PTPublisher works like a dumbed-down version of Ahead Nero 6.6 or Sonic's Roxio Media Easy Creator 9. Once you've created your label images using SureThing CD Labeler 5.0, turn to PTPublisher 1.0 for burning. (You can use other discs as long as they have a label on them already.) Each TuffCoat CD is layered with a glossy coating that not only protects labels from peeling, but adds tremendous color depth to your images. Primera was nice enough to send over several of its TuffCoat CDs with WaterShield surface ($40 for a pack of 50). It took less than 10 minutes to hook everything up, and I was ready to mass-produce some CDs.
The setup process is simple: You'll need the software installer disc, which contains Primera's PT Publisher 1.0 proprietary software, SureThing's CD Labeler 5.0 label-making software, and the printer driver. For testing purposes, a Fujitsu Lifebook N6410 served my needs.
You'll need a PC to control the Bravo SE, since, unlike the Sony DVDirect VRD-MC1, it doesn't work as a standalone device. Primera is also working on a unit that burns Blu-ray discs, which promise capacities of up to 50GB per disc. It burns DVD-9 formats, including DVD-R and DVD+R dual layer discs (16X) and regular CD-Rs at 40X. The Bravo SE uses an internal Pioneer DVR-111D device that can be used as a secondary external DVD drive for your computer, albeit a very big one.
As with a regular inkjet printer, you'll have to load a color cartridge (Lexmark 53332) in order to print labels. Primera incorporates a Lexmark inkjet printer into the Bravo SE for making the labels. The plastic lid lifts to reveal a printer component positioned in the back of unit. Peering through the plastic lid, you can make out the spindle area that holds up to 20 blank discs and a dual-layer DVD burner sitting beside it. The machine weighs close to 11 pounds, so the likelihood of its remaining on a desk or a workbench is pretty high. Its white-clad body is enclosed in a slightly tinted, transparent plastic lid. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Softwareįrom a distance, the Bravo SE doesn't look like your run-of-the-mill disc duplicator.