DiscT@2: Proof that it's better to be good than to be first
Posted on 20/12/02 16:10 by                              
DiscT@2: Proof that it's better to be good than to be first

Etching laser graphics into the spare space of a CD sounds like a good idea but according to Shoshana Berger at CNN it is not all its cracked up to be. According to CNN, the setup is difficult, (but perhaps not for people around here) and the results are somewhat disappointing. Apparently the graphics look like a faint hologram, and may require proprietary discs to look their best. CNN said this:

When I was told about a new external CD burner that lasers graphics right onto the disc surface, I thought it sounded too good to be true. Turns out it is. Yamaha claims to be the first to market with this DiscT@2 etching technology. (I kid you not, that's how the company's branding it. For those who can't figure out how to pronounce the product's name, that cheesy marketing image of a bare-shouldered hellcat getting her forearm inked should help.)...

With the burner came a box of 10 DiscT@2ing optimized CDs that are covered in white logos and lines -- suggesting that Yamaha will be pushing proprietary discs rather than letting us use the so-rebated-they're-free variety. I'm still keen on the etching concept, but since I missed out on the '90s tattooing trend already, I think I'll wait until the ink dries on this technology too.

I also thought the concept would be kind of cool, but if in practice it doesn't work then I guess the Yamaha burner will have to stand on its other, more practical merits. You can read the entire article here, or discuss your experiences with the Yamaha DiscT@2 in our hardware forum.

Source: CNN

Reactions
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By Zyron, Fri 20 Dec 2002 16:40
Hey, just got a brilliant idea. Why not write your logo on the upper side of the cd, instead of the lowerside.. (just an idea) lol
By Guest, Fri 20 Dec 2002 18:02
You're missing the point here, CDFreaks.com and CNN. Blank media using certain dye types have little contrast between the recorded and unrecorded areas. Other die types have high contrast. Certain Azo dyes are extremely blue and provide a high contrast between recorded and unrecorded. Yamaha isn't shipping proprietary discs, they are shipping discs of a certain Azo dye that is very deep blue. When you use cheaper media you can expect the contrast to be terrible. Sorry, but you're not going to be able to get away from the way blank media works. It's not like Yamaha is going to turn the laser on high power to burn (real word, think fire) into these discs.
By Ian, Fri 20 Dec 2002 18:14
Well said PreacherBoy. I think of it like printer paper. If you want to use any old paper with your printer, it will work but the results are going to be mediocre. On the other hand, if you buy paper designed to be used with your laser or ink jet printer, the results are probably going to be better.
By Guest, Fri 20 Dec 2002 18:17
The results we got in our review were quite good. I agree with Ian and PreacherBoy. Seems to me like the CNN editor doesn't know what he's talking about.
By Guest, Fri 20 Dec 2002 21:09
There are always some percentage of people who will love a new product while some people DON'T. Biased report.... of course. I don't have a Yamaha writer and won't buy it since I don't need the feature. CNN is not always correct, and people do make stupid mistakes all the time.
By Guest, Fri 20 Dec 2002 21:47
In my opinion, people shouldn't talk about technology if they don't have a clue what they are talking about. CNN technology writers should know better. All they would have to do is contact Yamaha or RTFM for information about dye types.
By Kenshin, Fri 20 Dec 2002 22:38
All reviews I've read about CRW-F1 were very positive. After all, the drive is not for the majority of PC users but rather for more affluent and specially interested people. Personally, I am not much interesed in copying games and making audio CDs so almost any CD writers that are stable and cheap are good enough to me.
By LjPp, Sat 21 Dec 2002 00:00
I can't see the point of this article. Is the writer pissed because Yammie took the test unit back, or what? DiscT@2 is fun. I doubt that nobody ever thought if would be something truly revolutionaty. There is nothing wrong with the install, and the drive does what it promises. Verbatim Azos word good, but also some cyanine discs give great results.
By Guest, Sat 21 Dec 2002 00:01
can anybody take a picture of this...i`d like to see if it`s worth the money :7
By DawnLoader, Sat 21 Dec 2002 03:07
My friend is really into music. When he was looking to buy a cd burner, I had him buy Yamaha CRW-F1. It has DiscT@2 and Audio Master Quality 2. I also showed him how to use DiscT@2 feature in Nero and had him buy Verbatim DataLife Plus 16X (Metal Azo/dark blue dye). He loves it, I think it is cool too. I think some people are just not creative enough to make a good use out of it.
By DawnLoader, Sat 21 Dec 2002 03:11
H3rr|n3, Look at varous sites that have done reviews and also look at yamaha's web site. I remember seeing pictures in various places.
By Kenshin, Sat 21 Dec 2002 05:29
There's a link in GAM3FR3AK's post above. Read the review and there are also some pictures.
By Guest, Sat 21 Dec 2002 16:21
lol, it can draw pictures on your cd but not do fully correct EFM encoding...
By c44, Sun 22 Dec 2002 06:44
any of the Princo brand cd-R have excelent contrast and would work very well in this drive (good CDs for readability in older drives too)
By Guest, Tue 24 Dec 2002 03:18
Princo produces the worst CD and DVD media available. Same goes with Prodisc and CMC. puke
By stvastva, Fri 3 Jan 2003 11:00
the drive rox. the etching is cool even on faint cheepy cdr's. the master audio feature works very well but one must have very good ears or gear to appreciate it. i read somewhere that the high end is lost compared to the plextor. thats ridiculous. it is just that the sound has more midrange & every frequency is slightly more articulated so the nasty treble isn't as apparent- its an illusion that it loses treble. the 8mb buffer allows me to record cdr's while playing mp3's at the club i dj at even while cueing up a seperate mp3 - zero glitch! & yes, i own 3 plextors as well.

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