Tsst TS-L632H and lightscribe

[uncrushable]

Bought an Asus F3k laptop which comes with a Lightscibe drive... I guess.

I've been tinkering with it off an on trying to get it to work to no avail. I've installed the Lightscribe software from lightscribe.com. I've tried using their program and Nero 7 Essentials and each time I flip over the CD to try to burn an image the drive just runs and runs and runs. And if I try to print it tells me that I need to have a printer installed which isn't really the point of lightscribe...

I have a Tsst TS-L632H CDROM with, as far as I can tell, the latest drivers (6.0.6).

Any ideas?

[mciahel]

Hi and Welcome!

The TS-L632H does not support Lightscribe at all.

In case your laptop was advertised as “with Lightscribe drive”, then complain to the vendor.

Michael

[uncrushable]

Just what I was afraid of. The laptop came loaded with all kinds of stuff promoting lightscribe. Bummer.

Thanks.

[e-Liza1]

[QUOTE=uncrushable;2167373]Bought an Asus F3k laptop which comes with a Lightscibe drive… I guess.

I’ve been tinkering with it off an on trying to get it to work to no avail. I’ve installed the Lightscribe software from lightscribe.com. I’ve tried using their program and Nero 7 Essentials and each time I flip over the CD to try to burn an image the drive just runs and runs and runs. And if I try to print it tells me that I need to have a printer installed which isn’t really the point of lightscribe…

I have a Tsst TS-L632H CDROM with, as far as I can tell, the latest drivers (6.0.6).

Any ideas?[/QUOTE]

---

Oh nooo , uncrushable, my heart goes out to you!

I have the same problem.

There are so many spam search results from driver download site-owners that you have to wade through. And that deliberately confusing situation is made even worse by the lack of specifications that companies have put on the internet for the CD drives that they have manufactured and/or installed on their notebooks etc.

They are all so irresponsible!

And then, because no-one seems to know the truth, even the people who are trying to help you misinform you! (See reply.)

I have a Compaq Presario CQ42-136TU Notebook with an HP CDDVDW TS-L633N DVD Writer (SATA optical drive: LightScribe SuperMulti DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support) … but how did I manage to validate that? Not from my Notebook there is[B] no[/B] [B]Lightscribe logo[/B] on my CD drive! Not from my [I]documentation![/I] Not from HP on-line! Not from anywhere but here …

[U]http://nbhat.in/blog/[/U]

(Line 8 of the table at the top of the page.)

I saw your plea for help, uncrushable, and I saw the advice you received, and I had tried to use my supposed [I]“Lightscribe”[/I] drive, had seen all the promotional information that [I]you[/I] saw, downloaded lightscribe software (whether I needed to or not) couldn’t get the drive to scribe a label - it just kept [I]spinning[/I] - and I assumed, like you, that I was being pestered by HP into having the drive that they had installed removed, and getting a Lightscribe drive installed in its place. I thought, “What [I]idiots![/I] Why didn’t they just install a Lightscribe drive before they sold me the [I]notebook?!”[/I] (Which I [I]am[/I] happy with - but I am finding [B]information[/B] about my notebook’s capabilities [I]hard to find[/I] - like does it read SDHC cards, as well as SD cards, like so I’ll [I]buy[/I] some, because 16GB SDHC flash memory cards are [B]$3.99 [/B]- with [I]free postage[/I] - on ebay and [B]$45 or more[/B] every where else! - but there is no information [I]anywhere![/I] Again, [I]irresponsible!)[/I]

I had the [I]sense[/I] that your drive was a lightscribe - through all the garbage i came across on-line, but it was so hard to [I]prove [/I]- but here it [I]is…[/I]

[B]“Toshiba Samsung TS-L632 DVD±RW LightScribe DVD±R DL” [/B]by [U]Toshiba[/U]

[B]SOURCE 1[/B]: [U]Toshiba-Samsung listing at Amazon.com [/U]

[B]SOURCE 2[/B]: [U]http://www.gethponline.com/tsstcorp-hp.html[/U]

… where it is being advertised for $43.99.

Here is some [B]more evidence[/B] - you can compare the appearance of [I]your[/I] drive to a close-up photograph of a certified [B]Lightscribe drive[/B]:

[U]http://www.laptopbattery-inc.co.uk/images/compaq-M700-Burner-drive.jpg[/U]

… which I found from [I]this[/I] search result page that refers to it as a “Lightscribe drive”:

[search result page]

I also found out that you need to buy special discs which are impregnated with different coloured inks - pastels in various colours which you can [I]choose[/I] from, but which, when inscribed by a Lightscribe CD drive turns into a [I]monochrome[/I] design. (So the colour doesn’t matter - but if you don’t have the special ink-impregnated[B] Lightscribe media[/B], then nothing will happen, even if you [I]do[/I] have a Lightscribe drive and all the software set up properly.)

That much you can get from the Lightscribe site:

[U]http://www.lightscribe.com/[/U]

… but the site does not have a list of Lightscribe drives, which would be a logical thing for them to have - who would buy the special Lightscribe disks if they couldn’t even determine whether or not they had a Lightscribe drive?

Well, I hope you see this message, uncrushable, and I hope it helpsyou, not that Lightscribe is that interesting to me now, but I had to figure it all out - and I feel so sorry for you, uncrushable!

(They did the same thing to[I] me![/I])

[mciahel]

Hi,[QUOTE=e-Liza1;2558159]
I have the same problem. [/quote]No. You don’t.

