"There are no consumables like ink or ink jet cartridges; the only consumable is the disc itself," says Daryl Anderson, project manager and HP engineer responsible for inventing the technology as part of a joint effort between HP's Imaging and Printing Group and its Personal Systems Group.Source: PCWorld.com
This is how Yamaha should have done it with their disc tattoo thing.
11.3.2004 14:06 #1
this is pretty cool- save time ink and money on lables.
11.3.2004 16:59 #2
How much faster do the drives wear down though? I'd hate to wear out my laser burning labels.
11.3.2004 17:37 #3
Theoretically - twice as fast but who knows. I wouldn't worry about it unless you wear out lasers on a regular basis.
11.3.2004 19:20 #4
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.
12.3.2004 08:29 #5
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.
14.3.2004 00:48 #6
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
14.3.2004 05:05 #7
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. =)
14.3.2004 19:58 #8
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)!!
10.3.2005 10:28 #9
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?
16.3.2005 08:46 #10
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.
16.3.2005 17:47 #11
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....
16.3.2005 18:01 #12
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?
21.6.2005 03:55 #13
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.)
22.6.2005 07:00 #14
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"!
24.6.2005 23:47 #15
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).
9.7.2005 21:27 #16
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.
19.7.2005 08:17 #17
ok guys..
dont get them hp drives.. all i can say is LaCie. best drive ever.
http://www.lacie.com
http://www.lacie.com/products/range.htm?id=10014
check those out..
i have the D2... the one that is for $199.00.
i've done about 40 discs.. no issues
19.7.2005 08:52 #18
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.
29.7.2005 09:51 #19
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?
20.8.2005 12:51 #20
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
1.9.2005 12:52 #21
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.
4.9.2005 18:35 #22
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.
6.10.2005 21:49 #23
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! :)
8.10.2005 15:05 #24
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
14.10.2005 10:35 #25
After about a month of burning labels, I stopped then tried again. Got the communication error again and have not upgraded my firmware. As for the lawsuit, Benq, HP and others should provide some type of refund for the destroyed disc's their drives created.
14.10.2005 11:09 #26
Same problem.
Burned about 27 disks with HP DVD Write 740b. Driver 5.0.2183.1 running on windows 2000 latest patches,
and SureThing version 4.3.0197. Ran well until just recently. I'm not sure if it is related to allowing internet access and I believe some kind of update happened.
I think the technology is cool but this kind of crap is not.
Out of about 27 Cd's burned 2 had smeared images.
Add my name to the complaints.
17.12.2005 17:33 #27
I have installed a HP DVD640i with Surething labeller 4 SE.
When I tried to burn a label (with Verbatim DVD+R media), it told me that I needed an update. I followed the HP links and d/l the SP26468 update, then ran it. I was confronted with the following msg: "Update did not complete successfully - Error number 1605".
I have tried uninstalling the hardware and the software, but with little success.
Current Drive prod: JS04
Driver ver: 1.0.13.1
PC is Pentium D w/ 2GB DDR2, running XP Pro w/ SP2.
Anyone got a clue what 'error 1605' is??
To date HP support has not been of much assistance.
20.12.2005 21:29 #28
Purchased the HP DVD640e in August. Burned about 15-20 DVDs and one or two LightScribe images. Recently tried to burn a LightScribe image onto a DVD and it just smeared it. Updated the firmware and now it won't even burn any more. Tried all the things that people have mentioned above (I'm not going to bore you by repeating).
I contacted tech support last week. Their only suggestion was that they could send me a copy of the previous firmware. No thanks. That might fix the burn issue, but LightScribe is still toast.
We're now stuck between a rock and a hard place. Don't have the retail box any more to return (too late any way), and HP won't acknowledge problem. We will continue to work HP for a refund or a new 670e that they have out now.
This is definitely a warning to anyone purchasing any HP product, whether it's a DVD640 or anything else. If an HP product turns out to be a lemon, you're stuck with it. I certainly will never buy HP again.
