Friday, December 9, 2011

Question: I am interested in selling my music on CD using your service and wanted to know the quality of file type you use on the CDs aiff, bit rate, blank disc quality etc.

When you author a CD, the quality is up to you.  When you send it to us for setup, we copy it EXACTLY on the BEST quality blank media available (taiyo yuden jvc) This is how you send us your disc for setup Easy Disc Setup

Taiyo Yuden/JVC brand is now CMC Pro  “Powered by TY Technology”.  CMC took over the TY technology and manufacturing process.  The same technology and quality standards are maintained with the new CMC Pro brand that we use.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Autorun.inf for data cd/dvd

Do you have a data cd or dvd and want a certain file to run when the disc is placed in the cd/dvd drive?
  • There is a special case for software data cds (or dvds). 
  • Data cd/dvd makers (software makers etc): This is how to make and Autorun.inf if you prefer to do it yourself.  This file would be at the root of your disc data content (or .zip file).
  • To make an autorun.inf file, open notepad, and place the two lines

    [autorun]
    OPEN=YourSetupFile.exe

    Then save this file as autorun.inf  This file is saved at the root of the cd/dvd (not in a subfolder)
If making a .zip file that will "auto run", the zip file should have your autorun.inf file and your setup.exe file at the root of the .zip file.  If you put your autorun.inf in a subfolder, it will not work.  When we unzip a file to burn to a disc, we unzip the exact directory structure so make sure you select the files and subfolders only.  Many publishers click the folder that contains all their files and zip that up.  That will end up creating a zip file, that when expanded, has one folder at the root, with all of your content in that folder, which does not work the way you expected.


If you burn all your files to a test cd/dvd and you've correctly written the autorun.inf file, the file you named in the OPEN variable should start when the disc is placed in your drive.

You can specify files other than an .exe file such as a web page like Open=explorer.exe startup.htm

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

1ShoppingCart Order Automation

We have completed the order automation between TrepStar and 1Shopping cart.  Read more about it here http://www.trepstar.com/1ShoppingCart-gateway.asp

1ShoppingCart Order Automation

We have completed the order automation between TrepStar and 1Shopping cart.  Read more about it here http://www.trepstar.com/1ShoppingCart-gateway.asp

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

UltraCart Order Automation

If you use UltraCart, it's easy to automate ordering with TrepStar.com http://www.trepstar.com/UltraCart-Integration.asp

Friday, October 14, 2011

Integration with E-Junkie Shopping Cart

If you use E-Junkie shopping cart and you are still manually filling out the order form on TrepStar.com, you can now take a few steps to automate this.  http://www.trepstar.com/e-junkie-gateway.asp

Monday, June 27, 2011

Lulu.com is discontinuing cd/dvd publishing.

  • News 6/27/11: Lulu.com is discontinuing cd/dvd publishing. TrepStar is a perfect substitute for Lulu. Our prices are lower and our quality is as good or better. We are the perfect alternative replacement for Lulu.com customers.
  • Tuesday, April 12, 2011

    Why does my master audio cd copy work on all my CD players (even those in my computer or car) but the manufactured discs work on my PC and on only some of my cd players and not in my car?

    To make an exact copy of your audio cd, you would have had to send it to us  for setup where we make an exact copy.

    If you just copied mp3 files or wav files into a zip file, and your trepstar.com project is set as a data cd project, it's not made as a true audio cd.   Computers and modern cd players, car cd players, and even dvd players and game systems like ps3 or xbox 350 will correctly interpret your mp3 and wav files as music and play them because they are "smart" enough to read them as data cds..  However, only a true audio CD format can be read in all cd players (from the past when mp3 files were not even invented yet).  There are numerous software programs like NERO (google it)  that will help you master an audio CD.
    Here is a video about audio cd preparation.

    keywords, music cd,audio cd, car stereo, not playing,play,data cd, audio cd

    Why does my audio CD or video DVD have skip, pop, or glitch during playback, or customers are saying it's a bad disc or won't play or work properly?

    Normally, this happens if there is a skip/glitch/pop in your master or the defect was introduced when you copied it for us to import/setup, or during the time you prepared the files for upload to Trepstar.com  This can be  due to a scratched or dirty original, cheap blank media you used for your copy, or a CD/DVD drive that may be failing or having trouble reading parts of your disc.  You can confirm and compare whether the problem is with your original source dvd/cd or one we made. Do a "scan" of each sector of your original disc and do the same for ours.  If every sector is readable, then there is no manufacturing or product media defect. Use a free software utility such as NERO ScanDisc (google it) and test this. We manufacture an exact replica of your original source disc so likely, the problem is with the master.  If there were problems with the original, or during the copy step when you made a disc for us to import, or when you made the zip files, our system has no choice but to duplicate that.

