LightScribe:

On January 4, 2004, HP announced an innovative new technology to address the problem of labelling CD’s and DVD’s. LightScribe technology allows consumers to create silk-screen quality labels on their CDs or DVDs by burning text and graphics directly onto a disc, eliminating the need for adhesive labels.

But, before we continue - Let us first take a look at some information found at the LightScribe site:

ABOUT LIGHTSCRIBE

CREATE SILKSCREEN-QUALITY LABELS FOR ALL YOUR CDS AND DVDS, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER.

Until now there hasn't been much choice when it comes to creating labels for your CDs and DVDs. Messy markers or sticky adhesive labels were pretty much the only affordable option. But imagine creating professional-looking labels using the same laser that burns your data-right inside your CD/DVD drive! Well, now it's easy with LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling technology.

LABEL-MAKING REDEFINED.

LightScribe technology is an integrated system that combines the CD or DVD drive of your LightScribe-enabled computer with specially coated discs and enhanced disc-burning software to produce precise, laser-etched labels. You can design and produce labels to express your creativity and personality-the sky's the limit!

With LightScribe, the disc is the label. This amazing technology is the no-hassle way to create elegant labels for all your CDs and DVDs. Simply burn your music mix, digital-video/photo archives, or business application. Then flip the disc and burn your own unique label.

LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling technology is now available in PCs, external USB optical DVD writers, labeling software, and a variety of brand name discs. Remember, the LightScribe logo indicates a LightScribe-enabled product, so be sure to look for it at your favorite retail locations. Also check out the Looking for LightScribe page for a list of companies that make LightScribe-enabled products.

HOW IT WORKS

RADICAL REVOLUTION IN DISC LABELING.

Once you've burned your first LightScribe label and experienced the amazing result, you'll never want to use a permanent marker or sticky label again. LightScribe makes it easy. It truly is a revolution in disc labelling.

JUST HOW DOES IT WORK?

How can you burn a label onto your disc right from your computer? Suppose you have just created a music CD of your favourite songs. Now you want to make a label that contains the song titles, artists' names, and some personal information and design elements to make it special.

Burn your tracks onto the data side of the disc. Flip the disc over to the label side and put it back in the drive. Burn your label by opening your favourite LightScribe-enabled label-making software and going to the CD template work area. Now you do all of your creative design work-imported pictures, copy, and artwork. When you are satisfied with what you have done, click "print." It really is that simple! No ink, no messy markers, no clumpy adhesive labels, just an amazingly beautiful label right before your eyes.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE?

Your LightScribe-enabled CD/DVD disc drive contains a special laser that pumps light energy into a thin dye coating on the label side of the disc. The light from the laser causes a chemical change in the dye coating that shows up as a visible point on the disc. With laser precision, LightScribe delivers closely controlled light energy to multiple points on the disc as it spins in the drive. The result is a high-resolution reproduction of the artwork, text, or photos you composed in the software application. Seeing is believing!

In this review we decided to use SureThing Deluxe labeller instead of the supplied label making module in Nero.

LightScribe Media:

The surface of the LightScribe media is gold-brown, also referred to as sepia coloured. More recently different colours of LightScribe media has been introduced and we will be testing this coloured media in this section of the review.

If we take a closer look at the inner ring of the LightScribe media, we can see a bar code indexing system. This is what the drive’s laser uses to recognize the LightScribe surface, but also for the indexing (for later re-burns).

Designing and burning with SureThing Labeller:

The SureThing application is very easy to work with and we created a layout here to test out the LightScribe feature. After we were satisfied with the layout we pressed Print Label (LightScribe).

Under the print option dialog we also find a Diagnostic button and we clicked it of course.

We closed the LightScribe Diagnostics windows and selected “Best quality” and OK to print the label in the Print Dialog windows.

The program gave us a notice “Please ensure that you have a LightScribe disc inserted in the drive with the label side down”. (As you can see you can choose – Don’t show me this message in the future.” We went on with OK to print the label.

Now let’s look at the result.

Very nice result, even if we zoom in on the disc, the quality and contrast is very good.

Now let’s take a look at a result with coloured LightScribe media.

We tried the green coloured media, and to the naked eye the result is very good indeed.

Summary:

The LightScribe feature on the Lite-On LH-20A1H worked extremely well, with the introduction of the coloured LightScribe media making LightScribe even more appealing.

To finish up this review, we will run some advanced tests on the Lite-On LH-20A1H on the next page…

DVD+R/-R Double Layer Writing Performance:

Advanced Tests: