LightScribe Simplifies CD/DVD Labelling

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114211,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article...d,114211,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"Tired of figuring out how to neatly and efficiently label your CDs and DVDs? Hewlett-Packard has come up with a simple solution: Use the same laser that burned the data to make the label for the other side of the disc. A technology called LightScribe enables drives to burn a silk-screen-like, high-contrast label on the topside of CD or DVD media with a LightScribe dye coating. After completing a data burn, users are prompted to flip the disc over so they can burn a label onto it."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/114211-n_011004_lightscribe.jpg" /><br /><br />This is utterly and completely off topic, but I've so incredibly thrilled at this new technology that I just had to share it with everyone here. I'm an achiver of memories - at events, I'm the guy snapping 500 pictures, then making a Web page for everyone to remember the event. I often use Photo Story to burn a CD, and if I'm making a video I'll burn a DVD, but the entire process falls apart when it comes to labelling. I'll save my uber-rant on CD/DVD labelling hell for <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com">Digital Media Thoughts</a>, but suffice it to say that this technology is something I've only dreamt about, and I'll pay almost any amount of money to obtain one of these drives when they come out because it represents the "last mile" in creating professional-looking memories, and that's incredibly valuable to me - worth paying a little extra for media as well. Huge kudos to HP for coming up with something so innovative!

[Ed Hansberry]

I would literally wait a year or so before doing this and see if it affects the CDs. See http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15800263&pgno=1 to see how some lables can destroy CD-Rs after as little as 6 months.

[sponge]

Interesting. Looks like a natural progression from burning an image onto the extra space on the data side of a disc.

[masseym]

Here is a link from HP wth a little more info :)

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2004/ces/prodserv.html

[Jason Dunn]

Interesting. Looks like a natural progression from burning an image onto the extra space on the data side of a disc.

Yes, it's similar in concept to the Toshiba t@atoo (or whatever it was called), but this one makes much more sense, because you have the full capacity of the disc available to you.

[B]

If you got that excited over this drive/printer - imagine full color!

Here is a printer (http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/epson_r300m.html) that can print directly onto a CD or DVD (as opposed to printing on a label).

I believe there are other printers that can do the same - this is just a really fancy one. After all, if you have to go through the trouble to take the disk out and flip it over, why not just stick it in the printer and get a full color image?

[Jason Dunn]

If you got that excited over this drive/printer - imagine full color!

I've seent those before (they've been out for over a year now I think), but they never made me bite. Ink costs being what they are, I think burning an image directly onto a CD looks classier, and it should last longer as well. Let's hope this technology lives up to my expectations! :-)

[felixdd]

Besides...you need special "inkjet-writable" CDs to be able to use the printer

[epc]

But check again, you need special Light Scribe media; cds & dvds to print on directly. Not simply anu media.
Had to be a gotcha :evil:

[Programmer]

If you got that excited over this drive/printer - imagine full color!

Here is a printer (http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/epson_r300m.html) that can print directly onto a CD or DVD (as opposed to printing on a label).

I believe there are other printers that can do the same - this is just a really fancy one. After all, if you have to go through the trouble to take the disk out and flip it over, why not just stick it in the printer and get a full color image?

We have one of these in my office and if you lick you finger and wipe it across the image it rubs off. :?

-- Robert

[B]

We have one of these in my office and if you lick you finger and wipe it across the image it rubs off. :?

-- Robert

Not to insult your office purchasing agent, but are you using CDs with the proper coating for the printer? The CDs have to a have a special coating to accept the ink. I haven't ever used one of these before, but I would be really surprised if they were designed to wipe off that easily.

As for Jason, you'll be paying extra for the CDs anyways which might offset the costs of the printer consumables although I do admit the look of the burned in image is really nice.

Here's more information about LightScribe (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2004/ces/prodserv.html) and a closeup of the burned CD (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2004/ces/images/lightscribe_labled_cd.jpg). Check out how this technology can improve your emotional well being (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2004/ces/images/lightscribe_user.jpg) :roll:

Based on the description it looks like the CD will need to be spun up and the laser trace the entire surface area. Since no burn times are given I'm a little suspicious.

[ctmagnus]

First handwriting recognition in Pocket PCs and now this! :rock on dude!:

(I really hate my handwriting)

[iPAQ_ace]

One word:

FANTASTIC!!!!

:drool:

I'd heard some rumblings about this a year ago and couldn't wait to see if this one was true. This is so awesome!!!

[bdegroodt]

That is the coolest thing I have ever seen. We have one of those ink-jet deals at work and while I'm always glad it's not my chicken scratch on the CD, it's never all that nice to me to see those sprayed labels. This is a really cool idea. One of those "why didn't I think of that?" moments.

[Brad Adrian]

Of course, what this means is that in addition to attempting to copy-protect the music on CDs, the music companies will start trying to copy-protect the labeling information! ;)

[Bichcake]

I wonder why you need a special drive? I can understand a special disk, but if it is using the same laser to burn as to print, seems like all you would need is some special software to burn the label.

or do you need a special drive? i didn't check the links myself, i'm just assuming all of you are right.

edit: well the pc world article says it's only special discs and software. i would buy a couple discs just to try it, even if they were expensive.