23.12.2005 03:48 #29
Sorry, meant 740e in the above post, not 670e.
I have contacted HP and requested a full refund under the stated product warranty. If they do not respond, I will be consulting an attorney.
23.12.2005 04:12 #30
One more for the record. Glad to hear I am not the only one experiencing this problem. Just finished reinstalling everything in sight but no joy - communication error+smeared ink effect+generic printout only.
29.12.2005 07:11 #31
I am on my THIRD LaCie Lightscribe drive. I am hoping that this one is a keeper, but haven't used it extensively yet.
I wonder if anyone is working on fixing this very common problem. For anyone just experiencing this problem for the first time, don't bother with much troubleshooting. It isn't a software problem, or one that can be solved by updating firmware etc. None of that worked for me. I think it is a hardware problem. Some component in the drive is failing at significant frequency.
29.12.2005 08:33 #32
I recently bought an HP 740i, and have had nothing but problems with the lightscribe. It will burn labels on DVDs, but won't even recognized CDs. I emailed the CEO of the company and got a response by phone the next day. The tech person was great. We ended up uninstalling only the driver, and reinstalling it, and it worked great...1 time. Since then it is back to the same...no matter how many times I uninstall, reconfigure, update, etc. It appears that I will be returning the product. I was hoping there would be better news about some of the other brands, but looks like they all have some major issues.
30.12.2005 00:40 #33
I just boutht hp640i and was able to lightscribe a lable with no problem. The DVD's that I have tired to burn can not be reconized on any of my players nor my playstation, which usually plays any burned DVD. Anyone else had this problem?
3.1.2006 06:04 #34
just info
look into this LightScribe burner if hp is causing ye problems
Lite-On SHW-16H5S DVD Burner with LightScribe label writing technology
this burner features 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+R DL and 4x DVD-R DL maximum burning performance. It also supports the burning of CD-R's at up to 48x and CD-RW's at up to 24x.
To find out how this drive performs, including further specifications and details and its LightScribe capabilities, please check out the in-depth review here.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/article/245
3.1.2006 06:14 #35
Include me on the list of everything written about HP. Mine did about 8 discs, then the scramble in the centre.
HP can't deal with this, because there isn't a problem!!!!!! Every issue raised is the 1st time they've heard about this.
Changed HP drive for the recommended LitOn SHW-16H5S drive. Brilliant! This one lasted 3 weeks! Still a terrific DVD writer, but..... No Lightscribe device found on this system.??? Really???
So, I'll be moving onto drive 3 real soon. I was wondering if Plextor are going to make Lightscribe drives. I'd willingly pay their premium, for their build quality. But All the other brands seem to be crap. I'll probably be trying a LG next though.
Still love the idea (and I've bought a lot of discs to use up), but a shame its so unreliable
10.1.2006 10:09 #36
Further to my previous message on Lite-On SHW-16H5S regarding dissapearing Lightscribe. I e-mailed Lite-On regarding the problem, and received no reply. So removed it from my machine intending to take it back & get another.Then check my e-mails again. A reply from Lite-On!
It seems that the missing Lightscribe engine is down to a registry failure. (Don't ask me how it got changed, probably during a crash, then reboot to a previously known good configuration....)
If anyone else has this problem, this was what Lite-On suggested:
Check the registry setting for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. allocateccdroms MUST BE SET TO 0 (Zero)
I changed this, re-installed the drive, and BINGO, its working again.
So thanks to Lite-On for excellent understanding and response.
And HP still suck.....
12.1.2006 12:43 #37
It would seem that the true definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting to get different results."
I just bought a HP 740e. Thank goodness it was walmart. Already returned it for another one. Still no luck. Getting the same error messages as the rest of you.
If I don't find an answer in the couple of weeks, this one goes back too, and I will wait till all the manufacturers get the right engines, firmware, software, etc.
