|
HP introduces LightScribe disc label burning
|
|
The following comments relate to this news article:
article published on 11 March, 2004
Hewlett-Packard is about to introduce a convenient way to label your recordable discs. Their new LightScribe technology uses the laser of a recordable drive to burn an image to the label side of the disc. All the user needs to do is flip the disc, but the technology also requires a special coating on the label side of the media.
"There are no consumables like ink or ink jet cartridges; ... [ read the full article ]
Please read the original article before posting your comments.
|
Moderator
|
11. March 2004 @ 14:06 |
Link to this message
|
|
This is how Yamaha should have done it with their disc tattoo thing.
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
|
pcshateme
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
11. March 2004 @ 16:59 |
Link to this message
|
|
this is pretty cool- save time ink and money on lables.
|
|
ViRaL1
Newbie
|
11. March 2004 @ 17:37 |
Link to this message
|
|
How much faster do the drives wear down though? I'd hate to wear out my laser burning labels.
|
Moderator
|
11. March 2004 @ 19:20 |
Link to this message
|
|
Theoretically - twice as fast but who knows. I wouldn't worry about it unless you wear out lasers on a regular basis.
My killer sig came courtesy of bb "El Jefe" mayo.
The Forum Rules You Agreed To! http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487
"And there we saw the giants, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight" - Numbers 13:33 |
|
BobL
Junior Member
|
12. March 2004 @ 08:29 |
Link to this message
|
|
The article didn't say, but I'd assume you'll either need a drive with this capability, or a firmware upgrade to your existing drive.
|
Admin
9 product reviews
|
14. March 2004 @ 00:48 |
Link to this message
|
|
I wonder what kind of coating is required on the disc, and whether or not those types of discs will be available at reasonable prices.
A neat idea in any case. I don't want to purchase a separate printer for printing on CDs, and on the other hand I hate the fact that all my felt pens seem to be dry when I need them.
|
|
pcshateme
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
14. March 2004 @ 05:05 |
Link to this message
|
|
i get memorex labels
$15 for a set of 100 cd lables that can be printed on- software to design lables, and a label centering device- havent had ANY problems with them
|
Admin
9 product reviews
|
14. March 2004 @ 19:58 |
Link to this message
|
|
I've had one sticker label nearly torn off a disc, plus they tend to cause serious vibrations on high speed drives. Nice to hear they are working for others, though. =)
|
|
ebshulman
Newbie
|
10. March 2005 @ 10:28 |
Link to this message
|
|
DANGER DANGER.
Picked up an HP640i at Walmart for $99 and after printing 4 lightscribe disks (which looked great!) the drive would no longer print them. It would look like smeared ink in the inner 1/4th of the disk. Then it had "communication failures" with the drive durring the print process. Called HP support and uninstalled the drive, removed the software and re-installed everything. Same problem. Called HP again and after 30 minutes with the technician he said he would have someone call me back with the solution. They never called back. Boxed up the drive and returned it to Walmart (thank god I bought it there)!!
|
Senior Member
|
16. March 2005 @ 08:46 |
Link to this message
|
|
DAMN!!!
And here I was thinking of getting that drive....
Thanks for ruining my birthday gift to myself there ebshulman!
J/K! LOL!
I wonder if anyone else has had the same problem with it not printing properly?
"From now on we are poison to you Spider-man...Thats why we call ourselves... VENOM"
 |
|
ebshulman
Newbie
|
16. March 2005 @ 17:47 |
Link to this message
|
|
UPDATE TO MY HP LIGHTSCRIBE DRIVE
I swaped the drive at Walmart for a new one and installed it without changing any software in my computer. It has worked perfectly since. (About 10 disks so far). Yesterday I received a call from an executive on the R&D side of HP wanting to resolve my problem. I told him that it seemed to be a defective drive and that the new one was working fine. He spent about 20 minutes with me on the phone and told me that my issue was the first he had heard. That if I have any other problems to call him directly. He gave me his direct office number and his direct E-mail. I was very impressed with him. He stated that the drive mechs were made by Ben-q and they will also be contracting with Lite-on. He said that there is a firmware update this friday and in June they will have a firmware update to support 2X label writing (with new 2X media). He also said that all of the CD makers are scrambling to make lightscribe media. He said the new 2X stuff in June will have better contrast and higher DPI. Maybe I just got the 1 in 1000 drive, all is well now.
|
Senior Member
|
16. March 2005 @ 18:01 |
Link to this message
|
|
Look...see how you are...bad luck...LOL!
