PSI, Inc. : : DIGITAL MEDIA EXPERTS

Streaming Video Made Easy

2010-11-04T11:05:00.004-04:00

Did you know that over 50% of internet traffic is due to streaming video?

Do you have a strategy to leverage this new phenomenon?

PSI - The Digital Media Experts can help. We have the ability to deliver secure, full-screen, DVD quality videos to anyone, anywhere in the world.

How do we do it? Through a strategic relationship with one of the world's leading Content Distribution Networks, we have tens of thousands of servers strategically located around the world. This enables the fastest delivery to the end-user no matter where they are located.

Customer's who utilize our video streaming solution have access to the same network and technology that companies such as CNN, NBALive, Microsoft and others are using to deliver ONDemand and Live Video Streams.

PSI's solution is simple and easy to use...with our customized on-line portal you can upload video, manage your library of content, setup live video streams and receive real-time analysis of all your content.

FEATURES

Plug-and-Play interface with self-provisioning feature gives you immediate control of your digital media assets
PSI's state of the art CDN (Content Distribution Network) was designed to deliver HD quality streaming content over the web
Our CDN has virtually zero latency and 100% uptime
Enables accelerated delivery of all file types (audio, video, software, presentations, etc.)
Get real-time data on how your content is being viewed and make changes on-the-fly with our MediaTracker dashboard

If you have any questions regarding our video streaming services or if you would like to schedule a demo, please visit us at www.psidiscs.com

PSI, Inc. announces expanded capacity with the addition of a DVD replication line

2010-06-17T10:16:00.002-04:00

PSI announces the expansion of their Duluth, Georgia manufacturing plant with the addition of a DVD replication line. The M2 DVD line increases PSI's optical disc manufacturing by over 25 percent. In addition, the investment improves customer turn times with the ability to produce replicated bulk DVDs and CDs in as little as 48 hours.

"Over the past several years, our customers have told us that turn time is a major factor in choosing their vendor.", said Dave Abrahamson, President of PSI. "Now with DVD turn times matching that of our CD turn times, and the fact that PSI is the only optical disc replicator in the state of Georgia, our focus is to continue aggressively growing our customer base within the Southeast market."

Over the past 12 months, PSI has made several key investments, focused on continuing to delight its customers and expanding its presence in the Southeast. In June of 2009, PSI acquired Creative Lynks, a graphic design and pre-press firm; expanding their graphic design talent and improving their cycle times. Then in March of 2009, PSI expanded their Atlanta-based sales team, hiring Cindy Naugle and Christy Craig, two veteran sales professionals in the optical disc industry.

PSI's investment in their new DVD line reinforces PSI as "The Digital Media Experts", with the ability to produce, package and distribute digital media in any format, to anyone, anywhere in the world.

PSI, Inc. joins CMMA as a Silver Circle Partner

2010-04-01T09:34:00.002-04:00

PSI is proud to be a Silver Circle Partner of The Communications Media Management Association, (CMMA).

About the CMMA:
The CMMA provides professional development and networking opportunities for communications media managers. As the premier professional association for communications media management, CMMA provides leadership to the communications industry and value for members and the organizations for which they work.

For more information visit: www.cmma.org

About PSI:
Founded in 1986, PSI, Inc. is an established and respected market leader in the delivery of digital media services. We have a proven track record and the capabilities to produce, package and distribute digital media in any format, to anyone, anywhere in the world! From manufacturing millions of CD’s and DVD’s to turn-key e-commerce solutions and streaming high-definition video over our world-wide content distribution network, PSI has a comprehensive portfolio of digital media services to meet your needs. Our ever-expanding list of corporate clients includes established companies in the following industries: Healthcare, Faith-based ministries, Education, Direct Marketing Agencies, Software, Entertainment, Retail and Manufacturing.

For more information visit: www.psidiscs.com

PSI Receives 2009 Best of Business Award

2010-03-24T09:29:00.007-04:00

Small Business Commerce Association’s Award Honors the Achievement

SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2009, PSI, INC. - The Digital Media Experts has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Optical Disc Replication Services category by the Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)

The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce that PSI, INC. - The Digital Media Experts has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Optical Disc Replication Services category.

The SBCA 2009 Award Program recognizes the top 5% of small businesses throughout the country. Using statistical research and consumer feedback, the SBCA identifies companies that we believe have demonstrated what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from nominees based off statistical research and also information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, a review of consumer rankings, and other consumer reports. Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great.

About Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)

Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is a San Francisco based organization. The SBCA is a private sector entity that aims to provide tactical guidance with many day to day issues that small business owners face. In addition to our main goal of providing a central repository of small business operational advice; we use consumer feedback to identify companies that exemplify what makes small business a vital part of the American economy.

SOURCE: Small Business Commerce Association

PSI Expands Sales Team

2010-03-09T14:36:00.002-05:00

Professional Sound Images, Inc. (PSI), a market leader in optical disc manufacturing, packaging and distribution announced today the appointment of Cindy Naugle and Christy Craig as senior sales professionals.

Cindy Naugle brings more than 20 years of audio and video sales and business development experience to PSI. Most recently Cindy served as Business Development Manager for Next Generation Media (NGM) in their Atlanta office. Prior to NGM, Cindy was Business Development Manager for Allied Vaughn and a Sales Executive for WRS Motion Picture Video Lab in Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

Christy Craig joins PSI with over 16 years of sales, marketing and business development experience in the media industry. Most recently she was employed with NGM as Business Development Manager and also held positions at Allied Vaughn as Regional Sales Manager and General Manager. Prior to NGM and Allied Vaughn, Christy was a sales executive for ADV Films and Vaughn Communications.

“We are excited to have two senior sales professionals added to our sales team,” said David Abrahamson, President of PSI. “As Georgia’s only manufacturer of optical discs, we have a distinct advantage in serving the Atlanta market. Cindy and Christy’s broad industry knowledge and experience in the Atlanta market will allow PSI to take advantage of the evolving digital media industry and continue expanding our growing list of corporate clients."

About PSI:
PSI is Georgia’s only optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, a 24,000 square foot distribution facility and a world-wide content distribution network, PSI has the ability to produce, package and distribute digital media in any format to anyone, anywhere in the world. www.psidiscs.com

Barcodes are Essential for "Retail-Ready" Products

2009-10-07T10:06:00.003-04:00

If your CD or DVD replication project is intended for retail use, a barcode is essential. A UPC barcode is the mechanism that is used to track sales and payout of royalties.

Even if you don't plan on selling your CD or DVD at major retail outlets, a barcode will give your product a look of legitimacy.

At PSI, we don't charge for UPC barcodes. Our barcodes are generated with our GS1 prefix and all barcodes are submitted to the Nielson/Soundscan database.

We can provide you with a barcode graphic that you can place into your artwork or our in-house design staff can do it for you.

To find out how to add a barcode to your next project, contact PSI toll free at 800-808-8273 or visit us online at www.psidiscs.com

“The Knows have it”: How to design artwork for a CD or DVD

2009-10-01T16:48:00.007-04:00

When you are planning to design artwork for a CD or DVD there are a few things that you should know to ensure that the disc is printed correctly and you achieve the desired result. Being aware of the ins and outs of disc design will prevent headaches, delays and additional cost during the production process.

Know the challenges of printing on a disc
Many people assume that designing artwork for a CD or DVD is no different than designing for printed paper. However that is not the case. Printing on plastic presents unique challenges. It is important to know what is and is not possible when printing on a CD or DVD. Refer to the following design tips.

Make sure the color mode is appropriate for the print method: Full color artwork should be provided in CMYK. PMS based artwork should be provided in a format that allows you to specify Pantone inks.
If possible, create text in the vector format so it prints as clearly as possible. When possible, outline the fonts before final submission of the artwork.
Try to avoid screens or transparency under 20%. Most screens or elements where transparency has been adjusted to 20% or below will appear very faint or will not show up on a disc.
Do not use type smaller than 6pt.
When using black on a full color disc, use a CMYK blend of black. Regular 100% black will actually look dark gray when printed in full color. It is best to use a CMYK blend called rich black. While there are many possible combinations for rich black, PSI suggests that you use c=40%, m=30%, y=30%, k=100%.

Know the Print Method
As part of the design process you should pre-determine how the disc will be printed. PSI offers many printing techniques for CDs and DVDs from black thermal, to Silkscreen, to full-color digital and full-color offset printing.

The print method used for your disc is primarily based on the artwork you supply. However, other factors to come into play such as the quantity of discs ordered, how quickly you need the discs and if the disc will be duplicated or replicated.

To ensure that your artwork will meet your expectations, it is suggested that you consult PSI early in your design process.