13.1.2006 16:25 #38
JUST INFO,
This is what i use to print on dvd's..i will not buy a lightscribe..
there not worth a dam
this is a pix of the Epson Stylus Photo R320 printer,they look the same
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=28-103-...
Epson Stylus Photo R800 Color Inkjet Printer, 17 PPM, 5760 x 1440 DPI, Color/B&W
**This item may only be returned for a replacement of the same make/model. what's this?
- Specifications -
Printing Technology: Advanced Micro Piezo® pigment ink jet, optimized for photo printing
Print Speed: 17 ppm black
Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 dpi
Number of Nozzles: 180 nozzles (per cartridge)
Ink Palette: 6 Color
Frameless Printing: Yes
Cartridges: T054020/ T054120/ T054220/ T054320/ T054420/ T054720/ T054820/ T054920
Connectivity: 1 USB, 1 IEEE1394
OS Support: Windows 98SE/2000/Me/XP, Mac 8.6-9.2, OSX 10.1.3 or later
Dimensions(WxDxH): 25 x 19.5 x 12.8 in
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 Year
Epson Stylus Photo R320 printer
By Pocket Lint
Published Thursday 28th July 2005 14:34 GMT
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/28/review_epson_r320/
Review Epson's latest entry into the photo printer market helps fill the gap between its R800 and R200 models with an update of the R300. The Epson Stylus Photo R320 comes complete with a new, colour screen and memory card slots for 13 of the most popular card formats, including xD, SmartMedia, Memory Stick - Pro, Duo, Pro Duo and MagicGate - SD and miniSD cards, writes Doug Harman.
The R320's blend of features includes direct-print capability using its memory card slots; USB Direct Print and PictBridge compatibility; CD and DVD printing; and, to cap it all, stunning photo output that's well able to rival that of the R320's bigger sibling, the R800.
r320 here
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/28/review_epson_r320/
13.1.2006 17:21 #39
Last week, in finally found an HP tech that seemed to know what he was doing. He had me download a "soft pac" patch from the HP site. It actually worked, and I was able to lightscribe 2 labels. Today I sat down to do another label, and got the same old error message again. I HATE to give up on anything, but today, I took the HP lightscribe back and bought a Plextor DVD writer...no lightscribe. However, when I burned a music CD it only took 3 minutes total, instead of the 15-20 minutes the HP took. I'll wait until lightscribe is perfected.
13.1.2006 18:08 #40
Well now I'm concerned. I just got an LG GSA 2166D with lightscribe. I have yet to try this feature. It seems a lot of you are not happy so far especially with HP. My LG has been great. Performance has been excellent. It will even do DVD-RAM. The only lightscribe discs I have are CD-Rs. I'll play this weekend.
13.1.2006 18:34 #41
Just saw a pic of the Epson printer. Looks great. I love the way the laser printed lightscribe labels looked, and think when they have color capability, they might be the way to go, however...this looks very interesting. Is is difficult to find the printable discs and are they expensive?
14.1.2006 10:03 #42
tum,tum,tum, Another one bites the dust. bought the HP
740i last week, burned 1 maxell 4.7gb disc and that's all she wrote. The lightscribe doesn't even work, thought it was the Nero,but now am thinking it's a bug in the drive. Glad i didn't throw the receipt out, and I hope a refund or exchange is permissable. My brother in law bought the Lite-On DVDR for half the price of what I paid and still working without problems.
1.3.2006 09:36 #43
I bought an LG GSA-2166D last week - and it worked fine for burning CD/s DVDs and lightscribing the labels - but only for a while. Then it began telling me I wasn't using a correct lightscribe disc (of course, I was).
I've spent the past few days searching the Net for solutions. What I've found is a lot of people are having the same - or similar - problems with their lightscribe enabled drives... but no-one has a solution that works.
I've tried installing updated firmware, uninstalling and reinstalling Nero, and trying other lightscribe labelling software and checking the registry's allocatecdroms key (it was 0) - but nothing's helped.
I did a search through the Registry and there are dozens of "lightscribe" entries as well as god knows how many "nero" entries.
When I pluck up the courage, I'll uninstall Nero (again), delete all the registry entries, remove the drive and try reinstalling it. But before I do, I'm wondering has anyone tried this yet? Did it work?
6.3.2006 11:44 #44
I think it is a hardware issue, not software.
6.3.2006 12:47 #45
If it's a hardware error - is there any way to test that?
6.3.2006 12:55 #46
Argggg I'm getting sooo agrivated with this drive it's an HP 640i I've used these Veratim DVD+R disks i've burned 7 labels now woot!!! but not in a row. it keeps spitting them out doesn't say I need an update or any software, Guess that's because i've already gone through all that twice before. When I first started burning the labels and a week after it asked me to update and all. Now a month and a half later all I get is the spitting out and "please incert in lightscribe media". It's the same darn 10 pack of media i'd used before and worked!!! You would think after all this time they would have a fix for this crap!!! I can't return this peice now since it's been too long. So i'm stuck with it and waiting for someone to accually be a tech and do their jobs and fix the buggggzzzz!!!
I use my other dvd writer for my tasks now. The HP is just a hole plug... grrrrr
6.3.2006 22:08 #47
there is a ton of stuff on LightScribe in this thread.
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/241802
7.3.2006 01:11 #48
My 2 cents on light scribe - I have the HP 740. Have only used HP dvds and HP cds and Memorex Cds. So far I have burned around 20 labels. Some with graphics and some with text only. I have only had 1 problem. Once a disk ejected as if it was finished but there was no printing on it. Re did it and everything came out fine and has worked since then. I have to say that I am very happy with the lightscribe. Maybe I got lucky or got a good unit, either way, so far (knock on wood)its great. (but i am still holding on to my receipt and box from walmart)!
7.3.2006 01:50 #49
I bought one HP drive Nov 2005 and burned 27 labels before it stopped working. It was only one month so I exchanged it for another. This burned 4 labels and stopped.
After two weeks of irritation I returned that one and am now waiting for the technology to be stable.
I am surprised there hasn't been a class action law suit against lightscribe manufacturers for false claims.
It would be nice to hear from people who have burned thousands and have no problems. Perhaps we could understand their configuration and learn from this. The qustion is, has anyone managed to get this to work for 100's or 1000's of disks? Do they exist?
Is this a great conspiracy by HP and the like?
Do do do do do do do do ;)
7.3.2006 04:12 #50
Please feel free to include me in to any class action suites against HP DVD640's... email: TuffGI@msn.com
HP support on DVD640i lightscribe is joke.
Call 866.694.7633 for a good laugh
Alos, if a guy named Livingston answers just hang up, he is the master of the "Hold from hell" in his defence it beats not having to answer a question you don't know the answer to. Just leave the customer on hold till they hang up...problem solved...hehe
17.6.2006 11:26 #51
I have a possible fix for some Lightscribe users, (Media Not Recognized). I shipped my supposed defective 740i Lightscribe Drive (Under warranty) to Hewlett Packard and after receiving it back I still had the exact same problem when receiving it from the repair center. I was truly disappointed, but did not give up hope. I again turned to the internet to find that there were many people still having the same problem as I. Their Lightscribe drives would not recognize the media of any brand or some brands. I decided to try some things on my own again due to the fact that none of the suggestions that I have read in the forums or at any of the manufacturer support sites online were working for me.
Here is what I have found to be the cure to my problem. The software that came with my 740i was the OEM version of Nero Suite, which installed Nero Express 6.6 and it was apparently conflicting with Roxio, which I had already installed on my system. I uninstalled Nero and then I tried Roxio Label Creator and finally after several months of attempting to get my 740i to print any kind of Label......((((IT WORKS for the 1st time)))) !!!! Before uninstalling Nero....I had tried to use Roxio, Nero and Sure Thing, but nothing worked. I would get the same error every time. Cannot not recognize the media in the center of the disk. Now my Lightscribe is working perfectly. I hope this helps some one with the same problems that I have had since I first installed HP 740i back in March of 2006.
