Lightscribe and DVDRs

[carloi]

I've seen a number of messages pro and con HP's new technology that uses the laser beam of a DVD or CD burner to create a "cover" or title side for the disc.

The discussion reminds me of the debates about whether a Cross pencil or a Cross pen is better for jotting down a note.

The answer of course depends on the circumstances. I will often record a live broadcast of a classical music piece and burn a CD so that I can listen to it once or twice at myy convenience. For this sort of thing, where I expect to discard the CD after a short time, the me-honored way of jotting down a title witha sharpie is clearly best.

Alternatively, when I creat a cusomt CD for my own enjoyment from music I already own on CDs or have downloaded legally and I want to make a cusotm CD with a semi-professinal cover cover and some permanence, the Lightscirbe approach is clearly best.

In any event HP is to be congratulated for developing and marketing an inventive technology.

 

[Nek802]

well, at first I thought it was pretty neat, wanted one myself, but then I checked their website, and it says you need to buy special disks to do it, and it's probably gonna be expensive

then i thought about it, I've always use a sharpie to write stuff on disks, and it works, so why change now, and I don't really need to burn disks as often cause I have my MP3 player for music, USB stick thing for sharing files/pics,

even if I burn lots of DVD's and CD's, I can write it on faster than the lazer can zap it on...

 

[Gunbuster]

It brown, all the colors in the rainbow and they pick brown.

The fact that they don?t show any close-ups of the discs at lightscribe.com should major clue that its a half hearted stillborn technology (edit: they do have some somewhat larger images, but they still look like ass)

 

[gsellis]

And last I heard, it takes 15 minutes per disc. Sticking with my Epson 960. I like the colors better

Still a cool idea. I also like the other tech that writes the label in the media, bot only a single cup of coffee so far, so having problems with recall of the name of it.

 

[Zucarita9000]

I also read that using Lightscribe will really wear out the laser, and that the lifespan of the recorder is brought down by two thirds...

 

[carloi]

Zucarita9000,

as far as I know low-power lasers such as those used in CD-burners and DVD-burners have an essentially infinite life. If you have data to the contray, please share it with the rest of us.

 

[jbond04]

In my opinion, Lightscribe in its current incarnation is cool, but in a novelty sort of way. The disks are only one color, and burning times are on the high side (10-15 mintues). However, second and especially third generation Lightscribe drives/disks will be MUCH cooler.

I've worked with Lightscribe technology firsthand (in fact I brought out a Lightscribe disk that I have at home to look at while I wrote this post), and it's very nice. The disks themselves look much more professional, more like a real factory made CD, than any label could ever achieve.

And gsellis, while your Epson printer can print on CD's, the paper/ink is undoubtedly more expensive than what Lightscribe disks will end up costing (after a little time on the market).

I think Lightscribe has a lot of potential to be very cool, but it will take the 2nd or 3rd generation to realize this.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: jbond04
And gsellis, while your Epson printer can print on CD's, the paper/ink is undoubtedly more expensive than what Lightscribe disks will end up costing (after a little time on the market).

I think Lightscribe has a lot of potential to be very cool, but it will take the 2nd or 3rd generation to realize this.

I suspect that Lightscribe DVDs, when they become available, will still be more than the hub printables I use. Remember that the disc probably have a licensing cost associated with them for LightScribe too. I also print direct to disc as labels on a DVD are risky.

The cost in time is also a factor. I can burn and print 2 discs in less than 15 minutes. With LightScribe, that moves to roughly 23 minutes per disc (DVDs, not CD-R). So, even with ink and printer costs, inked disc may be cheaper - cost = price + wage*time

So while very cool, I still think print to disc it better. But, no need to worry about water-soluable ink.

To go to color, they would have to develop a thermal reactive material that changes color the longer or less it is exposed to the laser. That will be interesting. And the have to find one that is stable in a sandwich with the other disc materials. AND it has to not change color when put in a poorly vented player or in someone's car out in the sun. I have my doubts about how soon we may see color LightScribe. But, it still is cool.

 

[Zepper]

It's just a gimmick. Yamaha had a similar deal on the last CD burner they made but it burned the label right into the disk's medium - didn't need no special coating (but did take away from the available disk space)...

.bh.

Here, have a :beer: ! My Berserker comes today...

 

[JBT]

I think its cool but probably not worth it yet. Its a first generation thing. If people accept it it might actually be worth it in the future.

 

[RaiderJ]

Assuming all else was the same between two models of DVD-RW drives, I'd choose the one that had Lightscribe. Be great to make a disc here and there that had a nifty label. The pictures I've seen look cool, better that a inkjet created label.

