LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10122' target='_blank'>http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10122</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Combining four DVD formats in one device, this all-in-one rewritable drive provides Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and FireWire ports for easy connection to any PC or Mac, making it the most versatile drive available. Sporting LaCie’s original aluminum d2 Design, it can be integrated into standard 19” computer and audio equipment racks or stand alone on a desktop. This powerful drive features innovative LightScribe labeling technology, which burns custom, silkscreen-quality, precise images directly onto your discs using the very same laser that burns data."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/optical_d2_lightscribe.jpg" /><br /><br />LightScribe is finally here! I'm positively salivating at the thought of burning a DVD <a href="http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2004/ces/images/lightscribe_labled_cd.jpg">that looks this good.</a> I'm always a little sceptical about how close reality is to the perfect world of marketing, but after <a href="http://images.google.ca/images?q=lightscribe&svnum=20&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&start=0&sa=N">doing a Google image search</a> it seems that LightScribe technology has been reviewed in Europe several times. If I were a CD/DVD labelling company, I'd be very worried for my future 2-3 years from now...

[Philip Colmer]

There are going to be some interesting issues here:

1. How easy is it going to be to buy the LightScribe discs?

2. What is going to be the premium cost over, say, an inkjet-printable DVD?

3. Will they be in anything other than the "burnished gold" colour?

None of these are show-stoppers but I think they would be good indicators as to whether or not this technology is going to succeed. I agree that physical labels are on a road to nowhere but, at the moment, I think that direct printing still offers challenges to LightScribe.

The latest batch of inkjet printable discs I bought don't have a solid white layer but, instead, have a transparent printable layer so that the silver disc layer shows through. This gives the disc a hologram-like appearance which looks absolutely fantastic and I've got the full colour range of my printer.

--Philip

[Jason Dunn]

Yes, excellent points Philip - LightScribe has a tough road ahead of it, but I think that based on the sheer quality of the output that I've seen, it will be rapidly adopted...I hope. ;-)

[[email protected]]

T

The latest batch of inkjet printable discs I bought don't have a solid white layer but, instead, have a transparent printable layer so that the silver disc layer shows through. This gives the disc a hologram-like appearance which looks absolutely fantastic and I've got the full colour range of my printer.

--Philip

What sort are they. I do a lot of backing up of data for customers and it sounds like somthing that would look very professional .

[Jason Dunn]

What sort are they. I do a lot of backing up of data for customers and it sounds like somthing that would look very professional .

They're usually just called "silver printable" - lots of companies make them. I think mine are Ritek.