19.6.2006 03:16 #52
I've been through two of them and finally threw that POS writer in the trash where it belongs! :-) I'm sooo happy now!
19.6.2006 10:18 #53
The problem with my lightscribe is, I don't even get the option to print to the burner. It always wants to print the label to the printer. HP support was unable to support me on this problem. I sure everyone is suprised about that. If anyone has a possble answer to this problem, I'm all ears. Thanks in advance.
20.6.2006 15:54 #54
After reading everyhing you all have posted I'm at aloss of what to do. I have the HP LightScribe640i and have had no probelms whatsoever. I've made over 100 CD's with no problem other than the wait and it's black on gold which really doesn't bother me as long as I get a good product.
My delima now is I need to put out a quality CD color product that can be marketed to stores and need a product that can do exceptional color. Thsoe stick on labels won't do. I thought there might be an upgrade for my LightScribe, but I can't find a thing.
I really like the look and sound of the Epson Stylus Photo R320 Printer, but don't have the money to buy one. Surely there is an attachment that will hook up to any printer to us. Anyone know of anything? I have to come up with something fast and affordable.
15.7.2006 17:51 #55
I have to agree here with HVYSTEEL , i had no issues with my HP 740 light scribe burner until i moved it to my second computer which contained the latest versions of Roxio and Nero , i unistalled both Roxio and Nero and reinstalled the Surething software to the latest version and the drive works now , gotta be a conflict between these programs , i was getting an engine error and sometimes the cannot find the disk in the drive error , i hope this helps some others with similar issues , nice catch there HVYSTEEL , solved my problems for now ....goodluck all
13.8.2006 08:21 #56
I have the HP dvd740 LightScribe drive. The technology is cool, if it actually worked. The performance is rather strange. Totally unreliable. One moment, I'm burning CD labels...the next I'm hit with internal processing errors or messages indicating that I need to "clean the disc".
I printed about 5 LightScribe's CD...then it just stopped working. I updated the drivers and I was able to print 2 more labels. Then it stopped working again.
50% of all the lightScribe CD's are not recognized by the HP dvd740 as being LightScribe compatible. Overall, it’s a real disappointment. Although, I may be willing to try a lightscribe drive from another vendor. The HP sucks…
26.8.2006 19:50 #57
I'm having the same problems as the rest.....I bought my Lightscribe burner and it didn't work. I called HP and after several hours on the phone, the first guy told me he thought it was a problem with my computer......the next call got me a tech who told me they were transferring my call to High-Level support. (They advised that I needed to call between 9:00-5:00 M-F to speak with the High-Level adviser...)When I told him I couldn't call between those hours because I worked, he suggested I take a day off to handle it. In frustration, I finally did call in late to work one day and called. I got a woman in low-level support and when I told her my issue, she had me run a patch and also advised that HP media DOES NOT WORK. I bought Memorex and the Lightscribe worked GREAT. Now the bad part.....I reinstalled Windows and guess what's gone again.....I just can't bring myself to call HP. Any ideas....I tried reloading the patch but my system says it's already on there. I'm downloading Roxio now. SureThing didn't work. Nero never worked and LightScribe Simple Labeler didn't work.....aaarrrggghhh. I agree with whoever suggested the class action suit. This is ridiculous!
