need a Lightscribe drive

[Kaido]

I need to pick up a Lightscribe drive, never had one before. Is the $52 BenQ beast on newegg ok? Anyone own one of these and care to comment on what discs to get etc?

 

[SonicIce]

theres printers that can print onto CD's that would do a much better job. i dont know too much about lightscribe though

 

[keeleysam]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101642

Yes, I'd go with that.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: SonicIce
theres printers that can print onto CD's that would do a much better job. i dont know too much about lightscribe though

Yup, I have one. Epson R200. It's fantastic! I want the Lightscribe to add a really classy feel to some of the system discs and movies I make for people.

 

[eXx08]

im thinking of ordering one myself.

 

[Ken90630]

I don't know much about 'em, but I'm kinda interested in them too. I do seem to remember reading recently that not all blank discs are compatible with them, however. At least that pertained to the HP drive I was casually looking at.

 

[Kaido]

I placed an order at Newegg for a black BenQ DW1625 Lightscribe drive, plus a 30-pack of Verbatim DVD+R discs. I bought this drive specifically for the Lightscribe capabilities. I'll let you guys know how well it turns out. I'll probably also pick up the SureThing CD/DVD Labeler Deluxe software, which was recommend by one of the drive's reviewers. Apparently the Lightscribe printing software in Nero stinks. Here's a link to the SureThing software: ($29.95 for the good version)

http://www.surething.com/ST/

Here are a few of reviews on the BenQ drive:

http://www.extrememhz.com/dw1625-p1.shtml

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1778337,00.asp

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=14236

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=262

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=29&id=1458


Here's a link to the BenQ drive on Newegg: ($52.99)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101642

and the Verbatim discs I ordered: ($34.99 for a 30-pack of DVD+R discs, plus a $16 rebate - $18.99 AR)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817130996

 

[Kaido]

I did a test burn today. I'm not overly impressed. It lacks the "holographic" feel that the photos advertise it to have. That look is a result of the shine of the disc itself underneath. The detail is definately lacking. I did a double-burn as suggested in some of the reviews; that improved the image somewhat. It took about 27 minutes per burn at "best" quality. I tried out the "Gears" template along with some text from this page:

http://www.lightscribe.com/use/index.aspx?id=219

My initial impression is that of disappointment. I'd say pay the extra $10 and get an Epson R200 inkjet photo/cd printer so that you could do black and white, color, sepia, etc. They sell both white and silver printable discs. I've only tried the white (ONLY buy Ritek! Taiyo Yudens will give you a border by default and don't look as professional) and they came out phenomenal. If you are thinking about getting a LightScribe drive soley for the LightScribe use like I did, I'd say don't bother. If you need a drive as an upgrade or for a new build, I'd say what the heck, it's an extra $2 over regular drives. I may change my mind as I play around with some other designs, but I'm not particularly impressed right off the bat. Maybe I'm spoiled by my R200.

Bottom line: it's really just a novelty. It's slow (which I don't mind), it's only available in gold (which I also don't mind), the detail isn't super great (which is kinda lame), and it's not mind blowing. The Epson R200 is a much better buy for close to the same money, is much faster, and has cheaper media.

 

[Ken90630]

Thanks for taking the time to report your experience and impressions. Good info for those of us considering a lightscribe drive.

I wonder if the HP lightscribe drives would fare any better.

 

[imported_nunya]

Yes, thanks for the review. I, too, have been casually considering a lightscribe purchase at these prices. You just saved me some cash, kudos.

 

[imported_Nacelle]

Good luck finding the discs around

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Nacelle
Good luck finding the discs around

Staples has them. They're cheaper online, however. Newegg has a decent selection, as does Super Media Store.

 

[Andres3605]

i have the hp, i havent have a problem yet and the quality is very good

 

[InsiderGamer]

I appreciate the review, Kaido. I was looking at the reviews of the drives and was impressed with how their test discs looked. But really, if it's considerably slower and you have to buy specific media (of which I overlooked) then perhaps, I'll just stick with my DW1640.

~IG

 

[McPudd]

Originally posted by: Kaido
I placed an order at Newegg for a black BenQ DW1625 Lightscribe drive, plus a 30-pack of Verbatim DVD+R discs. I bought this drive specifically for the Lightscribe capabilities. I'll let you guys know how well it turns out. I'll probably also pick up the SureThing CD/DVD Labeler Deluxe software, which was recommend by one of the drive's reviewers. Apparently the Lightscribe printing software in Nero stinks. Here's a link to the SureThing software: ($29.95 for the good version)

http://www.surething.com/ST/

Here are a few of reviews on the BenQ drive:

http://www.extrememhz.com/dw1625-p1.shtml

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1778337,00.asp

http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=14236

http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=262

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=29&id=1458


Here's a link to the BenQ drive on Newegg: ($52.99)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101642

and the Verbatim discs I ordered: ($34.99 for a 30-pack of DVD+R discs, plus a $16 rebate - $18.99 AR)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817130996

From the Nero download page of the major updates released today (12Nov05)
"Dear Valued Customers,
We have improved the interaction between Nero and the Lightscribe.api. If you download the latest Nero Version, please make sure to update the respective language pack. Your Nero Team"
http://www.nero.com/nero6/enu/nero-up.php

Happy trailz,

 

[ParatoOptimal]

I think the latest MaximumPC or the special holiday issue compated between lightscribe and laserjet printed discs. I think overall laserjetting it was the slight winner perhaps due to cost, color and the need for lightscribe to evolve a bit.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: ParatoOptimal
I think the latest MaximumPC or the special holiday issue compated between lightscribe and laserjet printed discs. I think overall laserjetting it was the slight winner perhaps due to cost, color and the need for lightscribe to evolve a bit.

