The Rimage Producer III 8100 we tested had (4) CD/DVD burners, PrismPlus thermal printer, Rimage version 8.1 software, and DiscWatch light to view system status.
The Rimage 8100 and 8100n systems come in a couple of different CD, DVD, and/or Blu-ray Disc burner configurations. Also, there are two different thermal printer options: the PrismPlus and the Everest 600 (you can read a review of this printer by searching “Everest 600” on Google). Advanced features include remote job submission, job streaming, variable merge fields, tag serialization, Windows APIs, Fast APIs and SDKs, DVD Video Protection plugin, DiscWatch light, and multiple warranty service options.
We tested the Rimage 8100 for 3 months running various print and copy jobs, print only, network delivery and DVD video protection.
Price – The price of the Rimage unit we tested is $40,950. The 8100 is the most expensive CD/DVD writer we have ever used or tested. The high price may be justified depending on your requirements and needs. 1 star
Velocity – The Rimage 8100 produced 105 halved CDs and 47 halved DVDs in one hour. Throughput drops to 70/hour and 33/hour for fully filled CDs and DVDs. This is the highest performance of any integrated duplicator and printer on the market today, even for systems with more than four disc burners. The high performance is attributed to the speed of the robotics, as well as the true asynchronous recording and printing capabilities of the Rimage software, as well as the computer configuration. You can print and copy 1,000 CDs in a 10-hour day. 5 stars.
container capacity – Capacity of 300 discs. Like most other Rimage systems, the 8100 and 8100n use a 4-tray carousel that gives the user the ability to load up to 300 CDs and/or DVDs at a time. There are some CD/DVD duplicators on the market with capacities of 500 and 1000 discs. 3.5 stars
reliability – The Rimage 8100/8100n was extremely reliable in our 3 months of testing. The robust robotics and PrismPlus printer performed at a very high level throughout the duration of our tests. Assuming you use good quality CD or DVD media that don’t stick together, you’ll get all your CDs and DVDs complete without errors. 5 stars.
cost per impression – Using the PrismPlus printer and black ribbon will cost you $0.03/disc or less depending on print coverage. If you use the red or blue ribbon, the cost per print is $0.04/disc. CMY ribbon costs $0.25/disc per print. PrismPlus single color printing is the lowest in the industry. The Everest 600 printer option costs around $0.32 for color printing. 5 stars.
Print quality – The Rimage 8100 has two thermal printer options, the PrismPlus and the Everest 600. We tested a system with the PrismPlus thermal printer. The PrismPlus is ideal for solid monochrome logos, simple graphics, text and barcode printing. The other printer option is the Everest 600, which features photorealistic 600×600 dpi printing. The Everest 600 is ideal for high resolution full color disc printing. 5 stars.
print durability – Both the PrismPlus and Everest 600 printers are completely indelible and waterproof thermal transfer printers. In the case of the Everest 600, the color will not fade or lose its shine over time because the thermal retransfer process protects the discs from external forces such as moisture and UV rays. 5 stars.
Easy to use – The Rimage 8100 we tested connected to the supplied PC server via a USB 2.0 cable and four Firewire cables. The proven Quic Disc and CD Designer software comes pre-installed on the PC and is very easy to learn and use. Rimage offers installation and on-site training for $1,800, but in most cases, your Rimage provider can help you over the phone or with an on-site visit if needed. 4.5 stars
Maintenance – All Rimage publishers and printers work best in a dust-free environment, so the warehouse is not the recommended place to install this type of equipment. PrismPlus and Everest printers require a bi-monthly cleaning of the print head and air filters to archive the best print results. In addition, it is recommended to keep the input/output units and bins free of dust. 4 stars
Technical support – Rimage has higher-than-average phone support for the CD/DVD equipment industry. To maximize uptime and customer satisfaction, Rimage offers a variety of post-warranty and express-exchange options in one place. After warranty repairs can be expensive, as they are with other manufacturers in this niche. With that said, we recommend purchasing a Rimage 8100 from a reputable dealer who has the experience to respond to your technical support issues on the first call, and who can help you with your operational requirements and repairs. 4 stars
advanced features – Rimage Producer III systems have many advanced features that no other equipment manufacturer offers in this niche. Features we found useful were the DiscWatch light that provides a visual indication of operating status and the DVD Video Protection Plugin that makes it impossible to copy or pirate your intellectual property. Rimage also provides a powerful API for custom integration. 5 stars.
conclusion – Rimage 8100 / 8100N (p/n 530621-240 or 530641-240) is our top choice for high-volume disc publishing and printing requirements of 10,000 or more standard CD-r, DVD-r or Blu discs -Ray of 120 mm per month. Strengths include speed, reliability, low cost per print, and a host of advanced features like DVD Video Protect, custom API, and a software development kit.
Check out the links in the resource box below for more information and an unbeatable deal on the Rimage 8100 Producer III systems.