8.11.2006 19:25 #58
I posted above awhile back , my lightscribe worked for awhile after i thought i had it licked then failed again , i contacted HP support went thru all the steps , got an email from some dummy at HP telling me it sounded like the product was defective and suggested i return it to where i purchased it , so now i contact NewEgg via the phone, the girl i spoke with says no problem all we need is a case # from HP and we will gladly exchange it or refund, what ever i preferred (i have nothing against NewEgg they are awsome) anyway so now i contact Dummy via email requesting the case # so i can return the defecto burner and i am told i don't need it that its just something NewEgg requests and i am told to have a nice day , i'm sitting here reading the email wishing it was legal to beat Dummy to a pulp , thats the name i gave him i prefer Moron but Dummy suited this guy , so now i get on the phone with HP they hook me up with a guy who has me try a bunch of different things and it does not resolve the issue , i told the guy i would again try the burner on my other computer which had a fresh install of everything and thats when i ran into some personal health issues and was unable to continue resolving the issue i had , but anyway here is the phone number they had me call 1 866 694 7633 , the guy was super nice and i believe they were set to give me what ever i needed to return the burner , by the way the guy i was dealing with was George, hope this helps and hopefully i can get back on track and maybe get my refund as well , later!
9.11.2006 14:22 #59
LightScribe is pointless ,untill they can get a clearer image on it and no space loss its not worth it,I would rather have a INK system in a double drive config ,something like that shouldn't be to hard for them to make and make for under around 400 and print in full color up to 20-50 discs nice small maybe 30ish for cartridge set.
Once the tech stabilizes in the market it would become cheaper and smaller *L*
10.11.2006 06:16 #60
Yeah lightscribe sucks. My LG does them. But I've done a couple and totally unacceptable. Takes 30 min too.
10.11.2006 08:05 #61
n order for light scribe to be worth while ,full coverage,no data loss,takes no more than 10 min to burn a non pic label and priced no more than 30% above normal DVD/CDs....
Sure my double stacks printer thing idea is over the top but in all better than this half arsed solution ...
10.11.2006 08:08 #62
The writer met its fate at the heavy end of a hammer :-) I have since bought a different (non-lightscribe) writer and I'm very happy. This is all a distant memory, except for the constant complaints piling up in this thread for the past year. Get rid of them, people!!!
10.11.2006 13:50 #63
The idea is not bad but lacks forethought,I have not been hearing aobut it lately they must have gaven up on it *L*
10.11.2006 13:52 #64
Several comments in this thread and elsewhere concern problems getting a HP dvd740 burner to recognize or to burn labels. I was having problems similar to some of these posts (i.e. even though it was a HP Lightscribe dvd in the oven, the Nero labelmaker software -- which came with the HP as installation software -- did not see the burner at all.
Long answer: download the software mentioned below.
Short answer: describe the software mentioned below.
Found a tip somewhere in my travels to download the Lightscribe updater software from the SureThing web site. Downloaded, installed, ran and got a new message after trying to print to a DVD in the burner. It said to download the updater (huh, thought I just did that !?). Never argue with a software message, it sticks to its guns! Anyway a click takes you to the SureThing web site, same download file. Did this again, but did not bother rerunning (figured the SureThing download earlier must have done something to jump-start the burner.) I closed the instance of SureThing application, re-opened, selected print and -- VOILA as the French say -- it recognized the burner, the DVD in it and asked if I was ready to cook a label. As I write, it is burning my label some 10-15 minutes already and no error messages or anything else.
Good luck.
Oh, BTW, the HP dvd740 just ejected out my Lightscribe DVD -- drumroll .... with -- I am happy to say -- a nicely burned-in label.
27.12.2006 10:33 #65
But disappointing! Be Honest!
27.12.2006 11:42 #66
For those who are still interested...
I bought a new LG drive yesterday with all new firmware, Nero updated, LSS updated...and it has failed on 3 different PC machines...in varying degrees...3-4 minutes is the max usually. It was connected on a USB2 external port.
BUT I have a Mac Laptop G4...and guess what...has worked every time up to 20 minutes with no failures...
What does that tell you?
24.2.2007 10:35 #67
I've got an LG 2166D external (usb) and it has worked fine for over a year. These LGs are great rippers. Ok burners, poor lightscribers. The technology is poor I guess. Mine will rip discs that 2 benq1650s won't read.