Know Your Boundaries
These days, you can print on practically the entire surface of a disc. However each replication company has its own set of printing specifications that dictate the print area on a CD and DVD.

You can view PSI’s print specifications and templates at www.psidiscs.com

Creating your artwork according to the correct specifications is important. Incorrectly sized artwork may have to be resized which may result in loss of quality. Also, altering the size will most likely change the positioning of your elements from what was originally intended.

Not only should you be aware of the printable area, but you should also understand the anatomy of a disc and how this may affect your artwork.

Know the Printable area:
PSI can seamlessly print over the entire main printable area, the mirror band, stacking ring and plastic hub. If you refer to the image above, you will see that each section of the disc looks different. The main printable area has a shiny metallic look. The mirror band has a darker metallic look. The stacking ring and plastic hub are clear plastic.

It is important to understand that artwork may appear darker on top of the mirror band and lighter on stacking ring and plastic hub. Although a white flood coat does help to minimize the changes to the color in these areas it does not stop it completely.

Know if you need a white flood coat:
A white flood coat provides a white surface on the disc that we can print on top of. Without a white flood coat, we would be printing on the metallic layer of the disc (and possibly the clear plastic of the stacking ring and hub). A white flood coat is always used on a full color digital or offset printed disc.

With silkscreen printing you have the option of using, or not using, a white flood coat. We usually suggest a white flood coat behind your artwork unless you plan on using the metallic look of the disc as a design element. Keep in mind that color will appear differently if it is not printed on a white flood coat so if there is any concern about how your artwork will turn out, it is best to go with a white flood.

Know when to ask for help:
A wise person once said, “I Am Smart Enough to Know I Don't Know It All”. This is a just a strange way of saying that if you are unsure about something, ask someone for help. We don’t know everything but we do know about printing on discs. So if you need help please give us a call! Toll Free: 800-808-8273

About PSI
Founded in 1986, PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, and an expansive warehouse and distribution facility, PSI produces, packages and distributes millions of CDs and DVDs each month. In addition, PSI offers our high-quality, full-screen on-demand and live streaming video services through our world-wide content distribution network.

For more information on PSI, please visit www.psidiscs.com.

Custom USB Drives: Now available from PSI

2009-09-22T11:22:00.004-04:00

Question: What weighs less than an ounce can be used as a key chain and stores thousands of photos?

Answer: A USB Flash Drive!

With storage capacities ranging from 64 MB, all the way up to 256 GB and prices starting as low as a few dollars per unit, USB Flash Drives represent the latest technology available for storing and transporting data.

PSI is now offering customized USB drives. There is almost no limit to the variety of shapes, styles and colors that are available. The best part is that a USB drive can be custom printed with your artwork, company logo, etc.

The drives are available without any content or we can preload them with almost any type of file. However we usually suggest file types that are easily opened by any type of computer and operating system (PDF, MP3, Mpeg, etc.)

What is a USB Flash Drive?
A USB Flash Drive (aka jump drive, thumb drive, keychain drive) is an easy to use, lightweight, plug and play storage device that is about the size of your thumb. It uses flash memory to store your data. The flash memory is integrated with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface enclosed in a compact plastic, metal or rubberized case. When a user plugs a USB flash drive into their computer, their operating system will recognize it as a storage device and automatically assign a drive letter to it.

Potential Uses

Ad specialty item/giveaway: While many ad specialty items (pens, memo pads, stress balls) may be quickly discarded, the recipient of a USB drive will see it as a valuable gift. Most likely they will keep it and use it continuously. And every time they use it they will be reminded of your company.
Tradeshows: When you are competing for marketshare at a tradeshow, your giveaway needs to stand out. Instead of printing your brochure, put it on a USB drive.
Documentation and media distribution: Many companies and organizations distribute USB drives that are preloaded with documentation, training materials, mp3 files and video.

Advantages of USB Flash Drives

Compact size: While the size can vary, most USB Flash drives weigh less than one ounce and are less than 70mm in height and 20 mm in width.
Reliability: Data stored on flash drives are impervious to scratches and dust.
Durability: Compared to hard drives, flash drives use little power and have no fragile moving parts.
No software required: Flash drives implement the USB mass storage device class that so most operating systems can read and write to them without installing device drivers.
Storage capacity: Flash drives have the ability to hold more data than 365 CDs or 54 DVDs.
Speed: Flash drives can copy and write files up to 10 times faster than other traditional portable storage mediums.