[Jafar]

edit: well the pc world article says it's only special discs and software. i would buy a couple discs just to try it, even if they were expensive.

That would be the coolest thing on earth. I can see it "Nero Labeling Rom". Makes perfect sense if you could somehow make your CDRW do this for you without having to purchase a new CDRW drive.

[rhmorrison]

If you got that excited over this drive/printer - imagine full color!

Here is a printer (http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/epson_r300m.html) that can print directly onto a CD or DVD (as opposed to printing on a label).
I bought this printer 2 weeks ago for EXACTLY this purpose (and as a photo printer for my wife, 57?? dpi on glossy paper looks like it came from the Kodak laboratory). It only cost $175 and is very easy to use. Canon has the i87? model that costs a little more but can't be purchased in the U.S. due to some patent restriction with the technology that is used.

And YES you do need special 'printable' CDs for this to work although some of the normal white DVDs seem to work fine. There is also a fix spray that you can use to make them waterproof...

But, still I think this is a SUPER idea. The MORE cost for the CD would probably be the same as for the printable CDs and although it doesn't have the WOW effect of color it does look very classy and would be used!

[Philip Colmer]

I wonder why you need a special drive? I can understand a special disk, but if it is using the same laser to burn as to print, seems like all you would need is some special software to burn the label.

or do you need a special drive? i didn't check the links myself, i'm just assuming all of you are right.

edit: well the pc world article says it's only special discs and software. i would buy a couple discs just to try it, even if they were expensive.

The HP site says that a special drive is needed to get the accuracy required for pixel-perfect burning of the image. This is done by slowing down the rotation of the disc, combined with (presumably more accurate) laser focus and a tracking solution that measures in microns.

They are licensing it ... the key thing will be to see how many companies pick up on it and how widely available the special discs become.

--Philip

[jk]

This is really exciting...I have been hoping for something like this for a long time. The normal sticky labels are annoying...inkjet printers are so so and thermal burners are awesome but super pricey.

"HP estimates that a drive that supports the new technology will cost as little as an additional $10, and a disc will cost about a dime more."

I really don't see that as a huge cost change. I would spend the extra dime for each cd to have a nice pro looking label.

I'm with you on this one Mr. Dunn.

[Phoenix]

This is cool. I'd be very interested to have this technology. I'd like to see it incorporated into laptops.

[Jason Dunn]

But check again, you need special Light Scribe media; cds & dvds to print on directly. Not simply anu media.
Had to be a gotcha :evil:

Yeah, but I'm ok with that Gotcha. I probably burn nine "junk" CD's for every one "good" CD that I'd want to have the special label on.

[Jason Dunn]

As for Jason, you'll be paying extra for the CDs anyways which might offset the costs of the printer consumables although I do admit the look of the burned in image is really nice.

If you saw the huge pile of labels and applicators that I have, you'd understand why I'm eager to jettison it all and go with a system that doesn't require labels. :-) I'm not saying that this system is perfect for you, but it seems like a good solution to me, so trying to talk me into using a printer-based solution isn't producitve. Just let me be enthusiastic please. :D

Check out how this technology can improve your emotional well being (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2004/ces/images/lightscribe_user.jpg) :roll:

My wife doesn't want to be around me when I'm making CD labels, because the entire process is so assinine. Case in point: I bought a brand new Fellowes NEATO kit, complete with software, labels, etc. It came with version 4.0 of their software, but, and I'm not kidding you, it didn't have templates for the labels that were included! 8O I had to download version 2.0 of their software (MediaFace) in order to get the correct template. WHAT THE HELL? How can they possibly think this is an acceptable scenario? This solution eliminates the entire label issue, so it will be very good for my emotional well being indeed. Just looking at the picture made me happy. :lol:

Based on the description it looks like the CD will need to be spun up and the laser trace the entire surface area. Since no burn times are given I'm a little suspicious.

It couldn't be more than few minutes, so what's the big deal? What exactly bugs you so deeply about this technology? You seem very opposed to it. :? It's a little too early to make any judgment calls about it, but it seems promosing, and that's why I'm interested in it.

[Jason Dunn]

I'd like to see it incorporated into laptops.

Indeed, it would be very slick on a laptop - you could get a professional looking end product without needing anything else (like a printer).

[Jason Dunn]

They are licensing it ... the key thing will be to see how many companies pick up on it and how widely available the special discs become.

Indeed! But this is promising:

"A number of manufacturers have already licensed the technology to put on their DVD drives. Among them are Hitachi-LG, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, MicroVision, Moser Baer India, and Sonic Solutions."

I've bought almost exclusively LG drives for several years now, so as long as they use the tech, I'm golden. ;-) Toshiba also OEMs a lot of drives, as does Mitsubishi, so I think this will be fairly wide-spread.

Let's remember that vendors are ALWAYS looking for things they can add to the mix to make their products sell. 52x CD-R speeds are insanely fast already - suddenly speed isn't the selling point when you can get a 52x CD-R for $35 USD. These added features will help sell products, so I think we'll see wide-spread adoption of this technology.

I'm quite bullish on this concept. :D

[rhmorrison]

These added features will help sell products, so I think we'll see wide-spread adoption of this technology.
...and you can bet that shortly after the first production units come out that Nero will support this feature!