    It's up to you to make sure you send us a clean copy of your master for setup, or you use a clean copy and are very careful when you make the  .iso file for your dvd, or the .gi file for your audio cd.

    Make sure any discs you send us are free of scratches, fingerprints, or any other smudges.

    If you prepared the iso or gi files and uploaded them, or zipped up your mp3 or wav files, you need to upload it, then you should download them from the server, unzip them, and make a cd or dvd from those files.  Then carefully test  THAT fully because that's what we burn.   We burn exactly what you give us.

    We provide a free website to upload your project.   Create your project, order a copy, and when you receive that copy, you must test it in as many devices as possible.  We do not finesse or modify or author content in any way (or additional charges apply).  We copy what you give us so make sure you understand what you're giving us for duplication and manufacture.

    * Here is an article on  DVD Authoring
    * Watch video about Audio CDs
    * Watch video about preparing DVDs
    * Reduce errors and save trouble by sending us a clean copy of your discs.


    If you have customers that tell you their disc "wont play" or "has problem xxx", it may be a flaw in your original OR possibly, a manufacturing flaw, but that is quite rare.   

    Normally, manufacturing defects are rare.  We burn each disc using computers and robots (fully automated) and after each burn, the computer does a "verify step" that reads every bit of the information again, and compares that to the original files.  The disc is rejected and nothing is printed on the disc surface if any single bit is wrong.  We throw those away.   In some rare cases, the verify may make a mistake which happens in less than one out of every 25,000 discs made (based on data from our internal numbers).  We do not offer refunds unless the customer clearly tells us exactly what's wrong, at which part of the disc and then they must send us the defective disc in the mail, so we can check it.  We have found customers either don't know what they are doing, the disc was scratched or smudged by them and they did not clean it properly, the disc was authored (by you) improperly.  We want the disc back so we can tell if it's truly an error, or just a scratch or smudge on the disc vs. a manufacturing error.  If we find the error is truly with the disc, we will send a free replacement.  Most of the time, the problem is that the customer does not know how to use the disc, or it's authored by you in a way that makes it hard for them to play on whatever system they are using.   You should ask them to try it on several different players and computers and/or download and try VLC media player to see if that can load the disc. 

    To save you and your customer the hassle, you are free to simply order a new copy for your customer again.   If you have many customers telling you they have problems, it's because your master was defective or not tested and compatible with the most common devices.


    Keywords: skips,glitch,glitches,pop,pops,skip,won't play,bad disc,vlc

    Why does the DVD play on some DVD players and not on others?

    There are a few reasons:

    1  Some older DVD players will not play duplicated DVDs or not play DVD-R media (which is what we use).  This might occur 1/2% of the time (1 on 200 dvd players) as of 4/12/2011 when this article was written.   As time goes by, less and less dvd players have this issue.

    2) Your DVD must be authored properly and not include any extra folders or files such as pdf, text, or other content.  Your master dvd may have played in YOUR dvd player at home, or on a computer but that does NOT mean it's truly compatible with ALL dvd players.   Learn more about  "dvd authoring".

    3) The total  max combined bit rate should not exceed 6.4 megabits per second.


    4) Some dvd players can not properly reproduce MPEG audio.  Its best to author your DVD using Dolby Digital (AC-3).


    5) In some countries the video format is PAL and in others it is NTSC.  Make sure you author a DVD for both regions, or remove region coding (google it) when you author your dvd

    If you sent us your disc for import/setup, we make an exact image file of what you sent us.  If you did not carefully verify and test your disc, or used cheap blank media, our system has no choice but to duplicate any flaws on the disc.  It's up to you to test what you send us and what we produce and send to you before you order lots of quantity for other people.


    keywords: not play,some players,some, not all dvd players

    Saturday, April 9, 2011

    Set Volume Name

    You can now edit your project and specify the volume name.  

    The volume name is shown when you view the cd/dvd on a computer.  For example, on a PC, if you open Windows Explorer, the "Volume Name" is shown next to the drive letter.  In the example below, the volume name was set to "A1Monitor" in the TrepStar.com project file. 


    Historically, our system just set the volume name to a mixture of your project title and it could never be changed.  

    Edit your TrepStar.com project, scroll to near the bottom, and type in the volume name of your choice.  Only 11 Alpha-Numeric characters are allowed- this is a limit of how computers store and display the volume information.

    Wednesday, March 16, 2011

    Do you make bluray (or Blu-Ray) dvds?

