My first lightscribed DVD

[DaJe]

For those of you who don't know, lightscribe allows you to burn your DVD on one side, flip it over, and then have the laser etch and image into the top of the disc.


Earlier today, I recieved some lightscribe DVDs

http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT6463.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT6464.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT6465.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT6466.JPG


To test it out, I scanned this

http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/starcraftdvdfinal.jpg



Now, this was my first time ever doing this, so it didn't come out as good as it could be. Next time, it'll look a lot better. Especially since I now have a contrast utility for it.

http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT6467.JPG
http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/scribedfinal.jpg

[ESX]

Woot that thing is awesome! How much did it cost?

[AJ@PR]

Interesting... my hp DVD burner is LightScribe... and I've never used it.... hmmm....

[Omega]

Keep in mind -- Lightscribe disks are where they rape you. Those things are freakin' expensive.

So yeah. They are awesome. Prolong the life of your Sharpie.


I'll just stick with my Plextor PX-716a, thanks.

[slytherock]

And my liteon Lightscribe died on me 2 week after I got it. And the RMA from Liteon suck.

[Crimson Sky]

yeah far too pricey for disks at this point.

[CanaBalistic]

You've got to be kidding me... There is a StarCraft movie?!?

[chedabob]

I like my lightscribe, but the discs are fairly expensive, and they take freaking ages to burn.

[GT40_GearHead]

how does it print the disk???

does it just use the laser to print the stuff you want or what?

[DaJe]

Yep, all done by the laser. I payed $15 (with shipping) for 20 discs (without shipping it was $10 for 20 discs). I actually also have a printer capable of printing on discs too. I've never used it though.

[GT40_GearHead]

what colors can be printed with this kind of stuff, does it depend on the disk you use ?

[gaz_the_chav]

WOW!

I am so gettinf one of them how much do the drives cost about?

-gaz

[DaJe]

The drives cost about $30-$50. Mine was only $30. The disc is only this one color, though someone told me they heard HP is developing a color disc. I should get some printable discs that I can use in my printer. Those, of course, can be full color.

[GT40_GearHead]

no way .....!

so this costs 30$ and its dvd writer, i dont know why but i think its not that much, how do you feal about it ?

[DaJe]

Here's the one I have http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827151136

Was actually under $30 when I bought it. I have two of them actually. I'd say it's a good price, and it's done me well so far.

[GT40_GearHead]

this may be a good buy, my cd writer died on me so..... :D

[DaJe]

Here's some information on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightscribe

It even mentions the possibility of full color in the future. What's also amazing, is that it uses a code on the disc to know the exact position of the disc. So I could go back and have it go over this disc again, and it would start in the same place and re-do the whole thing to give me a better image.

[GT40_GearHead]

i'm almost afraid to buy a thing like this, you never know how my walls get covered with dvd paintings :|

[gaz_the_chav]

Hmmmmm Interestnig. NEC and Yamaha have both tried to develop similar technologies but pretty unsuccessfully.

-gaz

[DaJe]

So I just went over it again, and here's how it looks now.


http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT6470.JPG

http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/scribedfinal2.jpg

[chedabob]

Im so going to leech my dads just so I can have kick ass discs :D

They should make rewriteable ones. Cos then I could print over the existing label.

[DaJe]

According to that article on Wikipedia:

"Currently it's not possible to rewrite a LightScribe label but it's possible to add more content to a label that is already burned. Support for full rewriting could be added in the future."

So maybe we'll be able to do that sometime soon :D

[AJ@PR]

^^^^
1. Create LightScribe Liquid Paper
2. Sell in eBay
3. ???
4. Profit!!!

[chedabob]

I meant like you could load the existing image up, use lines to strike through the old text, and put new text on.

[Chel]

Ive never used a lightscribe drive before but its neat stuff. One question though - how does it work? Could you for instance make a blank image (open photoshop and just make a new blank white bg image) and write over the previous image on the cd or would it just lighten the whole thing? Don't know if this is making any sense lol

[DaJe]

I think once it's made dark, it stays dark forever.

[chedabob]

You can only write over existing stuff, you can't blank it. But you could say, cross out old text, and write new text on.

[Cool1Net6]

Interesting. I have always seen these drives around and thought they were cool, but never wanted one. Media is still expensive, but maybe save them for burning special projects.

-Cool-

[Indybird]

So I just went over it again, and here's how it looks now.


http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/PICT6470.JPG

http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/scribedfinal2.jpg

Wait did you go over the same disc twice?
If so, I didn't know you could that and I'm probably going to go over all of mine twice to get a better image...

[DaJe]

Same disc. It has a code on it so that the drive knows the exact position of the disc, allowing you to gfo over it again if you want.

[simon275]

How long does it take to put an image on the disk?

[Indybird]

How long does it take to put an image on the disk?

On my new burner:
Average Quality = 6 mins
Good Quality = 15 mins
Uber Quality = 30 mins

[simon275]

Wow 30mins for top quality thats insane.