Must be the special holiday issue; I just picked up the December 2005 MaximumPC mag from B&N and it doesn't have that article

I wouldn't mind the cost of Lightscribe so much if the quality was better. I've made a couple more discs and I'm still on the fence about it. So far, full-on graphics look horrible, even with a double-burn. However, text and light graphics (like the kind you can download from lightscribe.com) look pretty nice. It definately doesn't have the etched holographic look, however. Still takes nearly 30 minutes for a few lines of text and a basic inner border, which is a bit of a bummer but not a big deal.

Lightscribe would be better if the quality was better and the speed was faster. Color discs would be kind of cool too, but the industry seems to be moving pretty slowly on this and it may just be something that dies off or something that only HP supports in the future. Another thing I don't like is the center holographic ID ring. Each Lightscribe disc has special markings in the center so that the drive can tell where to start burning. This way, if you burn a disc again to make it darker, it will start in the same place (nice feature). However, it's really, really shiny, and if you're looking at the disc in a well-lit room, that ring kind of distracts you from the Ligthscribe image. It's like on a Windows XP installation CD, only more shiny.

I will continue to use my Lightscribe drive for system restore discs and a few other applications, but if you want awesome custom CDs, my vote is still with the R200. There's a newer model out at Staples, the R220, as well as a unit with LCD screens and a card reader, the R320, plus a super-duty version, the R800. I'd go with the R200 from Newegg because it's a simple, straightforward device without the fluff. You can get it for $70 AR right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16828103160

A 50-pack of white printable DVD discs runs about $18 on Newegg. Just do a search for "ritek printable". The Ritek discs are the best I've used. I tried out Taiyo Yuden discs, but their border extends all the way to the inner and outer edges and doesn't look very professional. Just make sure you get Riteks with a good dye, like G04. The white discs are nice because it's just like printing on matte photo paper. I haven't tried the silver discs yet.

 

[ParatoOptimal]

MaximumPC
November 2005
pages 16-17

 

[thehstrybean]

I have the HP USB 2.0 Lightscribe burner...the DVD 640...Dual layer, all formats. It's sweet. I like the lightscribe. I just "backed up" my copy of Adobe Premiere Pro, and I found a picture of a CD on the net. Used that as my cd picture, burned it, and it's looks nice. All the disc have the gold tint, so they don't look "awesome", but it is really nice to have...just my $.02

 

[21stHermit]

Kaido

Appreciate all your comments and insights. Looks like I'll be sticking with my Sharpie a bit longer.

When I searched on "Lightscribe", this was the first thread I clicked on, couldn't have picked a better thread.

Too bad the Epson R200 doesn't come in an All-in-One version.

Hermit

Originally posted by: Kaido
I wouldn't mind the cost of Lightscribe so much if the quality was better. I've made a couple more discs and I'm still on the fence about it. So far, full-on graphics look horrible, even with a double-burn. However, text and light graphics (like the kind you can download from lightscribe.com) look pretty nice. It definately doesn't have the etched holographic look, however. Still takes nearly 30 minutes for a few lines of text and a basic inner border, which is a bit of a bummer but not a big deal.

Lightscribe would be better if the quality was better and the speed was faster. Color discs would be kind of cool too, but the industry seems to be moving pretty slowly on this and it may just be something that dies off or something that only HP supports in the future. Another thing I don't like is the center holographic ID ring. Each Lightscribe disc has special markings in the center so that the drive can tell where to start burning. This way, if you burn a disc again to make it darker, it will start in the same place (nice feature). However, it's really, really shiny, and if you're looking at the disc in a well-lit room, that ring kind of distracts you from the Ligthscribe image. It's like on a Windows XP installation CD, only more shiny.

I will continue to use my Lightscribe drive for system restore discs and a few other applications, but if you want awesome custom CDs, my vote is still with the R200. There's a newer model out at Staples, the R220, as well as a unit with LCD screens and a card reader, the R320, plus a super-duty version, the R800. I'd go with the R200 from Newegg because it's a simple, straightforward device without the fluff. You can get it for $70 AR right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16828103160

A 50-pack of white printable DVD discs runs about $18 on Newegg. Just do a search for "ritek printable". The Ritek discs are the best I've used. I tried out Taiyo Yuden discs, but their border extends all the way to the inner and outer edges and doesn't look very professional. Just make sure you get Riteks with a good dye, like G04. The white discs are nice because it's just like printing on matte photo paper. I haven't tried the silver discs yet.

 

[Broly]

I have hte r800 but i'm too lazy to figure out how it works