THE TIME IS NOW!

Many churches around the world are starting to grasp the general idea of CD-R technology and what it can bring to their respective congregations. The questions for each church still remains of how to transition from what they are currently doing, ie . . . tapes, and move into a product that not only will give them the same results, but allow them future growth.

The common myth is that churches have all this money lying around and are just chomping at the bit to spend it on new technology. Oh . . . quite the contrary. It may be true that money is somewhat abundant at these facilities, but it is tied up in careful budgeting and planning on where and how to spend it. New technology like CD-R is intriguing to churches, but which technology is best for them is the question on their minds.

What you will find the three most common outside market factors that is driving this push toward CD-R is 1.) The need to distribute their message to the masses, 2.) Today’s generation grew up on CD-R technology and a need to “stay with the times,” 3.) And finally, their current technology is old and it is simply time to upgrade it.

The need to distribute their message is being driven from the car manufacturers going away from cassette decks to complete CD/DVD players by the year 2004. Churches need for their patronage to play materials as a captive audience in their vehicles or homes, and the only way to do this moving forward is by transitioning to CD-R. DVD and CD playback devices are outselling Tape like products 8-2 in most retail outlets. And as you know, you won’t find a new computer today without a DVD or CD Writer in it. (Almost all DVD players are backwards compatible and can play CD-Rs as well) Lastly, current tape is a very good technology but when it comes to the concern of deterioration, playback ability etc . . . it simply won’t last.

The biggest concern to date was the overall cost of the CD-R technology versus Tape. In most cases today, the CD-R disc is just as inexpensive as the tape, and allows longer return on their money. Todays hardware is faster and cheaper than your current tape systems, and is of the utmost digital quality.

CD-Rs can be played back in most any DVD or CD device, given you have the correct equipment and are choosing the best CD-Rs, it can allow you to reach your audience in a crisp, clean, manner. Now the question pops in, “What is the right machine for my church?” Two answers come to mind, either you need on demand (CDs now), or you just need the convenience of a automated machine that will work for you in off hours. The first would be a standalone tower that gives you the power of multiple copies very quickly.

The current CD-R device is at 40X speed, which means you can take a 60 minute service and make multiple CDs in approximately 1.5 minutes time. Depending on how many recorders you decide to choose, you can see the value of having a tower by your side. Customers can walk out of the church same day with a message in hand, ready to pop it into their CD player of their car! The second type of church, typically the smaller congregational size church, needs an automated device that can work for them when they don’t have the physical resources to dedicate to a tower machine. Simply put, they just want to run 50 CDs a week, and like the convenience an automated device gives them. A church can set up this type of equipment to work overnight for them and maximize all hours in a day.

Each church must look at their own internal needs and then plug them into a formula of which works best for them, and their budget. Companies like Telex, Sony, and Tascam have seen the need to develop products to allow for the church to transition much easier to the new technology with products that will allow them to realize a much quicker turn on their investment. These same companies are the ones that were there with you when tape was the technology of choice, and should be considered first when choosing a CD-R /DVD device. In the church, your after sale support is just as important as the sale itself. Choose equipment wisely from companies that will be there when you have questions or concerns. In most cases, CD-R towers in average sized churches, can turn their cost into profit in less than three months. The beauty of that comment is that when new technology comes to pass, these same churches will have the revenue stream to grow with the times, and not be stuck trying to find new ways to pay for their old equipment. Technology moves way too fast to be caught with a product that is obsolete, or that can’t continue to generate profit for other factions of the church, when new technology exists. CD-R is the perfect, cost effective, easy way to bridge the gap to newer technologies of the future (DVD). How can you make CD-R work for you?