Disadvantage of USB Flash Drives

Compact size: Although the size may be an advantage, flash drives have become so compact that they can be easily misplaced or lost.
Price: As the storage capacity of a Flash Drive approaches 50GB, they begin to exceed the price of an external hard drive of similar capacity. However, these prices will start to go down as the demand increases and the cost of manufacturing goes down.
Lifespan: Flash drives have a limit to the number of write/erase cycles before they begin to fail. However, with most flash drives allowing for almost 500,000 write/erase cycles, you will most likely lose your device before it wears out.

About PSI
Founded in 1986, PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, and an expansive warehouse and distribution facility, PSI produces, packages and distributes millions of CDs and DVDs each month. In addition, PSI offers our high-quality, full-screen on-demand and live streaming video services through our world-wide content distribution network.

For more information on PSI, please visit www.psidiscs.com.

Executive overhaul: Living the American dream

2009-09-17T15:49:00.001-04:00

This is a reposting of an article that was published on examiner.com
To view the article on their webiste, click here

September 16, 3:45 AM
Atlanta Small Business ExaminerSam Dobrow

Dave Abrahamson spent much of his career inside corporate America rising through the ranks at Sprint and Bellsouth from internal audit to senior management; then one day the entrepreneur bug bit him. Dave had always wanted to experience the American dream by owning his own business so he set out to do just that. Dave identified key criteria for a business he wanted to own and started evaluating several small businesses. He drew on his background in accounting and internal audit to examine the financials of the business then he applied his experience in sales and marketing to assess the growth potential. Eventually, Dave found himself across the table from Jeff Lucas the owner of PSI, Georgia's largest manufacturer of digital optical discs. They both felt the synergy and crafted out a partnership that would propel the company forward, against the odds, in a troubled economy.

Thinking about themselves as a content fulfillment service, Dave and Jeff are embracing new technologies to broaden the PSI product offering. Dave is creating opportunities with the Internet where many of PSI's competitors see gloom. The naysayers believe the Internet will kill the market for physical media like CDs and DVDs. Dave sees synergy offering both electronic content distribution and physical media. "By offering our clients a comprehensive offering, we make it easier for them to reach their customer." With a background in telecom, Dave has negotiated a sweet deal to purchase reliable, high volume, content delivery capabilities from content distribution network (CDN) providers. PSI resells their CDN capacity in smaller packages. "PSI clients can now reach their customers with high quality content streaming that was previously only available to large businesses."

In addition to expanding services for customers, PSI has made some strategic acquisitions to bring graphic design services in-house to be more cost effective and price competitive. According to Dave, PSI will continue to grow by making some strategic acquisitions when it makes sense. Those acquisitions may involve creating a larger footprint, expanding geographically, or even doing more on the print side of the business.

As Dave looks to the future, he realizes that streaming media will be a growth segment of the business but it won't make discs obsolete. "There are so many "collectors" who want the media and associated art work." Another phenomenon that keeps the disc market going is the commuters who want digital media in places where they can't connect to the Internet. "Not many cars have the ability to play MP3s or access the Internet."

Another strategy implemented when Dave joined PSI was to hire a sales force rather than cut cost and wait out the recession. That strategy is working well. Sales from existing customers have fallen off due to the recession while sales from new customers have more than made up the difference as PSI continues to grow during the recession.

Dave says there is no 'typical' customer for PSI but many share a common need. "Typically the project is behind schedule. Manufacturing and fulfillment is at the end of the creative process and any delays are multiplied by the time we get involved. We love a challenge and strive very hard to deliver what our clients need. As a small business, we are nimble and can adjust quickly." Clients range from the individual artist to Fortune 50 corporations and advertising agencies. They may be in industries as diverse as entertainment, health care and faith-based organizations.

Dave understands developing relationships is the key to success; relationships with clients, suppliers and employees. "It is important to see employees as individuals, understand their individual situation, and allow them to take on as much as they can handle." This viewpoint evolved from Dave's personal experience working on a 2000 head hog farm in Iowa while he was attending college. "The owner let me do more than I thought I could possibly handle - he stretched me and taught me the value of hard work. I believe you have to give people the chance to fail and to succeed."