Well, I for one am glad that you got it fixed....I will probably be picking one up myself...
Can't keep buying these labels....
"From now on we are poison to you Spider-man...Thats why we call ourselves... VENOM"
|
|
SwiftFox
Newbie
|
21. June 2005 @ 03:55 |
Link to this message
|
|
I picked up the 640e last week, installed software, did the upgrades, and I am having the exact same problem. No smearing, but from my first disk on, I end up with a communication error. I've had one disk out of 5 I've done that didn't stop and say it was a communication error. (And it's actually more like one in 8 or 9 cause I tried a few discs more than once.)
I guess maybe I need to head back to the store?
|
|
SwiftFox
Newbie
|
22. June 2005 @ 07:00 |
Link to this message
|
|
MY UPDATE:
I called HP Tech support, and got passed to the 'manufacturer' tech support... presumably Lite-On. I talked to a woman there who said that she had nothing in her system about that, and to call back after 9am Pacific when the corporate staff came in. Presumably, she was the 'simple support' to help the more common problems that people run into, that are a simple fix. So I called back later and told them that she had elevated me to 2nd level support, so I got sent to a 2nd level guy. He essentially told me that the problem does not exist, and there is no record of it. I told him i had heard of one other instance, but agreed it was VERY VERY rare. he told me to do an uninstall and reinstall of all the software, I insisted that this wouldn't help. But that was about all he could/would suggest. He seemed quite insistent it was software not hardware.
So I returned it Future Shop and got a new one. Took it home, hooked it up, I did not uninstall or re-install anything, except to once more update the firmware/LightScribe engine.
And ...
Everything works fine. I have now done 4 perfect discs. Now I'm waiting for the R&D guy to call ME. :)
All in all... totally recommend the drive, but if you get the 'communcation' issue, forget about calling Tech Support for a fix, just exchange it. (Although you should probably till call tech support so they have more records of this 'non-existant' problem.)
|
|
pogi23
Newbie
|
24. June 2005 @ 23:47 |
Link to this message
|
|
ebshulman & swiftfox,
man, hp really does have a problem! i bought a week ago a hp lightscribe external drive and i am always getting "communication errors" with it. i have gone through 5 CDs, verbatim already!
i have not called tech support, but i did write them and they said to update to latest firmware, which it came with, and uninstall/reinstall. well, i am stuck with all the same stuff you guys had. maybe i need to go take my drive back to Walmart! this is awesome stuff, but if it don;t work, SCREW HP!!!! they have great products, but i have found their support and website to really SUCK compare to other companies!
thanks for the info. i am glad i am not the "only" one experiencing this "phenomenom"!
|
|
spearsd
Newbie
|
9. July 2005 @ 21:27 |
Link to this message
|
|
Well, you can add me to the list of the "pissed off"! ;-( I have the same symptom of lightscribe only writing the inner 1/4th of the disk and looking like smeared ink. I've tried tons of combinations of lightscribe engine and drive firmware (HP & BENQ). Currently, using the following without success:
FIRMWARE: HP JS04
LIGHTSCRIBE: 4.31.1
This piece of crap is going to get used for skeet shooting if I can't get it working or return it (bought at Walmart couple months ago).
|
|
slashy
Newbie
|
19. July 2005 @ 08:17 |
Link to this message
|
|
Well, you kids can add one more to the list of people with this issue. I have and hp dvd640i same issue smeared in around the center. I bought the drive about a month ago and believe that I also cannot return it to the store I purchased it from. I am going to be very angry if HP will not RMA the drive.
|
Senior Member
|
19. July 2005 @ 08:52 |
Link to this message
|
|
|
Stanely1h
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
29. July 2005 @ 09:51 |
Link to this message
|
I bought the Benq-DW1625 along with my friend. His drive burned over 200 images under firmware BBBA, while mine would not recognize any approved media listed on Benq's list. So I sent it back. 2 months later, I got a new drive, (I fixed my problem of not recognizing any media - Benq's suggestion did not work) then got the "Communication Error" using both SureThing (4.3) and Nero software bundled in the burner package. I upgraded to BBHA (newest firmware) from Benq, no such luck, still can not use the drive. My friends drive worked great. I only lost 3 disks out of 210 due to "lightscribe" errors until yesterday when I got the "communication error". I upgraded his firmware, still no results. I've been in constant contact with Benq and think this technology is new and we are the lucky ones that get to fix their problems. Once the bugs are worked out, the technology is really awesome. I've heard they will release color CD's soon.
|
|
fmdj
Account closed as per user's own request
|
20. August 2005 @ 12:51 |
Link to this message
|
|
well you can add me to the list for the lightscibe failure. My first drive did one image and my second drive did only 2. Now what?? I was curious though, when was all of your HP Drives manufactured? Mine was manufactured in Jan of 05 and I just got it In mid August 05. Was this just a bad shipment earlier in the year or what?
|
|
rsander5
Newbie
|
1. September 2005 @ 12:52 |
Link to this message
|
|
Count me in on the "Communication Error". I have a new Lacie 16x Lightscribe Double Layer DVDRW internal Drive. So far, it is about as usefull as doorstop.