    We do not produce blu-ray (Blu-ray) dvds.  We have no plans for it.   The data storage, blank media, and time to burn make it too expensive to consider.    For HD video, consider our USB flash drive on demand service.

    Tuesday, March 15, 2011

    Use our buy now buttons: Link to your retail order page

    Consider using our Retail Order Page for your products if:

    • Your site does not have a shopping cart yet.
    • You have PayPal buttons, or a shopping cart, but you're tired of manually entering orders into TrepStar.com and would rather have us handle the entire process for you.
    • You want an additional way to promote your product. Add our buy now links or buttons to Facebook, MySpace, Email or other social media sites.





    TrepStar.com Retail Order Page (retail order gateway) features:

    • Link to just one of your products, to all of them, or just a select few.
    • We accept payment on your behalf using credit card or PayPal
    • You set the retail price of each of your products.
    • We collect the retail price and charge your customer for shipping and handling.
    • You do not have to enter any order information into the TrepStar order form. This is all done automatically.
    • We pay you the net proceeds once per month. We pay you via PayPal ONLY.
    • At this time, there is no way to customize the order page. You control the artwork/packaging, retail price, and product description.

    Tuesday, March 1, 2011

    Refresh your project

    Refresh your project to make sure we get the latest version of your files.

    After changing your project, click the refresh button.  Normally, our system catches your changes and the refresh is automatic, but just to be safe, you're allowed to refresh the project yourself.  This causes us to delete all local files and download them all again.  Normally, if a small item changes in your project, we do automatically download that changed file.  However, in this case it may not have worked properly, or perhaps we had extra discs or artwork left over from when we tested the project.

    It is NOT a good idea to change an old project dramatically into a completely different project. It is much better to create a copy, or new project, then delete the old project.  If the refresh process does not work properly, or we had extra stock on hand from previous orders, that product will ship first.  Normally, we make exactly what we need to ship, but sometimes we make extra which we use for the next order.  If you dramatically change your project, we may end up sending the old project disc/artwork to a new customer. 

    Modifying a project is NOT the way to change to a completely different new project.  It's meant as a way to update changes to the SAME project.

    Wednesday, February 23, 2011

    Now add Hard Returns printed on the customer invoice

    Historically, hard returns (or html) were not allowed in the special text area.  This special text is printed on the customer invoice.  

    You have up to 500 characters to print specific instructions about your product.  This is set by editing your project and entering your "special text".

    This text is printed on the invoice the customer receives with their package.

    You can also provide this special text at order time.  In other words, you can give each customer specific instructions.  This can be used for registration/unlock codes or a personal message.

    You are now able to use hard returns in this special text.  If it goes over 10 lines, it will be cut off and not printed on the customer invoice so be careful.

    Login, edit your project, add a few hard returns.  Then, use the view feature to look at how the special text will be displayed on the customer invoice.

    Also, click the recent order button.  The special text used for that customer invoice is displayed in a popup window (look for the ? in the price column)

    Tuesday, February 15, 2011

    Login Area Speed Improvements

    Speed improvements to the login area.  This will be most noticed for users with many previous orders or many  projects.  In addition, recent orders and search features were slow to initialize --- this has been fixed.

    We also made improvements so the recent orders button is much faster, and shows orders sorted by date descending.  The last 30 days worth of orders are shown.   The old way sorted by project first, so if you had a lot of projects, you had to scroll down a lot to find the most recent order.

    General search is faster as well.  Users with a lot of projects will notice the most improvement.

    Sunday, February 13, 2011

    Administration area layout changes

    We've updated the layout in the login project administration area.  It has less clutter, and we made a toolbar along the top for global settings.

    Some of the report layouts have changed, and extra navigation along the left column has been removed since it is not needed while modifying projects or publisher settings.

    Wednesday, January 5, 2011

    Add Priority and Priority-Express Shipping Methods to PayPal for IPN Automation

    If you are using PayPal and want to add Priority and Priority-Express shipping options, click here for a video on the topic.  If you have your PayPal buttons set to use our server for IPN (instant payment notification), we will receive the standard, priority, and Priority-express choices on that paypal IPN data.  This way, you can bill your customer for Priority and Priority-Express shipping.

    TrepStar.com cdDVDfulfillment FAQ Help and Search

    FAQ Help & Search
    We produce your CD/DVD/USB Flash drive at order time.
    These "On Demand", "Just in Time", "one off", "short run", CDs or DVDs or USB thumb drive products will be mailed directly to your customers (normally the next business day), in any quantity, and shipped to anywhere in the world with a USPS address.