Dave also attributes his combined background in accounting with experience in sales and marketing as a key to success in small business. "It allows me to use the left and right side of my brain to come to a good decision. I can look at the finances to determine the break even point and whether something is economically sound and I can see the creative side of the opportunity."

Dave earned his degree in accounting from Iowa State and received his masters degree from the University of Kansas. He enjoys spending time with his family when he's not driving sales and new initiatives at PSI. Dave has been married for 26 years, has a daughter attending Mercer and two sons in high school. He is a sports fanatic and can often be found participating in a backyard volleyball tournament.

PSI was founded in 1986 by Jeff Lucas who started the business in audio duplication. PSI grew over the years to become a major player in audio/video duplication as technologies evolved from cassettes to VHS to CD/DVD discs and now the Internet. Learn more about PSI on the web at www.psidiscs.com

Story and photography by Sam Dobrow
www.samdobrowphotography.com

Posted using ShareThis

Check out our interview on High Velocity Radio

2009-08-04T13:40:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, PSI's own David Abrahamson and Chris Coates joined Stone Peyton, Todd Schnick and producer Lee Kantor of High Velocity for a live interview at the RadioX studio.

During the interview Chris and David shared their insight on the role of Digital Media in today’s marketplace, the advantages of a CDN for delivering steaming media and why CDs and DVDs will be around for quite some time.

Click Here to Listen to the Interview

Using a Content Distribution Network (CDN) for video streaming and multimedia delivery can make your website run more efficiently

2009-07-27T10:29:00.009-04:00

With the exponential growth of delivering video over the Internet, one of the most common questions that PSI receives is...

How do I improve the performance of both my web infrastructure and the quality of videos I deliver from my website?

First, you need to understand how best to utilize your web infrastructure. To maximize your web infrastructure, server resources (RAM and CPU) should be reserved for critical database operations and navigation of your web site. Utilization of these resources for the delivery of "heavy objects" (video, mp3 downloads, multimedia images and other large files) from your site will most likely cause problems for the end user. These problems include, slow response times, buffering of videos and in some cases the crashing of your entire server infrastructure.

This problem is most effectively and efficiently solved through the use of a Content Delivery Network. A content delivery network or content distribution network (CDN) is a system of computers networked together across the Internet that cooperate transparently to deliver content most often for the purpose of improving performance, scalability, and cost efficiency, to end users.
A CDN, such as the service offered by PSI, is purpose-built to handle large files, delivered over long distances to thousands of concurrent users. Videos, pdf’s, pictures, and other large files are directly loaded onto the CDN and delivered to the end user directly from the the edge, thereby bypassing your website’s server infrastructure entirely. This frees the server resources (Ram and CPU) for critical database operations. This also greatly enhances the performance and delivery of your “heavy objects” to the end user.

PSI is a clear technology leader in multi-platform IP services and content distribution. Our high-performance network was purpose-built in 2007 for a modern, high-change, media object hosting environment. Our network comprises:

23 Points of Presence (POPs) spanning two continents, including 23 network nodes and 7 content delivery nodes.
An international backbone consisting of multiple redundant 10 Gbps links and nearly a Terabit per second of network capacity.
A large private peering infrastructure, with 80-90 percent of traffic delivered directly to users through peering relationships.

A Powerful, Reliable Way to Move Content
PSI’s CDN enables users to distribute and manage many forms of content over our vast worldwide private network of interconnected servers and high-speed fiber-optic network connections.

We provide companies with powerful, continuous support for both static and rich-media content, including high-bandwidth multimedia content that has historically been difficult to deliver reliably over the public Internet. The network serves content in all leading industry formats - Windows Media Server, Adobe Flash Streaming Server, and HTTP downloads.

About PSI
Founded in 1986, PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, and an expansive warehouse and distribution facility, PSI produces, packages and distributes millions of CDs and DVDs each month. In addition, PSI offers our high-quality, full-screen on-demand and live streaming video services through our world-wide content distribution network.

For more information on PSI, please visit www.psidiscs.com.

