Hello all,

I'm new here and I just started using a lightscribe dvd burner.
I've read here that you can obtain a better picture by burning the same image twice on the label side. So I tried. My problem is, I do get a better picture, but some random circular lines appear on the dvd, as if they were "overburned" or something.

The contrast is really better, but with those lines, the dvd looks like hell.

Here's my setup:
LG GSA-H22L
verbatim +R 16x lightscribe
nero cover designer

I updated to the latest lightscribe software on www.lightscribe.com, but I didn't update my firmware because my PC freezes when I launch the LG ODD firmware updater.

Anybody has the same problem?
Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Not all images lend themselves well to LS printing. Try to use images with a smaller "dark" area. Sometimes it looks better when you print the "negative" of the image (you can convert/invert the picture first with most image manipulation programs).

ok, thanks, I'll try that tonight

. I have an H-P LS, but was never satisfied with the contrast/time/expense, so gave it up and went back to using felt tip markers. I may try your "double-burn" method if I decide something is worth spending an hour on labeling.
. From my POV, the inability to do the firmware upgrade is the first problem to be tackled, even if a firmware update is not the answer.
. I'm a Newbie to burning but failing firmware updates sets off all sort of alarms in my "20+ yrs computer experience" side.
. Others on this board are much more qualified than I to help. I'm sure someone will jump in with details before long. If not, maybe we can stick our Newbie heads together and figure it out.

I totally agree, I tried to contact LG but the customer service email I received simply told me to call them, so that's what I'll do tonight.

With all that I've read about this specific burner and what I've read about the BenQ's and Lite-On's, I might end up returning it and getting a new one. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't the media fault.

Just my own observation after trying my first double-burn with 1.2 media: after the second burn it seems like I can "see" the data area on the other side through the label more clearly than I could before the first burn, and more clearly than I could single-burning 1.0 media with ELCU active (which has about the same burn time as a 1.2 double-burn). This effect looks like faint circular lines in the image, but its visibility corresponds to where the data area is.

I just did a little test... I bought Memorex +R discs and did a first burn. After the first burn, the contrast was almost as good as with two passes with the verbatim, but without the lines
I then did a second pass, even if the quality was good enough. After the second pass, there were lines, but they were uniform. Like jaydro said, it might be the grooves of the data side.
I'll do more testing tomorrow, and I'll try to post a pic of a verbatim.

Hi RemTheStuff,

You may want to check out the LightScribe threads in the labelling forum. There has been reported quite a lot of difference between media - some not even being recognised by drives (luckily you don't have that problem)

One other issue is that CDs give much better images (in terms of contrast)than DVDs, due to the way they are manufactured. If you try burning a LightScribe CD with the same image instead, it may tell you whether your problem is due to the DVD media, or to something with your drive / set up etc.

Personally I've found that images need a lot of manipulating as graphics before burning to make them look good. I select an image, convert it into B&W, then adjust contrast to levels that would look terrible when printed. That seems to give the best LightScribe images.

Post a scan or picture of one of the problem discs if you get time

.
. Has the contrast and burn time improved enough that I should investigate further? I'll guess that my ~1yo LS is a 1.0. Won't even venture a guess as to whether ELCU (ElectroLuminesent Collector Unit? heehee) is active or not.
. If anyone can claim the contrast is significantly better (I'll say 2x, you figure out the units ) and the burn times are in the 10-15min range (5-10 would be even better, of course), I'll take it from there.
. Or is it all in the media? Still
.
. TIA

1.2 media (for which you need LightScribe software from, what, at least last October?) has faster burn times at the expense of contrast--I just discovered this, btw, when I happened to buy some. Some people suggest using the LightScribe-provided Extended Label Contrast Utility to improve the contrast with 1.2 media, but I was already using ELCU with 1.0 media. So now I'm using 1.2 media with ELCU active and double-burning just so I can get what I already had with 1.0....

. Well, unless the burn times are down to about 2min, sounds like LS is still not the thing for me. Thanks.

Jaydro, what discs do you use? with which burner?

I was using Memorex 8x DVD+R, but now I've got HP 16x DVD+R (LS 1.2) and 52x CD-R. My burner is a Lite-On SHM-165H6S. With SureThing CD Labeler 4 SE for LighScribing....

were your Memorex 1.0 discs and HP 1.2?

Itried to take a picture a the dvd, but you can't see anything, and I don't have a scanner, so I don't think I'll be able to post a picture

Yes. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I didn't get an e-mail notification of this post....

Anyway, I came back because I wanted to note that I've double-burned labels on the HP 1.2 media and seen the circular burn marks on discs that haven't had the data side burned yet, so there goes my previously posted theory about the marks....

Maybe a bit too late, but as The Prof said, this will probably be better off in the 'CD & DVD Printing and Labeling' forum here.

Moving...