[DaJe]

Took me 20 minutes for top quality.

[Indybird]

k, maybe mines a wee bit slow-though I do have to extra contrast update.
what program do you use?
I use SureThing CD Labeler 4 SE

[Aero]

sweet, can't wait to get my new burner set up. I just went to the Tigerdirect outlet store today and picked up a Lite-On DVD burner with Lightscribe, now I just need to get some clean DVD's :p

[Cool1Net6]

I 'found' a Lite-ON drive in one of my computers today. Unfortunately, its just a CD-RW, but I plan to try out this lightscribe thing just because.

-Cool-

[Aero]

I 'found' a Lite-ON drive in one of my computers today. Unfortunately, its just a CD-RW, but I plan to try out this lightscribe thing just because.

-Cool-

Lite-ON is just the maker, like Sony or NEC, it doesn't mean it has the lightscribe ability.

[Indybird]

sweet, can't wait to get my new burner set up. I just went to the Tigerdirect outlet store today and picked up a Lite-On DVD burner with Lightscribe, now I just need to get some clean DVD's :p

I dunno if you already know, but you have to use special lightscribe discs.

[Aero]

I dunno if you already know, but you have to use special lightscribe discs.


yeah, thats what I ment by "clean DVD's". From what I've seen they may cost me more than my burner :smoker:

[DaJe]

I payed $10 for 20 discs.

[Cool1Net6]

Lite-ON is just the maker, like Sony or NEC, it doesn't mean it has the lightscribe ability.
You've dashed my hopes and dreams...


I payed $10 for 20 discs.
Sucks if you make a coaster.

-Cool-

[DaJe]

Not really. That would mean 50 cents a disc. Not a big loss.

[xmastree]

Digging up an old thread... I just got a lightscribe DVD burner. Got some discs today (£20 for 50) and tried one.

Crap. Absolute rubbish.

http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/9493****escribe.jpg

My problem now is, is it the drive or the discs?

[Omega]

Digging up an old thread... I just got a lightscribe DVD burner. Got some discs today (£20 for 50) and tried one.

Crap. Absolute rubbish.

My problem now is, is it the drive or the discs?

If you send me one of your discs I can tell you if it's the drive or the disc.

[xmastree]

I had another go, same disc but no fancy pattern this time. Just the word 'testing'
I did it on medium contrast for speed. It came out legible but not so clear.
then I tried again, same disc, diferent place, the words Take 2. High. (smaller font) in High contrast this time. That came out about the same.
Just for the hell, I ran it through again with the take 2 still there to see if it would burn it darker. It didn't.

http://www.lotechdesigns.com/host/images/2668****escribe2.jpg

The contrast just isn't there.


If you send me one of your discs I can tell you if it's the drive or the disc Sure, PM me your address and I'll send you one. No need to return it.

[Omega]

Sure, PM me your address and I'll send you one. No need to return it.

Done and done. TBCS Detectives GO! We'll get to the bottom of this! =D

[noopypoop]

this is offtopic, but the first post was on my birthday!:)

[xmastree]

Done and done. TBCS Detectives GO! We'll get to the bottom of this! =D
Except that we seem to have a large ocean between us...

Also, I've found someone here (UK) willing to test one for me.

Thanks anyway, it was a nice thought.

[Scotty]

Remember high contrast images work the best.

[Ichbin]

just as a test, make a dartboard image for the CD. contrasting between the blacks, greys, and whites.

[Tabspace]

I have two of them in my rig and i kinda like having them.
If you burn a lot of mp3's for your car then heck no don't bother.
if you have a family or whatnot and burn all your home movies its awesome. hell, i'll pay extra to scribe them so they look somewhat pro for the disks i intened to keep. you dont have to use lightscribe disks for everything.
anyway heres my test pic using nero.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/13593952@N03/2067205449/" title="lightscribe test by don soules, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2115/2067205449_46b04c06c8_o.jpg" width="557" height="521" alt="lightscribe test" /></a>

[xmastree]

The plot thickens... Having produced a barely acceptable result, I proceeded to burn the data. It failed at 4%. So, I tried again using the first disc (the one I photographed), same thing.

Sod this, these discs are crap, I'll just burn one of the older ones I've been using so far.

Failed at 4%...

Bugger, I seem to have blown it up. :dead:

It can't even read discs now.

[xmastree]

Right. I just bought a new one from the local computer shop. Asus this time. slightly more expensive, but at least if it goes bang this time I have somewhere to take it.

The first one will be going back. Needless to say, the seller wants to repair it but I'll be pushing for a refund.

[xmastree]

From PayPal:

aryan-tech limited (info@drutech.co.uk) has issued you a full or partial refund for your payment.

Please do not reply to this email. Email sent to this address cannot be answered.

Message from Seller:

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Date Payment Sent: 4 Nov. 2007

Amount: 26.91 GBP

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[calumc]

just goes to show that the internet can be a decent place after all!