Lightscribe

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I am considering replacing my defunct DVD writer with a newer one that has lightscribe technology. Stupid question, do I need special DVD's to use lightscribe or will any writeable DVD work?

Thanks.

 

[UMUJU]

You do have to use "Lightscribe" DVD's to benefit from the technology. Sadly, they still run around $1.50-$2.00 per dvd.

 

[duragezic]

Lightscribe CDs are about 2x the price of regular CDs when I bought them a few months ago (I got a 50pk of CD-Rs for $8, 25pk of Lightscribe CD-Rs for $8). Lightscribe DVDs are a bit more than 2x the price of DVDs, but it might be closer to 2x now. Or actually I think they were exactly 2x as it was for CDs.

You may as well get a compatible writer. For example the BenQ DW1655 is pretty much the lightscribe version of the DW1640 (or maybe its the DW1650) and it's only $5 more or so. When I needed a DVD/combo drive I just went ahead with a Lightscribe and got a pack of 10 free LS cds. After trying them out I purchased LS CDs and DVDs.

A lot of people don't like LS discs, but as a simple labeling thing I think its pretty damn cool and looks good. It takes about 25 minutes to LS/label a disc. A lot of people said its worthless unless you LS the disc twice. I finally did it twice and its definitely a lot darker, but my single LS ones look good still.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

thanks. I just like the idea of it being etched on, rather than written. Labels can peel off, writing fades, I just liked the idea.

 

[corkyg]

I have one LS burner - and use it for "special disks." That is, those that will represent me and a slideshow creation for a 3rd party. I have three other burners that I use for mass produciton with labels. But the LS provide a very professional image.

BTW - I learned that you can burn the label twice and make it darker. Still can't figure out how it knows where to start! It works.

The LS media is not that expensive. Look at Meritline.com. BTW - isn't this really a hardware question?

 

[YBS1]

Originally posted by: corkyg

BTW - I learned that you can burn the label twice and make it darker. Still can't figure out how it knows where to start! It works.

It knows where to start by all those holographic marks on the inner hub of the disc. You probably won't need to burn it twice if you use the extended label contrast utility. Oh, and the pricing has been getting better on them lately. If you're paying more than a dollar a disc (DVD) you're getting ripped off.

 

[duragezic]

Yeah the holographic ring common to all LS discs is kinda annoying, but I don't notice it much anymore unless I look for it.

Thanks for that link. I had never heard of that, and I think I'll do mine 2x or with that now, because it is nice and darker but even once still looks okay.


I can post some pictures of the 4-5 LS cds I've burned thus far if anyone wants to see how they look. Tomorrow I could anyway.

 

[amish]

Originally posted by: YBS1

Originally posted by: corkyg

BTW - I learned that you can burn the label twice and make it darker. Still can't figure out how it knows where to start! It works.

It knows where to start by all those holographic marks on the inner hub of the disc. You probably won't need to burn it twice if you use the extended label contrast utility. Oh, and the pricing has been getting better on them lately. If you're paying more than a dollar a disc (DVD) you're getting ripped off.

thanks for the link. i love my LS but i do wish the contrast was a little better. how long is it taking for you to create a label? currently it takes me up to 30 minutes sometimes with nero's label creator.

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: YBS1

It knows where to start by all those holographic marks on the inner hub of the disc. You probably won't need to burn it twice if you use the extended label contrast utility. Oh, and the pricing has been getting better on them lately. If you're paying more than a dollar a disc (DVD) you're getting ripped off.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[bucwylde23]

Originally posted by: duragezic
Yeah the holographic ring common to all LS discs is kinda annoying, but I don't notice it much anymore unless I look for it.

Thanks for that link. I had never heard of that, and I think I'll do mine 2x or with that now, because it is nice and darker but even once still looks okay.


I can post some pictures of the 4-5 LS cds I've burned thus far if anyone wants to see how they look. Tomorrow I could anyway.

I wouldn't mind seeing the pics....

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Originally posted by: corkyg
I have one LS burner - and use it for "special disks." That is, those that will represent me and a slideshow creation for a 3rd party. I have three other burners that I use for mass produciton with labels. But the LS provide a very professional image.

BTW - I learned that you can burn the label twice and make it darker. Still can't figure out how it knows where to start! It works.

The LS media is not that expensive. Look at Meritline.com. BTW - isn't this really a hardware question?

Thanks, and yea, I was wondering if this should have gone in hardware, but it's also software related as you need the software to write it. I also thought more people browse this section than the hardware, and it would elicit more responses.

 

[NeoV]

what software are you guys using to make the lightscribe images, and subsequently burning the image onto the CD?

 

[mechBgon]

I use Nero's label designer. Sample output, pic 1 Sample output, pic 2 and these were done with the Enhanced Contrast enabled. I made some of the print too fine, but that's a case of PEBKAC

 

[russr]

What's a good lightscribe dvd burner? I've seen the Benq DW1655 recommended, but that was a few months back...is it still one of the best choices?

