The software appears to be a set of libraries which are used by end-user applications to access the LightScribe functionality. Unlike Labelflash which was handled entirely by the end user application (in that case, Nero 6), LightScribe requires the installation of the LightScribe System Software. The LightScribe coating is still on the top of the disc itself. The top has a similar colour but the reflective nature is slightly different due to the reflective layer being behind 0.6mm of polycarbonate due to the construction of the DVD itself. This particular disc is an MCC-made disc from Taiwan. I’ll also be burning one of these, which is a Verbatim LightScribe DVD+R, also of Version 1.2 type. I would have rather an MCC-made Super AZO or similar, but by then, CD-Rs were beginning to decline in popularity. This disc seems to be a CMC Taiwan disc, which is a little sad. Apparently the ID code in the centre also tells the drive some parameters to use for the laser to achieve the best burn. This later type disc clearly notes it is a LightScribe Version 1.2 disc, as there is an upgrade to software necessary to optimise image burning to these discs. Instead, I will be burning one of these – a Verbatim LightScribe CD-R. The top surface is an ordinary dull-gold, with an ID and clocking track burned into the central area. This disc is made in India, with an ATIP that corresponds to Moser Baer Media. LightScribe’s logo is featured on the rear of the disc, although this seems to be the “one swoosh” version of the logo. As I only have one sample of this type, I’m not going to be burning this, but the packaging is worth taking a look at just to see how it was marketed. The first one is an Imation branded CD-R. The following images are taken from my “ Optical Disc Corner“, where there are plenty of other retail optical discs on show. They’ve been a rare occasional find, but every time I come across them, I end up buying them. Instead, I’ve been lucky that in my occasional ferreting around the thrift stores, I’ve been able to pick up a few unused LightScribe blanks at anywhere from $0.50-$1.00 a disc. LightScribe media is relatively rare to find since it has been discontinued for many years, however, it is available at a significant premium on auction sites such as eBay. older LiteOn units) could be crossflashed to LightScribe-capable firmware, such drives often could not burn a LightScribe label as they were missing the extra hardware that reads the optical code burned into the centre of the disc. It’s interesting to note that while some drives (e.g. This particular unit is labelled HP, but is an LG-produced drive, model GH60L produced 16th June 2010 which is only three years until LightScribe would become unsupported. It features the LightScribe logo in the centre of the tray. This particular unit is rather anonymous from the outside, as is the case for most OEM drives. I didn’t own any LightScribe capable drives during its heyday, but because I’ve had the chance to rummage and salvage from a number of HP desktops, I took home many of their optical drives which had LightScribe capability. Ultimately, this didn’t work out so well for them … Getting a LightScribe Drive I suppose as HP was a printer manufacturer, perhaps entering the optical disc printing market with this solution was seen as another way to ensure profits which wouldn’t be shared with other printer companies. This process was marketed as “Burn, Flip, Burn”. Initially only available in a “gold” colour, media was later available in a number of colours before becoming unsupported in around 2013. This system uses an infrared laser on a specially coated media to create greyscale images on the top side of the disc. This post looks at the competing LightScribe system, invented by Hewlett Packard (HP) and released in 2004. That particular system, pioneered by Yamaha and further improved by Fujifilm, was one that I had practical experience with even though it was arguably more obscure. Last week, I wrote about and Labelflash, labelling methods which utilised the laser inside a CD/DVD writer to create readable labels on the top and underside of discs.
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