PinoyDVD learned from industry sources that dual-layer DVD-9 mastering and manufacturing services will soon be available to local content owners. FAS Development Corporation and Pandisk Technology, the two largest players in optical media manufacturing in the Philippines, have upgraded their production lines and are in talks with distributors to shift a significant percentage of their DVD-9 replication requirements locally. Pandisk, in particular, is undergoing a grueling certification process that certain foreign studios demand from manufacturers who enter into contracts with them. In terms of quality, imposing stringent standards should ensure that local companies will be competitive with their Taiwan counterparts.
Local production should bring the cost of quality original DVD releases closer to what the general market can bear. Some distributors are also excited about the greater flexibility in being able to release more catalog titles including hard-to-find films. Currently, the majority of DVD disc releases are imported from abroad although labels and keepcases are now sourced locally.