hp dvd640 LightScribe DVD Burner Video Review

[Jason Dunn]

<img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/hp-dvd640.jpg" /><br /><br /><b>Product Category:</b> Optical drive<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> <a href="http://www.hp.com">HP</a><br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://pocketpcthoughts.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=6729920&search=hp+dvd640">Pricegrabber Low Price Search</a> [Affiliate]<br /><b>Price:</b> $89 to $129 USD<br /><b>System Requirements:</b> 5.25" drive bay or external enclosure. Microsoft Windows XP or 2000 Professional SP3; 800MHz Intel® Pentium® III (1.6GHz recommended); 128MB RAM (256MB recommended for video editing); 660MB hard disk space for software and DVD video disc creation.<br /><b>Specifications:</b> 16x DVD+R; 8x DVD-R; 2.4x DL DVD; 24x CD-R write speeds. 24x CD-R, DVD±RW up to 4X re-write speeds. 16x DVD+R; 8x DVD-R, 2.4x DL DVD; 24x CD-R read speeds.<br /><br /><b>Pros:</b><li>LightScribe burning is amazing;<br /><li>Fast burning to a variety of DVD formats.<b>Cons:</b><ul><li>Required a software patch to get working;<li>Weak software bundle;<li>Expensive compared to other drives.</ul><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/lightscribe-review-intro.jpg" /><br />Right-click one of these links to download the video, or left click on it to stream:<br /><br />• <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/videoreviews/lightscribe-desktop.wmv">Desktop</a> (640x480, 15MB)<br />• <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/videoreviews/lightscribe-pocketpc.wmv">Pocket PC</a> (320x240, 12 MB - requires WMP 10 Mobile)<br />• <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/videoreviews/lightscribe-smartphone.wmv">Smartphone</a> (160x120, 2.7 MB - requires WMP 10 Mobile)<br />• <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/videoreviews/lightscribe-pmc.wmv">Portable Media Center</a> (320 x 240, 12 MB)<br /><br /><b>Summary:</b><br />LightScribe technology was first announced in 2004, and roughly one year later we have the first shipping product from HP. The dvd640 is the first shipping DVD drive with LightScribe technology, and while it has a few rough edges, LightScribe lives up to the hype - it's an incredibly cool way to personalize your CDs and DVDs.<br /><br /><i>Jason Dunn owns and operates <a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com">Thoughts Media Inc.</a>, a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys mobile devices, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Alberta, Canada.</i>

[Suhit Gupta]

Jason,
This is a fantastic review. In fact I totally want to get my own LightScribe drive now. BTW, how much do the discs cost?

On the time taken to burn, it makes sense right now given how slow bruning a CD used to take when CD burners were frst announced.

Also, I agree with you on that weirdness with the patch needed. Perhaps we should link to it from this review. :)

Suhit

[James Fee]

I think I saw BenQ also has one either on the way or just released.

The only question I have is how long is this supposed to last? Is it permanent or will it fade after a year or two?

[Philip Colmer]

Nice review!

You mention that the fitting instructions come in the form of a Flash-based tutorial. Did they also come in printed form, as I think it could be a problem trying to install a drive into a live system. Likewise, if you turn the system off to install the drive, you've lost your instructions.

With regards to the Verbatim DVD, the results look similar to some inkjet printable discs I've got where the printed surface is transparent, relying on the inner layer of the DVD itself to reflect light back through the printing. I actually like the look - it gives it a holographic appearance but, as you say, it isn't as crisp so you have to be careful particularly with text.

--Philip

[Jason Dunn]

BTW, how much do the discs cost?...Also, I agree with you on that weirdness with the patch needed. Perhaps we should link to it from this review.

Discs vary in price - I paid $15 CND for 5 of the HP brand, but I've seen Verbatim for $10 CND for 5, so about $1.60 USD per disc. I think we'll see $1 price levels before the end of this year as production ramps up.

The patch is here:

http://forums.mvd2.com/tm.asp?m=22993&amp;p=1&amp;tmode=1&amp;smode=1

I guess I had the "unique" circumstances...? :?

[Jason Dunn]

I think I saw BenQ also has one either on the way or just released...The only question I have is how long is this supposed to last? Is it permanent or will it fade after a year or two?

Yeah, BenQ, Lacie, and many other vendors are signed up to released drives. I think by the summer we'll see more selection - right now HP is the only one that had a drive in the channel. Lacie was supposed to have one out by now, but it was delayed I believe.

In terms of how long the Lightscribe image will last, I see no answer to that in the FAQ:

http://h10058.www1.hp.com/digital/entertainment/us/en/lightscribe/faq.html

I learned a few new things from that FAQ. :-) The LightScribe image is permanent, so it should last as long as the disc lasts...

[Jason Dunn]

You mention that the fitting instructions come in the form of a Flash-based tutorial. Did they also come in printed form, as I think it could be a problem trying to install a drive into a live system.

Yes, it comes with a paper installation guide. The Flash tutorial is designed in such a way though that it describes what you're going to see inside the computer.