Bob
|
|
jaehomo
Member
|
4. September 2005 @ 18:35 |
Link to this message
|
Count me in as well. I have a BenQ 1625. Loved every minute of my approx. 40-50 disk I was able to label until two days ago when I:
A. upgraded my firmware to BBIA, even though BBHA was working just fine. (as an aside, I don't mean to imply that English is a superior language and everyone must speak it just because I do; I am not so solipsistic. However, I think that compaines that are the size of BENQ, who make blagoodles of money selling to English-speaking markets, should have competent translators edit all of their English documentation, web-info, etc. I say this because there are no release notes for BenQ's firmware, however, underneath the link to the firmware .zip file is the following:
"Changes:
1. DW1625 LS disc printing communication fail
2. One CDROM disc cannot mount issue
3. DW1625 reflection NOK on LS label side"
Had I known they meant the Firmware can CAUSE a "communication fail" I'd not have done it!)
anyway, then...
B. I printed a label using Nero wherein I first created the label (as I normally do) then specified the files to be burned (as I normally do), then returned to the Lightscribe label to edit it (as I dont' normally do because when I do this I get an error... as in ONE, NON-recurring, error), then
C. Nero Lightscribed the innermost 1/4 of my disk with the art that should have been on the entire disk so that it was all flarked up, and then
D. "A communication error has occurred with the LightScribe drive" occurrs ever since, despite:
1. upgrading LS host to latest version,
2. uninstalling LS host and reinstalling it from scratch to latest version,
3. uninstalling host, Nero and reinstalling everything.
NOTE: As a potentially significant side-note, the firmware upgrade changed my drive letter for a short time before I realized that it had and properly re-set the changed letter back. I never ran lightscribe technology with the incorrect drive letter, but may had Nero and certainly used the drive.
Because this "non-existent", "1 in 1000" problem is so prevalent, does this mean that for each lemon sold there are 999 good drives sold? Unless tech support is lying, then this means HP, BenQ, etc... should have no problem replacing our drives [with a Plextor ;)]. And we all know HP would never lie.
|
|
dallvr
Newbie
|
6. October 2005 @ 21:49 |
Link to this message
|
|
I bought a LaCie lightscribe drive at the beginning of June. In September, I started getting communications errors, then got the labels squished into the center the disk. I sent it back to LaCie, and they sent me a new drive in the same case. I got the new drive on September 20 and it burned approximately 10 labels successfully. Then two days ago, I got the labels squished into the center of the disk again. LaCie sent me a software update, but it didn't work. I couldn't burn data anymore, and the drive couldn't even read a DVD any more. So it is back on its way to LaCie tomorrow. I think there is an inherent design problem with this drive. I have never had an optical drive fail until this one. Two failures on two separate drives in four months is unacceptable. However, when the drive works, it is cool.
|
|
88fmdj
Newbie
|
8. October 2005 @ 15:05 |
Link to this message
|
|
Yeah, I took my Third drive back and said the heck with this. The technology is just not there yet to make this device dependable. I'm just waiting a little down the road. Back to the good old printer labels! :)
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
hazyEgg
Newbie
|
14. October 2005 @ 10:35 |
Link to this message
|
|
Yeah, you can pretty much add me to this list. HP's help on this matter is pretty much non-existent. My HP Lightscribe worked great until they blasted it with a firmware update. Now I get constant communication errors half way through the lable burning process. I am contemplating returning this one after reading all this... and will continue to do so until the manufacturer and retailers start to feel the pinch too.
Those of you thinking about buying this product should wait out this R&D process before committing to the purchase. Those of us who have been stuck with this unresolved issue should get a list together of disgruntedled LightScribe Users / Owners. There are a lot of hungry lawyers out there who would love to process a class-action suit on HP pro-bono!
In fact, I would love to be compensated for all this expensive lightscribe media I have wasted since these firmware updates.
Craig Steven
esapplications@hotmail.com
|
