Anyone use Lightscribe DVD / CD burners?

[de8212]

I have an older NEC 2500 dvd burner and want to replace it with a 16x (or faster). Is getting the lightscribe type worth it at all? If not I may just get another NEC or something.
Just curious if anyone here actually owns one and uses it.

 

[imported_Lost Soul]

I had one for 2 days, lol, but theres something wrong with my mobo. I burned a few dvds and cds with it, and its great. I play games with it, and the lightsribe is nice, I place a picture of a horse that my wifed owned which passed away on one and burned a bunch of enya songs on it, she loved the pic on the top, hehe

 

[jjsbasmt]

Been using the HP LS for a year and a half. I love it. No problems. I would say that perhaps 1 in every 5 discs I burn are Lightscribed. I find that a very useful feature.

 

[jackschmittusa]

I have 2 Benqs at home with it. Don't use the Lightscribe very much as I think the media is too expensive and it is just too fast and easy to grab a Sharpie. The results with Lightscribe are very nice though.

 

[cmdrdredd]

The media is kind of expensive by comparison and I would have to assume that the lightscribe feature would make the drive wear out faster.

 

[Rubycon]

Can you scribe any disc with one of these?

 

[GeeFizzleDizzle]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Can you scribe any disc with one of these?

You have to buy LightScribe media to use the feature.

 

[corsa]

..just out of curiosity, how long on average does it take to lightscribe a disc?

 

[jackschmittusa]

Simple text labels (Jack's mp3s, My Favorite Porn) only take a few minutes. Adding graphics can take it to a 1/2 hour or so. There is also a contrast enhancer plugin which I haven't used yet, but it is supposed to take a lot longer (double?).

 

[de8212]

Thanks for the info everyone. I saw a thread in HD that mentioned the benq but never could find it on newegg. Not that I have to get it from NE but there'sa few other things I have been eyeing there so I would like to get it all together.
Wow, 1/2 hour to burn a graphic, that's longer than I thought. Anyone got an pics of a lightscribe burned image on a disc? I'll see if I can google it just like to see real pics instead of touched up ones that the manufacturers probably have.

And any specific model #'s to get or stay away from?

 

[stevf]

I recently got the samsung lightscribe DVD burner and have been happy with it. Usually dont use the lightscribe, but for disks I want to keep I do. The price difference for the drive is so small now might as well get it versus one without, even if you only use it once in a while. Media isnt that horribly priced - about $1 per disk - not something for every burn but good for those disks you want to keep or for the DVD you give your family of your kids.

 

[Paperdoc]

Echo what one reply said - price premium for Lightscribe is so small, may as well get it.
Two other replies misinformed, IMO. I do not see why having the Lightscribe feature would shorten the unit's life. Burning the Lightscribe image is a separate operation on the OPPOSITE side of the disk. It MAY even use a different laser - I'm not sure on that one.
As far as special disks and costs go: you only need the special Lightscribe disks IF you want to burn an image on the top side. If you're using the unit to burn regular DVD's or CD's, etc without the Lightscribe image, just use a regular disk. That's how a lot of people use these drives for most of their work.
By the way, on the NE site if you scan through all the user reviews, some point to software upgrades and plug-ins that are really helpful. And many emphasize that one should ALWAYS update the unit's BIOS via download from the manufacturer's website to get it to work correctly.

 

[de8212]

stevf- Do you have the 18x samsung? I think I saw that one while browsing NE's site.
So no problems with it?


Does NEC make a lightscribe burner yet? This drive has been so reliable I hate to switch to another manufaturer. So Benq and samsung the top 2 out there now? Not considering HP.

 

[de8212]

OK, i just ordered the samsung.

Then I got to thinking I might as well get some disc's to test this out on. Just want a small ~25 pack or so. Any good places online with deals going on now? I'll check HD's also.
Then I got to thinking even more, it's an OEM drive so where do I get the lightscribe software? Is it included wit Nero, etc. or is that something else I have to buy?

 

[Oyeve]

I havent even used Dual-layer yet!

 

[stevf]

i have had mine a few months so it is the 16x model but have been happy with it so far

 

[jkyle]

Same used mine for a few months and works great. (BenQ) its slow as hell 40+ mins to burn a full image but it looks great. Porbably a good ideal to get the samsung my benq died and it was a massive pain to get a replacement. Support blamed me for using usps to ship my old one back and it took them 3 weeks to find it in their warehouse. That was my first and last purchase of the benq brand.