 

[semo]

Zepper, define gimmick

Originally posted by: JBT
I think its cool but probably not worth it yet. Its a first generation thing. If people accept it it might actually be worth it in the future.

how would people accept it if it is not worth it. if nobody buys it, nobody will develop it further. your current rig seems to be running on an amd64 which is a first gen 64 bit processor from amd and this type of processors are very popular despite the absence of software that can take full advantege of 64 bit computing. now that's a gimmick (not the processor but the 64 bit functionality). lightscribe drives and media are available now.

any practical method of labeling discs is not a gimmick imo.
30 minutes to label a disc with images might be a problem for some but not for me since on weekdays i'm away from my house for atleast 8 hours a day while my pc is folding.

also i hope ppl realise that they can do other things on their pc while their discs are being scribed

 

[akugami]

15min burning the image is ok. Anything higher would be out of the question. It would be best however if it was under 10 minutes. For a technology like Lightscribe I wouldn't be looking for high quality images but decent solid color graphics and about 8 shades. Text at about 10 point should be relatively crisp and easily legible. Finally the cost for a Lightscribe coated disc would have to be minimal over a normal disc. At most two cents over a normal disc.

 

[Blain]

Lightscribe sounds great if it wasn't so slow, expensive and no color.

 

[semo]

Originally posted by: Blain
Lightscribe sounds great if it wasn't so slow, expensive and no color.

lightscribe media with twice the speed is on the way (hopfully before the end of 2005)
hp promised media will be cheap (ls is a new technology, price premium is compulsory)
research for color scribing has already started

lightscribe is not perfect but there is a lot of potential in it.

 

[Blain]

The Epson R200 is already here :laugh:

 

[semo]

Originally posted by: Blain
The Epson R200 is already here :laugh:

whole point of lightscribe is that you don't have to buy a printer. if you use the printer for other things than good, but i burn discs and don't want to buy a printer and then the ink...

how many cds can you label (with images and all) with only one set of ink cartridges before having to buy new ones?
the reason i like ls is that it has the potential to be very cheap. i might consider inkjet printing if it's cheaper

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: semo

Originally posted by: Blain
The Epson R200 is already here :laugh:

whole point of lightscribe is that you don't have to buy a printer. if you use the printer for other things than good, but i burn discs and don't want to buy a printer and then the ink...

how many cds can you label (with images and all) with only one set of ink cartridges before having to buy new ones?
the reason i like ls is that it has THE POTENTIAL to be very cheap. i might consider inkjet printing if it's cheaper

To answer the topic question... Yes, Lightscribe is neat, but is far from practical at this time.

"In any event HP is to be congratulated for developing and marketing an inventive technology."
Don't uncork the champaign just yet! :laugh:
Many a "neat" technology has come and gone over the years.

 

[semo]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: semo

Originally posted by: Blain
The Epson R200 is already here :laugh:

whole point of lightscribe is that you don't have to buy a printer. if you use the printer for other things than good, but i burn discs and don't want to buy a printer and then the ink...

how many cds can you label (with images and all) with only one set of ink cartridges before having to buy new ones?
the reason i like ls is that it has THE POTENTIAL to be very cheap. i might consider inkjet printing if it's cheaper

To answer the topic question... Yes, Lightscribe is neat, but is far from practical at this time.

"In any event HP is to be congratulated for developing and marketing an inventive technology."
Don't uncork the champaign just yet! :laugh:
Many a "neat" technology has come and gone over the years.

what about the question of "is inkjet labeling cheap?"
has anyone here got the r200 or similar printer. i heard u get problems when trying to print on cds... something about them not fitting properly

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: semo

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: semo

Originally posted by: Blain
The Epson R200 is already here :laugh:

whole point of lightscribe is that you don't have to buy a printer. if you use the printer for other things than good, but i burn discs and don't want to buy a printer and then the ink...

how many cds can you label (with images and all) with only one set of ink cartridges before having to buy new ones?
the reason i like ls is that it has THE POTENTIAL to be very cheap. i might consider inkjet printing if it's cheaper

To answer the topic question... Yes, Lightscribe is neat, but is far from practical at this time.

"In any event HP is to be congratulated for developing and marketing an inventive technology."
Don't uncork the champaign just yet! :laugh:
Many a "neat" technology has come and gone over the years.

what about the question of "is inkjet labeling cheap?"
has anyone here got the r200 or similar printer. i heard u get problems when trying to print on cds... something about them not fitting properly

I've got an R200. That's why I'm preaching.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: semo
something about them not fitting properly

Huh? They are all 5.25". Works every time. Even thichness is not an issue.

 

[semo]

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: semo
something about them not fitting properly

Huh? They are all 5.25". Works every time. Even thichness is not an issue.

well you read all kind of junk on the internet...

anyway, i've decided to go for the benq dw1625 as soon as it becomes available in britain and use a sharpie until some manufacturer decides to release lightscirbe dvd-r media

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: semo

Originally posted by: gsellis

Originally posted by: semo
something about them not fitting properly

Huh? They are all 5.25". Works every time. Even thichness is not an issue.

well you read all kind of junk on the internet...

anyway, i've decided to go for the benq dw1625 as soon as it becomes available in britain and use a sharpie until some manufacturer decides to release lightscirbe dvd-r media

Cool. And I am laughing... "thichness"? That must be like "thickness". Must not have been sufficiently caffienated yet.