can't agree more about the tower/printer workflow concept. It doesn't work well in bulk any other way. I just find that I spend a fortune in ink cartridges on the Bravo. The Print Factory II is not without its issues, but it's a better printer that works faster and cheaper than the Bravo.

i have one of these, and it's a little temperamental, but once you outwit it, it seems to work just fine. i can't say that it was easy to get it to that point, however, there's a learning curve. so i would not recommend purchasing it the day before you promised a finished job to a client. give yourself a week or so to compensate for its not-so-intuitive interface....

Alternative
 

Well, in addition to the lousy hardware the software is not all that great either. Totally non-intuitive and the documentation is paltry. Got an RMA number for the Primera so I"m going to ship it back. Looking into using a ILY x5 DVD Duplicator tower that is only $570 at Newegg and an HP5160 Ink Jet printer that is only $80. I don't need huge volume duplicating at this point in time. If/when that time comes it would be a high class problem and I'll look at something else.

PS - I've got 2 new-in-the-box printer cartridges for the Bravo SE I'll make a smoking deal on. Send me an email if you are interested.

You know your business - just remember you can't grow if you don't grow capacity quickly after a big sale. Printing is the bottleneck in the process, even when you have an auto printer that can do 25+ without user intervention, if your print is full coverage, you're probably going to making discs a lot faster than you're printing them.

I not familiar with the printing software for Windows on the Bravo but the Discus software for Mac, while slightly goofy with it's Hanna-Barbera sound effects, is quite easy to use and works reasonably well.

I would really investigate using a cheap inkjet printer for your work. I have an Epson that does CDs but the amount of labor needed to do one disc and the amount of desk room it requires to do CD printing (1/3 more than paper printing) makes it very unsatisfactory for my cramped workspace and time.

I understand but for the moment I'm really not looking to get into the disk duplicating business, I just want to deliver a professional looking product. I've read some reviews on the printer I mention above and for printing on a single disk at a time people seemed to think it does a good job. I initially got the Bravo thinking that if I really wanted to do some duplicating business I could, provided the volume was not too large. For the short term it really is not a requirement. In the list of priorities I need to accomplish with my business this is fairly low. That is also a little why I was so pissed off with the product as I have far more important things I need to get done besides blowing an entire day screwing around with a disk duplicator.

phil, the epson is not bad--i have one, but the primera produces a substantially better image. mine paid for itself on its first 2 jobs, whereas i would not say the same for the epson. if you ever have to print more than a couple of disks in a sitting, you will hate the one-disk-at-a-time inefficiency of the epson. and the image, to compare the two, looks more like high-end amateur than mid-grade professional.

not trying to convince you here--i have no stake in what you choose, and i wouldn't mind your smokin deal on ink cartridges!--but just be aware that you made possibly be trading out one set of frustrations for another.

Well, the printer I'm talking about is not an Epson it is an HP5160. I hear you on the printing and I know that. I'm literally just getting started here in this business. This is one of those purchases where you trade it off against what else you can get for the same money. I could use some more lights, another camera and tripod. What I save here won't make up for a camera or tripod but could take me most of the way where I need to be on lighting. Thanks for the info and feedback. Judging from all of the comments sounds to me like there is still a sizable market for someone to make a rock solid reliable, moderate cost disk duplicator. At the moment these appear to be mutually exclusive goals compared to what is being produced today.

Phil

PS - Just click on my name and send me an email if you are interested in the cartridges. I posted them on the Classifieds too.