Quick Links: CD Replication | CD Duplication | DVD Replication | DVD Duplication | Distribution & Fulfillment | Streaming Media | Contact Us

Benefits of CDs and DVDs in Direct Marketing Campaigns

2009-06-02T10:32:00.004-04:00

Have you ever wondered how you can dramatically improve the return on investment of your direct marketing efforts? One of the simplest and most effective methods is to communicate your message with a DVD or CD! With the cost of DVD and CD manufacturing declining over the past several years, and with new and innovative packaging solutions, you can improve your response rates by as much as 50%!
Benefits of mailing DVDs and CDs are summarized below:

DVDs and CDs stand out over traditional direct mail, breaking through the clutter.
Research has shown that when using a disc, firms have seen an average response rate of 5-12% -- 50-60% higher than printed material.
Recipients have demonstrated to have a much higher recall rate (40-60% higher) than tradition print advertising.
The cost of producing and mailing a disc are 10-40% less than traditional printed direct mail pieces.
DVDs and CDs provide an enhanced level of communication through using menus, videos and audio to explain your product or service offering.
DVDs and CDs are the only physical medium that can provide the added value of embedding links to your website for placing orders or accessing additional information.
DVDs and CDs provide greater “perceived value” and recipients are more likely to play a disc than open a traditional direct mail piece.
Discs have a high “pass-along” rate, in which the recipient shares the disc with others; unlike physical media which typically ends up in the recycling bin.

PSI, Inc – “The Digital Media Experts” can provide you with a complete turn-key direct marketing solution. From disc production, to innovative packaging solutions and fulfillment services.

About PSI
Founded in 1986, PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, and an expansive warehouse and distribution facility, PSI produces, packages and distributes millions of CDs and DVDs each month. In addition, PSI offers our high-quality, full-screen on-demand and live streaming video services through our world-wide content distribution network.

For more information on PSI, please visit www.psidiscs.com.

Quick Links: CD Replication | CD Duplication | DVD Replication | DVD Duplication | Distribution & Fulfillment | Streaming Media | Contact Us

Professional Sound Images Acquires Graphic Design Company

2009-05-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

Acquisition further expands capabilities in graphic design, pre-press services and printing operations

Duluth, GA (May 11, 2009)— Professional Sound Images, Inc. (PSI), a market leader in optical disc manufacturing, packaging and distribution today announced the acquisition of Creative Lynk, a Graphic Design and Pre-Press company in Buford, Georgia.

Creative Lynk, founded in 2005 has been successfully providing graphic design services, type-setting and pre-press services for advertising agencies, direct marketing companies and printers in the local Atlanta market. In addition to acquiring the assets and customer base of Creative Lynk, effective May 11, 2009, the founder of Creative, Todd Tremblay, joins PSI as Manager – Graphic Design and Pre-Press Operations.

“Our purchase of Creative Lynk, is a strategic move which further positions PSI as experts in the creation, packaging and distribution of digital media,” said Jeffrey A. Lucas, founder and CEO of PSI. “Todd’s knowledge and experience in graphic design, pre-press services and printing, further expands PSI’s ability to offer a wider range of digital media services and solutions to our expanding customer base.”

Todd Tremblay has over 11 years of experience in graphic design, pre-press services and printing operations. Prior to founding Creative Lynk, Todd was Production Manager for Prismatech for eight years.
“I am excited to be part of PSI. Creative Lynk has been providing PSI with pre-press services for the past three years. Joining PSI is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts,” said Todd Tremblay. “I look forward to working with the PSI team to further expand our product offerings to our collective customer base.”

Tremblay attended Dekalb Technical Instititute where he graduated with honors in Printing Graphics Technology and Prepress/Image Assembly Services. He resides in Buford, Georgia with his wife and two children.

About PSI
Founded in 1986, PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, and an expansive warehouse and distribution facility, PSI produces, packages and distributes millions of CDs and DVDs each month. In addition, PSI offers our high-quality, full-screen on-demand and live streaming video services through our world-wide content distribution network.

For more information on PSI, please visit www.psidiscs.com.

Quick Links: CD Replication | CD Duplication | DVD Replication | DVD Duplication | Distribution & Fulfillment | Streaming Media | Contact Us

Beating the Odds in Business in Atlanta

2009-01-28T11:53:00.002-05:00

Founded in 1986, PSI is an established and respected market leader in the delivery of digital media services. We are Georgia’s largest manufacturer of optical discs; producing, packaging and distributing millions discs each month. PSI has clients throughout the U.S. and in Europe. They have 25 employees and are located in Duluth, Georgia.

In June 2008, David Abrahamson joined Jeff Lucas, CEO and founder of PSI, as President and Partner. Dave has over 25 years experience in sales and marketing; specifically in the telecommunications and Internet industry. During the first two months of their new partnership, Jeff, Dave and their management team developed and executed on a specific strategy to survive and hopefully thrive in these uncertain economic times. The strategy had three specific components: 1) Embrace the Internet, 2) Invest in sales and marketing, 3) Invest in scaling the business.