 

[corkyg]

Originally posted by: NeoV
what software are you guys using to make the lightscribe images, and subsequently burning the image onto the CD?

I use SureThing - CD/DVD labler. It came with the burner, but I had already been using it for a few years.

 

[ynotravid]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I use Nero's label designer. Sample output, pic 1 Sample output, pic 2 and these were done with the Enhanced Contrast enabled. I made some of the print too fine, but that's a case of PEBKAC

wow, I didn't realize the end result looked so good.

 

[duragezic]

I use SureThing CD/DVD labeler.

I'll see about taking some pictures tonight after work.

And I'll have to get that Enhanced Contrast tool installed and check out the difference.


It takes just over 25 minutes to do a single LS label. So if I want it extra dark it takes 50 minutes. I'm not sure how much time the EC tool adds, and though 25-50 minutes seems really long for a label, I can find plenty of other things to do while I wait for it..

 

[YBS1]

Originally posted by: amish

Originally posted by: YBS1

Originally posted by: corkyg

BTW - I learned that you can burn the label twice and make it darker. Still can't figure out how it knows where to start! It works.

It knows where to start by all those holographic marks on the inner hub of the disc. You probably won't need to burn it twice if you use the extended label contrast utility. Oh, and the pricing has been getting better on them lately. If you're paying more than a dollar a disc (DVD) you're getting ripped off.

thanks for the link. i love my LS but i do wish the contrast was a little better. how long is it taking for you to create a label? currently it takes me up to 30 minutes sometimes with nero's label creator.

With using the enhanced contrast utility and the faster 1.2 version discs it takes me anywhere from 22-32 minutes at the best setting. You can roughly add 8-10 minutes for any setting if you are still using the original discs, though that shouldn't be an issue as I don't think I've bought/seen any of those for a couple of months. I use Photoshop CS2 and my own dvd/cd template to create labels and burn them using SureThing CD Labeler.

Here is a couple of samples. Lightscribe CD and Lightscribe DVD[image removed]. I prefer the look of the CDs myself (the look is different due to a layer of plastic over the Lightscribe surface on the DVDs), but the DVDs do actually look better in real life than the scan. The DVDs have an almost 3D or holographic look to them in person which isn't the case with the CDs.

 

[YBS1]

Originally posted by: duragezic
It takes just over 25 minutes to do a single LS label. So if I want it extra dark it takes 50 minutes. I'm not sure how much time the EC tool adds, and though 25-50 minutes seems really long for a label, I can find plenty of other things to do while I wait for it..

The contrast utility adds almost an identical amount of time as the improved 1.2 discs subtract, so it's pretty much a wash really. Using the utility and the 1.2s you're looking at (on average) 30 minutes on best, 20 minutes on normal, and 15 minutes on draft. Add 8-10 minutes to those times if you are still using 1.1 discs with the utility, and subtract 8-10 minutes from them if you're using 1.2 discs without the utility.

 

[YBS1]

Originally posted by: russr
What's a good lightscribe dvd burner? I've seen the Benq DW1655 recommended, but that was a few months back...is it still one of the best choices?

The HP dvd840i (rebadged LG H-20L in my case, some are rebadged LG GSA-4166B drives though), Lite-On 165H6S, and Samsung SH-S162L are the most "feature rich" (all do lightscribe and DVD-RAM), though I don't know if that makes them the best drives.

I have no experience with the Samsung, but own each of the other two and did have an HP dvd740i (also lightscribe) previously. The 840i has been excellent so far, it's very quiet and automatically booktypes DVD+R to DVD-ROM (as did the 740i). The Lite-On worked perfectly for about two weeks and then up and died with no warning at all, it wouldn't recognize any media (pressed, burned or blank). I would write that off as a dud except that a friend of mine had the same model arrive DOA for him. I should have my replacement (RMA) later this week so the jury is still out on the Lite-On. To be fair though, my HP 740i died as well but it went through a lot of abuse (read abuse as burnt a ton of discs both data side and lightscribe side).

If I had to make a recommendation I'd say go with the 840i(or LG H-20L) if you don't mind the extra $$$ as the auto booktyping is nice. Seeing as how I had the Lite-On die on me so quickly and that you must use a utility to set booktyping before burning the disc it would be hard for me to recommend it outright, it did however seem to be the best disc reader of any cd/dvd burner I've had and while it was working it was cranking out some rather stunning burns (even on dual layer discs) according to disc quality scan scores. The Samsung and the Lite-On are about the same price so you may want to just give the Samsung a whirl, and if you don't care one bit about DVD-RAM capability, maybe a Lightscribe model BenQ, most people who have them seem to like them.