Pros: Easy to connect, fast and reliable burning, Lightscribe adds whole new dimension to DVD creation.
Cons: No Apple OS 10.X support whatsoever, included CD/DVD creation software annoying and semi-functional.
The bottom line: If you'd like to add labels to your disc media this is the easiest and most professional looking way to do it. LG has a winner here!
LG 18X External Super Multi CD/DVD Lightscribe Rewriter
MSRP: $100.00
Compatible with: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW DVD-R DL

--- So, what is this Lightscribe stuff? ---

Lightscribe is relatively new and offers the option of directly writing to the top surface of compatible CD/DVD media using special Lightscribe drives equipped with a laser designed for this purpose. You can write text, images, or a combination of both, thanks to several label creation programs available the only limit to your artistic ability is your imagination. At this point there aren’t colors available, think of the Lightscribe drive as a very detailed B&W photo printer. There are however colored discs available which give your project a brighter look than just shades of grey.

--- So why do I need ANOTHER disc drive? ---

After attending the wedding of one of my best friends I returned home with over 1,000 pictures of the event which I wanted to sort and give to my friends. I decided to create a DVD slideshow and give each of my friends a copy, however I didn't have a way to burn multiple (20+) DVDs quickly and reliably. This is when I started my search for a fast and (preferably) Lightscribe compatible external burner.

While a few new computers out there are equipped with Lightscribe drives from the manufacturer, most owners will need to purchase a new disc drive to obtain Lightscribe functionality. There are several internal and external options available, I chose the external option since it’s easy to install, can be moved between several PCs, and most importantly, I didn’t have any expansion slots available in my desktop PC case. If you have a laptop computer you’ll obviously have to purchase an external drive.

--- Installing and using the LG Lightscribe CD/DVD Burner -----

As far as hardware installation goes, all you need to do is connect the USB 2.0 cable to your PC and wait for Windows XP/Vista to recognize and install drivers for it. Software wise I don’t recommend the included Nero Express burning & label creation software that comes with the LG drive, it’s complicated to navigate through and I wasn’t happy with the results I saw after creating a few labels with it.

I downloaded (and later purchased) Sure Thing CD Labeler Deluxe 5.0 ( http://www.surething.com/ST/ ) which I find much more useful and intuitive. There’s also a decent labeling template program available directly from Lightscribe if you want to give that a try. (http://lightscribe.com/DownloadSection/windows/index.aspx) Once you’ve chosen your desired software simply create a label template and click “Create Disc”. You’ll be asked to insert the CD or DVD face down so the drive can burn the label you’ve created to the disc media. Once that’s finished, just copy the files you want to the media and you have a very professional looking package.

--- How did I like my Lightscribe drive? ---

After getting the hang of designing a sweet-looking label I made about 25 DVDs and all of them burned perfectly with no errors or failed write attempts. I also used the Memorex CoolColors Lightscribe CD-Rs to create photo CDs which accompanied the DVDs. The use of colored discs allows you to play around a bit and get truly unique looking labels when combining images with borders or various styles of text.

Actually burning the Lightscribe image to the disc takes between 5 and 15 minutes depending on the quality setting selected in the label software and the complexity of the label. Once the label is complete a message pops up to alert you and the drive will open so you know your job is complete.

I’m very happy with the operation and functionality of the LG Lightscribe External CD/DVD Rewriter, at 18X write-speed it’s much faster than the DVD drive in my iMac when just recording data files. Speaking of my Apple iMac I was quite disappointed the LG external drive doesn’t support Apple’s operating system as a native device. There also aren’t Mac versions of most Lightscribe label creation programs yet, so if you want to wield the mighty Lightsabre of disc labeling you better have a PC.

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!

© Openroad 2007