EMBRACING THE INTERNET
Many of our competitors in the disc replication industry view the Internet as a threat. PSI, chose to embrace the Internet and leverage our physical media experience to expand our services and provide a comprehensive digital media solution to our existing customers. Through Dave’s experience and relationships in the Industry, PSI inked a strategic partnership with Highwinds Network Services – an industry leader in the the delivery of streaming video over the Internet. With a world-wide Content Distribution Network (CDN) and real-time analytics, Highwinds is not only supporting PSI’s clients, but also delivering all the live streaming videos for CNNLive.com and many other high profile Internet properties. Armed with an Internet strategy, PSI was effectively able to reposition themselves as “Digital Media Experts” – with the ability to produce, package and deliver digital media in ANY format to ANYone, ANYwhere in the world. Our Internet-based solutions have enabled our existing customers the ability to leverage the Internet for DVD-quality streaming video, MP3 downloads, custom-web site development and e-commerce services. And who better to serve them than the company who has produced and distributed their physical media for years!

SALES AND MARKETING FOCUS
In late summer of 2008, with uncertainty in the economy, we contemplated two options to prepare for the potentially turbulent future: 1) Do we hunker down, reduce our expenses and attempt to ride out the impending storm? or 2) do we invest in sales and marketing resources and sell our way through the recession? We chose to invest!

Scott Wooley joined PSI as Vice President – Sales. Scott is a veteran in the optical disc industry, with years of experience in selling to the software industry, gaming industry and the entertainment industry; three markets historically untapped by PSI.

Chris Coates joined PSI as Manager – Marketing and Business Development. Chris has over 10 years of experience in graphic design, printing, optical disc manufacturing and sales.

Parks Medlock rounded out the team as an independent broker, selling exclusively through PSI. Parks has over 10 years experience in the Southeast market in the digital media services industry.

SCALING THE BUSINESS
During 2008, to remain competitive and to address clients looking for the highest quality printing in the industry, PSI purchased two, state-of-the-art, four- color offset printers. Through this investment, PSI has the capability to print photo-quality art directly on CDs and DVDs; which has increased our addressable market. In addition, we have increased our overall printing capacity by 100 percent.

In January, 2009, to support the increase in demand, driven largely by our sales efforts and increased visibility we are receiving through our new website (www.psidiscs.com), we added a third shift for our disc manufacturing and now are in operation 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

About PSI
PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, a 24,000 square foot distribution facility and a world-wide content distribution network, PSI has the ability to produce, package and distribute digital media in any format to anyone, anywhere in the world.
For more information, visit www.psidiscs.com.

CD and DVD Replication: How discs are manufactured…

2008-12-29T17:16:00.010-05:00

Disc manufacturing, also known as replication, is the process in which CDs and DVDs are produced in large quantities. The process of replication is different than duplication. Much like a vinyl record, physical pits on the surface of the disc represent the data of a replicated disc. Like the needle of a record player, a CD and DVD player uses a special laser to read the information on the disc. When the laser of your CD or DVD player reads these changes it is converted to music, video, data or whatever content is actually on the CD or DVD.

Optical discs are made from polycarbonate (a type of plastic comprised of crude oil and natural gas), aluminum (the most abundant metal element in the Earth’s crust) and lacquer.

The first step of the manufacturing process is mastering. The data from the master disc is captured and used to create a glass master. The glass master is then used to create nickel-plated stampers. A stamper is a special mold that contains all of the content (music, video, data, etc.) that is on the disc.

Once the stamper is ready, it is inserted into the molding apparatus on the replication machine. Polycarbonate is melted and injected into a molding unit. With several tons of pressure a nickel-plated stamper embeds tiny indentations, or pits with digital information into the plastic mold which is approximately 1 millimeter in thickness. The plastic molds then go through a metalizer machine, which coats the discs with a thin metal reflective layer through a process called “sputtering”. The reflective surface is needed so the playback laser can read the information on the disc. The disc then receives a layer of lacquer as a protective coating against scratching and corrosion.

Next, the label art is printed on the discs using various print techniques. The most common are 4 color offset printers, similar to printers used for printing paper and silk-screen printers, which utilize stencils, squeegees and ink.