With regards to the Verbatim DVD, the results look similar to some inkjet printable discs I've got where the printed surface is transparent, relying on the inner layer of the DVD itself to reflect light back through the printing. I actually like the look - it gives it a holographic appearance but, as you say, it isn't as crisp so you have to be careful particularly with text.

Interesting! I've never had a printer that can print to CDs/DVDs, so this was new to me. Compared to the HP CD, the Verbatim DVD looked pretty bad. Not HORRIBLE mind you, but side by side the HP image is certainly crisper and much nicer.

[Jason Dunn]

I found it on Pricegrabber and several vendors are offering it, so I've updated the Where to Buy link and deleted the addendum.

[James Fee]

The LightScribe image is permanent, so it should last as long as the disc lasts...According to Verbatim, it may fade over time. I guess we won't know how much until people start using them.

http://www.verbatim.com/lightscribe/questions-and-answers-2.asp

A PC Mag article (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1778338,00.asp) says...
Worse, HP acknowledges that, like nonarchival ink jet prints, LightScribe labels will fade in time.

Kind of freaky if you ask me. :splat:

[Jason Dunn]

According to Verbatim, it may fade over time. I guess we won't know how much until people start using them.

Wow, I stand corrected. 8O That's quite surprising because the image is chemically etched...so that makes me think that perhaps the unused dye on the disc fades away over time. Kind of a bummer, but I guess nothing lasts forever.

[James Fee]

Wow, I stand corrected. 8O That's quite surprising because the image is chemically etched...so that makes me think that perhaps the unused dye on the disc fades away over time. Kind of a bummer, but I guess nothing lasts forever.Maybe they will get archival quality discs at some point. It will be interesting to see what brands do better than others. Whoever is making HPs seems to be doing a pretty good job.

I'm quite surprised there isn't more mention of this at the websites, you'd think they are opening themselves up for a lawsuit from people who have their discs fade away. :?

[encece]

I give 5 out of 5 starts for the review itself! Nice use of PhotoStory (or similar app). Great Job! :D

[Jason Dunn]

I give 5 out of 5 starts for the review itself! Nice use of PhotoStory (or similar app). Great Job! :D

Thanks! I'll write up an article - or maybe do another Photo Story - on how the actual process went for me. I learned a lot about audio recording in a short time...(though there's still so much more to learn).

[sdattilo]

Jason, I bought the drive the day after you mentioned it the first time a month or tow ago. I could have used the patch.

I really didn't need the software that came with the drive as I already have a full version of Nero and it supports light scribe tech. very well. That said, at the time I bought the only way to get my pc to recognize it was to install all the software, boot up so it was seen, then do an uninstall of everything. (I like to keep my system pretty simple... only one burning program necessary)

After a motherboard upgrade and a new processer and a rebuild I found the patch. This let me put the drive in a nice external enclosure on the desktop and not have to install any software.

I dont think you are alone on the patch from what I searched on google a few weeks back to find the patch.

The discs do turn out awesome, and NewEgg has some decent prices for down here in the states on the verbatim cd's.

Great review as always.

[Gary Sheynkman]

Jason I HAVE to do a review like that. No more spelshguhsrgu-ing errrorss :) :lol:

Looks cool!

[Toddard]

Really nice review!!

However, in actually considering the product, the coolness and geek factors are there for sure, but otherwise I felt I was missing something.

Sticky labels work great for me, provide color, won't fade over time if the proper ink is used, and take 1-2 minutes to print out and apply. Am I missing some advantage to LightScribe over conventional labels?

I suppose I can deal with no color, but 20+ minutes to print out a label that will fade over time did not make a convert out of me. I don't mean to be a killjoy, but unless someone can convince me that there is some other advantage to LightScribe, I'll stick to labels for now.

[Jason Dunn]

Sticky labels work great for me, provide color, won't fade over time if the proper ink is used, and take 1-2 minutes to print out and apply. Am I missing some advantage to LightScribe over conventional labels?

Sure - labels look cheesy. :lol: That's just my personal opinion of course, but I find that labels, no matter how nicely they're designed, tend to look home made and cheap. The LightScribe discs look sharp, professional, and custom made.

Regarding the fading, I'm not ready to get worried about it - *everything* fades over time it seems, and considering that most LightScribe discs will spend their life in a CD or DVD case sitting on a shelf with no sunlight hitting it...I expect mine to last a very long time.

Ultimately I don't think LightScrive is for everyone, but I'm certainly a big fan of it. :-)

[Gordo]

Great review, loved the format, I just sat back and was entertained.

Not sold on the concept!

I will stick with my $100 CDN (from Future Shop) Epson printer that prints directly (in colour) on to the disk. Printable disks are still inexpensive, and easy to find in stores. Supplied application for printing on CD's works nicely out of the box, no additional drivers to download.

[Wojo]

AWESOME!! review Jason

Sticky labels work great for me, provide color, won't fade over time if the proper ink is used, and take 1-2 minutes to print out and apply. Am I missing some advantage to LightScribe over conventional labels?

It would depend on your climate also. I live in Scottsdale, AZ and sticky labels don't last long in the summer, especially in a car at 120+/- F. I've had too many labels peel off inside my CD player.

