HP introduces LightScribe disc label burning

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

I think it is a hardware issue, not software.

If it's a hardware error - is there any way to test that?

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

there is a ton of stuff on LightScribe in this thread. http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/241802

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)!

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 ;)

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

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.

I've been through two of them and finally threw that POS writer in the trash where it belongs! :-) I'm sooo happy now!

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.

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.

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

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…

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!

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!

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*

Yeah lightscribe sucks. My LG does them. But I've done a couple and totally unacceptable. Takes 30 min too.

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 ...

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!!!

The idea is not bad but lacks forethought,I have not been hearing aobut it lately they must have gaven up on it *L*

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.

But disappointing! Be Honest!

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?

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.

correct, it burns discs fine on a PC, but it won't lightscribe..that's what I was referring to.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

Nero never would work for me either.

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.

Originally posted by gizzo:

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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.

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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

^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.

I have 2 light scribes one HP and the other Lite-on
and it works on both

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...

try the above link, that I added Gage3 it worked for me
I have a HP lightscribe too

just download this, it is a diagnostic
this is what sorted out my 2 lightscribes



http://www.lightscribe.com/downloadSecti...dex.aspx?id=810

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.

Originally posted by sergiola2:

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i like you products especially disk label printers please keep me updated

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possible spammer.