While the Internet has created a new distribution channel for music, videos and other forms of digital media, CDs and DVDs remain a very inexpensive and effective method of distributing digital media. The cost of producing an optical disc has declined over the years as technology has improved. Most large replication plants can produce, print, and package thousands of discs per hour.

About PSI...
PSI, “The Digital Media Experts” is the largest replicator and distributer of digital media in Georgia. We produce, package and distribute millions of discs each month. Our ever-expanding list of corporate clients includes established companies in the following industries: Healthcare, Faith-based ministries, Education, Direct Marketing Agencies, Software, Entertainment, Retail and Manufacturing.

For more information, visit www.psidiscs.com

PSI names Chris Coates Manager of Marketing and Business Development

2008-09-18T10:43:00.006-04:00

Duluth, GA (September 18, 2008) – Professional Sound Images, Inc. (PSI), a market leader in optical disc manufacturing, packaging and distribution; announced that Chris Coates has been hired to spearhead the company’s marketing and business development endeavors.

“I am very pleased to have Chris on our team at PSI,” said Jeffrey A. Lucas, founder and CEO of PSI. “We have been very successful at growing the business organically and by word of mouth, however we are ready to take PSI to the next level. Chris’ experience in marketing and business development is going to help us do just that.”

Chris’ professional experience includes graphic design, marketing, sales and business management. Most recently he served as General Manager for CD\Works where he was responsible for establishing a new branch office in the Atlanta area. Chris has a very strong skill-set that revolves around his passion for creativity, design and music. These skills paired with his business experience makes him the ultimate “outside the box” thinker.

“I am very proud to be a part of PSI”, said Coates. “This company stands for everything I believe in as far as offering great customer service and a superior product. I believe that our recent addition of a full-suite of Internet-based solutions establishes ourselves as ‘Digital Media Experts’ and help to set PSI apart from the competition.”

Coates holds a BA in Film Scoring and Composition from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He resides in Marietta, Georgia with his wife and son.

About PSI
PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, a 24,000 square foot warehouse and distribution facility, PSI can produce, package and distribute millions of CDs and DVDs each month for their growing customer base.

For more information, visit www.psidiscs.com

PSI, Inc. names David Abrahamson President

2008-07-23T22:23:00.001-04:00

Seasoned technology expert brings sales, marketing, business development and Internet expertise to drive continued growth

Duluth, GA (July 23, 2008)— Professional Sound Images, Inc. (PSI), a market leader in optical disc manufacturing, packaging and distribution today announced the appointment of David Abrahamson as co-partner and president, effective July 15, 2008.

“I am pleased to welcome David Abrahamson as both a partner and as PSI’s president,” said Jeffrey A. Lucas, founder and CEO of PSI. David’s experience and skills as a seasoned sales and marketing executive, combined with his knowledge of the Internet and related technologies, will help PSI enter new markets and deliver new products and services to our expanding customer base.”

David has significant financial, operational, sales and marketing experience in the Technology industry. Most recently he served as executive vice president, Global Sales for Internap Network Services, an Internet technology company that provides high speed Internet connectivity, content distribution services and collocation hosting solutions. While at Internap, Abrahamson led a 150 person global sales organization increasing sales and revenues by over 200% in four years. Prior to Internap, Mr. Abrahamson was senior vice president, e-Business at BellSouth where he was responsible for the development and sales of Internet-related technologies for it’s corporate clients. Prior to BellSouth, Mr. Abrahamson was an executive for Sprint in Kansas City, Missouri, where he held various leadership positions in accounting, finance, marketing and sales.

“I am excited to be part of PSI. Over the past 20 years, Jeff and his team have developed a reputation of unsurpassed customer service in the manufacturing, packaging and delivery of physical media,” said David Abrahamson. “I look forward to working with the PSI team to expand our product offerings to include a full-suite of Internet-based solutions, enabling our customer’s content on the web.”

Abrahamson holds a BBS in accounting from Iowa State University and an MBA from the University of Kansas. He resides in Alpharetta, Georgia with his wife and three children.

About PSI
PSI is Georgia’s largest optical disc manufacturer. With in-house, state-of-the-art manufacturing and printing technologies, a 24,000 square foot warehouse and distribution facility, PSI can produce, package and distribute millions of CDs and DVDs each month for their growing customer base.

For more information, visit www.psidiscs.com.