Edit: you might try unpluging the power while it's still onnected to pc and then disconnect it from pc and then reconnect anmd power it up, but since you tried on three different pcs probably won't help.
24.2.2007 19:41 #68
correct, it burns discs fine on a PC, but it won't lightscribe..that's what I was referring to.
25.2.2007 03:04 #69
I took your post as the burner would not burn a DVD on a pc but would on a Mac. So it works fine but just won't lightscribe? Can't help you there I don't do anymore of those. The software installs in Nero, at least my version did, and you can get a package that aids the software but I don't know where; it may be at the HP site.
25.2.2007 04:45 #70
Correct. It will Lightscribe perfectly on the MAC...but not on a PC. The error messages show a device timeout in Windows. My guess is that the Mac simply controls the timing better and therefore never loses the connection.
25.2.2007 05:16 #71
Hello... I have the Lite-On SHM-165H6S, and have been attempting to burn labels for the last several hours. I get the communication error message before the process even starts. I've tried every fix I've seen online, I've tried it with Nero 6, Nero 7, and SureThing Labeler 4, and I am officially about to scream. I've downloaded new drivers, the latest lightscribe engine... Nothing. I have no idea what to do about this! Can anyone help me? Thanks...
Andy
25.3.2007 12:46 #72
Prydonian
Have you uninstalled all burning programs and then reinstall just one program? When you have more than one installed on the same computer there is a conflict and the writer is not recognized as a printer for creating labels. It may burn CDs & DVDs fine, but when you try to burn a label there will be a communication errors. When it comes to the software makers...they are not going to inform you of this. They all want you to run their software. It is up to you to choose one. If you have more than one installed you will most likely experience errors.
25.3.2007 13:40 #73
Well, the problem started when I had only Nero 6 installed. When I upgraded to 7, it persisted, and the same when I added SureThing.
I haven't tried having just SureThing alone or uninstalling SureThing to try just Nero 7, but as it did this when it was just Nero 6, I don't think that's the problem I'm experiencing. I'll try it though!
Thanks for the suggestion! Any more ideas in the meantime? I'm desperate!
25.3.2007 15:09 #74
Nero never would work for me either.
25.3.2007 18:16 #75
I having the same problems as you guys are having, i think the problems is in the disk themselves and not the drive you have to pick through you cake disks and do the printing of the image first and then the music or picture second that's why they don't recognize the problem. I had to visually scan through my cakedish of disks to see which one takes it'll tell me DRIVE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE DISK, etc. like someone said previously they made this item too fast and got it out on the market too fast and there are a lot of bugs. I am worse off than most of you because my came built into the computer (HP Media Center P.C.). So all those cd's and dvd's that i have i will put paper labels on them or magic marker.
21.4.2007 20:21 #76
Originally posted by gizzo:I having the same problems as you guys are having, i think the problems is in the disk themselves and not the drive you have to pick through you cakedish disks and do the printing of the image first and then the music or movie second that's why they don't recognize the problem. I had to visually scan through my cakedish of disks to see which one takes it'll tell me DRIVE DOES NOT RECOGNIZE DISK, etc. like someone said previously they made this item too fast and got it out on the market too fast and there are a lot of bugs. I am worse off than most of you because my came built into the computer (HP Media Center P.C.). So all those cd's and dvd's that i have i will put paper labels on them or magic marker.
21.4.2007 20:28 #77
Has anyone tried this site?
http://www.lightscribe.com/
it gives you free down loads and if you have a problem with your lightscrib it will do a diagnostic for you
2.12.2007 09:43 #78
^yes. I'm using the lightscribe.com program (free) Wish their was more templates though. THe Discs look pretty cool after you scribe them! This is the only prgm i've used to scribe but it works and the dvd's look cool when i scribe a picture from the cover art on it.
2.12.2007 14:31 #79
I have 2 light scribes one HP and the other Lite-on
and it works on both
2.12.2007 16:19 #80
I bought a HP PC about 3 years ago. it came with Lightscribe DVD+ writer. It work great for about 1 year, then, one sad day i made the mistake of hitting the wrong button on my PC and it put the PC back to shop settings wiping every personal bit of info. It also stuffed up my dvd drive and it has never been good since.
