Final Thoughts

LightScribe has come a long way since its first introduction.  At first, not many where too interested in the technology and considering the drives at the time where substantially higher in cost then those that did not sport the feature, many just didn't bother to venture into it at all.  However, times have changed, and the cost of owning a full-featured DVD Writer is at an all time low.  With this said, many more now own a LightScribe drive and have taken the time to experiment a bit with it, some liking what it has to offer at the end.  This leads to the questionable knowledge most have regarding what it is really capable of.  A lot has changed since its initial introduction, and unless you're one who closely followed it from the start, you may be at a loss as to what it can and cannot do, as well as what is available to improve the overall experience.  Also, I would like to add that support for this technology has increased heavily.  The LightScribe Website, for example, was once a poor resource that I think failed to offer enough information and tools to help those with such a drive.  However, the website is back in full force and they now provide you with all the information you need, as well as some super nice label designs that can be downloaded for free.  The improvements made to the site give you a clear sign that LightScribe is here to stay.

However, even after this second look, one issue still remains...speed.  Although there is now media that will substantially improve burn times, burning a professional-looking label still requires a considerable amount of time.  The technology relies heavily on the amount of contrast, thus producing darker labels that show much more detail.  Unfortunately, this means you must dedicate much more time in order to produce such a label.  Printing in "Draft", as I've showed in most of my articles, is simply not worth it.  Improvements have not only been made with the media though.  Their is a free utility that will enable your LightScribe-enabled drive to perform at its very best. 

In terms of media, we have seen some improvements, however, the media continues to be somewhat difficult to acquire.  Some local retail outlets, depending on where you're located, don't stock enough LightScribe media.  On top of that, the improvements made to them only apply to DVDR media at this time.  It is unclear whether we will see the Ver. 1.2 discs in the CDR variety anytime soon.  Also, there are many promises on colored media, but we have yet to actually see them.  At this time, we are all stuck with the gold colored surface for now.

In terms of software, I've showed you what's out there and which application I strongly recommend over all others.  Nero is not the best application to use with LightScribe.  Stick with Surething and you'll have a much better experience. 

I hope that this guide does help those who will or are venturing into LightScribe for the first time.  I'll leave you all with some quick tips for the best experience...

Quick Tips

• Avoid purchasing "bulk" drives that are not supported by the manufacturer.  This drives are the "leftovers" per say, and are those that failed testing in one or more areas.  These drives usually perform very low when using LightScribe.

• Update both your drive's firmware as well as the LightScribe drivers whenever possible.  Updates provide many improvements and higher support for newer drives and/or media.

• Take advantage of the free High Contrast utility for higher quality labels.  This utility unleashes your drive's full potential, providing higher contrast and rich detail.

• If using the new Ver. 1.2 discs, print using the best mode for better looking labels.  These new discs, while reducing burn times substantially, tend to print lighter than the original discs.

• Avoid using straight text whenever possible.  Labels print faster using curved or circular text because they are printed using a circular pattern.  Straight text also takes longer because it is taking more of the disc's surface area.  This is why you see most designs with curved text boxes or areas where you can insert a curved text field.

• Take advantage of LightScribe label designs.  Surething includes some nice designs optimized for LightScribe.  However, you can also download a number of great looking designs from the LightScribe Website.

Questions?  Comments?  Discuss them here...