[robert_biggs]

I just bought a BenQ DW1625 (https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=173819) with LightScribe from ZipZoomFly.com a week ago for $110 USD with a $30 mail-in rebate. I haven't tried the LightScribe feature yet, but the drive is awesome! It looks great and is by far the quietest drive I have ever used. The read/write times are identical to the HP, but in online reviews BenQ has said they will release a patch later on that will give it the same speeds as its predecessor, the DW1620 (4x DVD+R DL, 16x DVD-R). I looked at the HP first, but BenQ drives have received such good reviews as of late...

[Jonathon Watkins]

I'll write up an article - or maybe do another Photo Story - on how the actual process went for me. I learned a lot about audio recording in a short time...(though there's still so much more to learn).

The audio review was a nice change and the format worked well. :) Good review. :D

I think I'll hold fire on the drive itself, not least till the DVD burning clarity issue is resolved, and media prices drop.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Jason I HAVE to do a review like that. No more spelshguhsrgu-ing errrorss :) :lol:

Indeed, I know where you are coming from. :wink: However, an audio review can take a lot longer than a written review for a listener/reader to get through. I often want to skim read a review and can get through a long written review thoroughly in a few minutes. With an audio review you have to listen to all of it. It's also often not possible to listen to an audio/video review at work, while you can usually read a web page.

Also, not all of us have speaking voices as good as Jason's. :wink:

[alandashby]

Jason,
just so you know HP has released a firmware update that speeds up the drive. From the first release of the firmware to the second it is an impressive improvement. I have been using and testing several of the HP Media Center PC's that ship with these drives the newer ones have the firmware already installed makes it alot better.

In your review you mentiond that simple disks take almost as long, this is because it burns like a CD in circles from the inside out. There are different quality print options which can also improve speed.

The HP CD are made by Verbatim.

[Jason Dunn]

just so you know HP has released a firmware update that speeds up the drive. From the first release of the firmware to the second it is an impressive improvement.

Cool, thanks for letting me know - I installed the first firmware update, but wasn't aware of the second one. Good to hear that it makes things faster!

In your review you mentiond that simple disks take almost as long, this is because it burns like a CD in circles from the inside out. There are different quality print options which can also improve speed.

Thanks, I had a hunch that's how it burned, but I didn't want to say anything without knowing for sure. I'm the kind of person that always uses maximum quality settings because I want the maximum quality, but it's good to know that you can dial back the quality settings to get a faster burn. What does a draft quality burn look like - lighter, more faded?

The HP CD are made by Verbatim.

Figures! That doesn't bode well for what I saw with the DVDs then...can you shed any light on that? Is the LightScribe layer pushed back further than it is on the CDs?

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

How fast does it take now? For the marginal improvement in looks, 20mins is way too long. The main use will be in professional applications, but with that kind of time..

BTW, regarding the screenshots, I noted JPEGs were used. Photostory doesn't accept GIFs?

[Jason Dunn]

How fast does it take now?

A maximum quality burn takes about 28 minutes. I haven't applied the latest firmware though, so that number may go down.

BTW, regarding the screenshots, I noted JPEGs were used. Photostory doesn't accept GIFs?

No, I used GIFs (I'm going to use PNG in the future). What you're probably seeing is the WMV compression.

[gandulfy]

Ok I got a 640i about a month or so ago and I LOVED it. The images look great it burns great all is good. So about 2 days ago I install my brand new operating system, windows xp 64. Only to find out that hp has 0 support for the 640i burner and when i asked them if they planned on making drivers there response was we do not know if we will be making drivers for that paticular product under windows xp 64. So basically here is my advice, if you plan to use xp 64 wait and buy a better burner or make sure they have drivers out first. Even though the product is great we have to deal with hp's sub par intellegence when it comes to computer hardware.

[Jason Dunn]

Only to find out that hp has 0 support for the 640i burner and when i asked them if they planned on making drivers there response was we do not know if we will be making drivers for that paticular product under windows xp 64.

Ouch! That would be frustrating. Unfortunately, this is exactly what I expected - upgrading to XP64 is just like moving from Windows 2000 to Windows XP, because vendors have to provide new drivers. I won't be touching XP64 for at least six months for exactly this reason.

[suds]

I have this drive...not bad. Have burnt about 7 coasters out of a total of 130 burns.

Not compatible with RICOH manufactured dual layers discs (DVD+R DL) unfortunately. Be careful when purchasing this media. :wink:

[Wayne E]

I have a question concerning HP 640.
I've been trying to burn MPEG2 and ac3 files
to a DVD. I notice there's no dolby (audio)
files listed in the drop down menu. I can
only burn the video(mpeg2) part. Does HP
have a later rev where you can burn ac3
files (audio) as well?
otherwise, I have a silent picture going on here...

[Jason Dunn]

Hi there Wayne, welcome to Digital Media Thoughts! The answer to your question is that the encoding of all audio/video is done by your software application: the HP 640 DVD drive has nothing to do with it. So if you want Dolby Audio, you need to use a different software application.