Lightscribe worked perfectly until this happened, now it has gotten worse and worse and will not play ANY dvd at all.
i have no idea how to fix this problem and with past experience the phone freakin' call centres can't bring myself to call HP and wait on the line for hours just to speak to morons who are only guessing what they are doing.
has anyone ecountered this problem/
can anyone (other than HP) help?
PLEASE...
20.1.2008 01:10 #81
try the above link, that I added Gage3 it worked for me
I have a HP lightscribe too
20.1.2008 10:12 #82
just download this, it is a diagnostic
this is what sorted out my 2 lightscribes
http://www.lightscribe.com/downloadSecti...dex.aspx?id=810
20.1.2008 10:15 #83
Back To The Sharpie
After long chats with clueless tech support at HP I am waving my hands in the air like an idiot. Software ,firmware,discs,updates,more chat.
Hp says oh your DVD does not support Lightscribe but Toshiba says yes that is what it does this is from Toshiba.
Toshiba TS L802A
General
MPN: TSL802A
Device Type: DVD±RW (+R DL) / ram.cfm" class="forum_link" target="_blank">DVD-RAM drive
Enclosure Type: Internal
Interface: IDE
Width: 12.8 cm
Depth: 12.6 cm
Height: 1.3 cm
Weight: 190 g
Optical storage
Type: DVD±RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM - 5.25" x 1/6H (Slim Line)
Disc Labeling Technology: LightScribe Technology
Supported Recording Modes: Disc-at-once, track-at-once, packet writing, session-at-once, restricted overwrite, random access write, incremental recording, sequential write
Supported CD Formats: CD Text, CD Extra, CD-DA (audio), CD-I, CD-ROM XA, Mixed-mode CD, Photo CD, Video CD, CD-ROM, CD+G (Karaoke CD)
Supported Media Types: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL
Access Time: 120 ms (DVD), 105 ms (CD), 250 ms (DVD-RAM)
Buffer Size: 2 MB
Expansion / connectivity
Interfaces: 1 x IDE/ATAPI
Compatible Bays: 1 x front accessible - 5.25" x 1/6H (Slim Line)
Miscellaneous
MTBF: 60,000 hour(s)
Package Type: OEM
Manufacturer's product description
Continuing to lead the way in mobile optical storage, Toshiba Storage Device Division introduces its latest addition, the industrys first slim-line optical drive equipped with LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling. This new technology, developed by HP, will enable mobile computer users to easily burn silk-screen quality labels onto CD and DVD discs directly from the drive. Using LightScribe technology, Toshiba Samsung Storage Technologies' (TSST) SD-R6572 drive is ideal for creating visually appealing and personalized CDs and DVDs with graphic images such as corporate logos or personal photos. LightScribe technology eliminates added steps for creating labels or using pens to identify disc content. Available in a slim casing, Toshibas drive enables PC OEMs to build products that assure consumers of media compatibility when used with other DVD/CD systems. Supporting DVD burn speeds up to 8X, the SD-R6572 provides users with optimal storage technology for saving large files, photos and video. The drive also allows notebook users to watch DVD movies or access CD content while on the road.
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature: 5 °C
Max Operating Temperature: 50 °C
Humidity Range Operating: 8 - 80%
So someone please tell me that I am not the idiot HP tried to make me out to be. My HP dv9260nr Vista Ultimate Duo Core multimedia is a half way to the top computer but then I am nuts so what the heck.
20.8.2008 15:37 #84
Originally posted by sergiola2: i like you products especially disk label printers please keep me updated I hope you're not talking about paper stick on labels. No faster way to kill a DVD. Printers that print directly on the disc are fine.
15.9.2011 14:28 #85
possible spammer.
15.9.2011 18:29 #86