And then, because no-one seems to know the truth, even the people who are trying to help you misinform you! (See reply.)

Okay. You revived a thread that is nearly two years old, only to call me a liar?
Prove hard evidence that my statement

The TS-L632H does not support Lightscribe at all.
is false information.

I have a Compaq Presario CQ42-136TU Notebook with an HP CDDVDW TS-L633N DVD Writer (SATA optical drive: LightScribe SuperMulti DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support) … but how did I manage to validate that?
Run Nerö Info Tool or ImgBurn. Both show you the capabilities of your drive. And these are not the only tools that have this feature.

Not from my Notebook there is[B] no[/B] [B]Lightscribe logo[/B] on my CD drive! Not from my [I]documentation![/I] Not from HP on-line! Not from anywhere but here …
If the laptop is advertised with a LS capable drive, and this does not work, simply complain to the vendor. Or call HP customer support.

Michael

[e-Liza1]

[QUOTE=mciahel;2558175]Hi,No. You don’t.

Okay. You revived a thread that is nearly two years old, only to call me a liar?

Prove hard evidence that my statement is false information.

Run Nerö Info Tool or ImgBurn. Both show you the capabilities of your drive. And these are not the only tools that have this feature.

If the laptop is advertised with a LS capable drive, and this does not work, simply complain to the vendor. Or call HP customer support.

Michael[/QUOTE]

[FONT=Arial Narrow][COLOR=black]The Lightscribe site’s “toolbox” seems to indicate that Lightscribe is aware that Lightscribe drives are not being detected, so that could be one reason – my drive is not detected as a Lightscribe drive, either, (just one more of my problems – that I haven’t so far mentioned - that led me on this search all over the web to find out the facts) but nevertheless, it [I]is [/I]a Lightscribe drive.

If computer manufacturers are misrepresenting their products as being Lightscribe drives when they are not then they have been making it difficult for their customers to know the truth in this same way for a long time. The same problems that uncrushable has or had are my problems also, regardless of whether the TS-L632H [I]model [I]is[/I] a Lightscribe drive or not.[/I]

This is the prominent notice and the links provided by Lightscribe:

[B]LightScribe drive not detected? [/B][B]or [/B][B]Don’t know if your Drive is LightScribe Enabled?[/B]
[B]Install the Latest LightScribe Software[/B]
[B]Install the LightScribe Diagnostic Utility[/B]
[B]SOURCE:[/B] http://www.lightscribe.com/support/index.aspx

They have more information about Lightscribe drives not being detected as being Lightscribe, while still functioning normally in all other ways:

[/FONT][/COLOR]
[B]Symptoms may include missing LightScribe functionality in labelling applications or error messages stating that no LightScribe drive is installed when attempting to burn LightScribe label.[/B]

[B]NOTES: [/B]

[ul]
[li][B]Check that the drive functions as a data read/write drive before initiating LightScribe troubleshooting. [/B][/li][li][B]Confirm that your drive is LightScribe enabled before initiating troubleshooting. [/B][/li][li][B]There are different possible causes for drive detection problems. [/B][/li][/ul][B]1. No LightScribe System Software (LSS) Installed. [/B]
[B]2. Non supported Operating System. [/B]
[B]3. Corrupted LightScribe System Software installation. [/B]
[B]4. Conflict with other programs. [/B]
[B]5. Incorrect drive installation[/B]

[B]<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:Street>6. Defective Drive</st1:Street> [/B]

[ul]
[li][B]See the related FAQs for recommended solutions:[/B][/li][/ul][FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium][B]SOURCE: [/B]http://www.lightscribe.com/support/kb_view.aspx?faqid=114
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial Narrow]I also found a page on the Lightscribe site which has photos of a Notebook computer Lightscribe disk drive, showing the difference between a Lightscribe disk-drive and a non-Lightscribe drive, and the differences are very clear and unmistakable:

http://www.lightscribe.com/support/kb_view.aspx?faqid=114

I have verified by comparing [I]my[/I] drive to these photos that my drive is definitely a Lightscribe drive. So I have absolute proof, from my point of view, now, that my drive, the TS-L633N [I]is[/I] a Lightscribe drive. (Unfortunately, anyone else would have to take my word for that or do as I did!)

The Lightscribe site also says that the Lightscribe logo appears on desktop computer drives, but may not (and probably will not, due to their being of very slim size) on Notebook computer drives. So this is not an indicator for Notebooks, but [I]this information [/I]- that their logo does not appear on Notebook computer drives - is not put around [I]either[/I], which is misleading for [I]any[/I] user and further adds to the confusion… (Mine does not have[I] any[/I] logos at all.)

If you have a look at the images on the Amazon.com site, where these drives are being sold (see also links previously provided) you can get some exquisitely detailed views, using the zoom (+) button on the site, rather than your computer’s zoom, since the images are in extremely high definition. If you look at the image of the opened drive you can see the Lightscribe laser at the top of the drive drawer, which is [B]physical proof [/B]of it being a Lightscribe drive, and if you move the image with your right-mouse button held down over it, you can drag out the label and confirm that it is being accurately depicted as you can clearly see [B]“TS-L632”[/B] on the label:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003A05HIM/ref=dp_otherviews_z_2?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&img=2

You can also [I]just[/I] see the [B]Lightscribe logo[/B] on this drive, but the logo is clearly visible in the end view:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003A05HIM/ref=dp_otherviews_z_1?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&img=1

You might have problems accessing these images directly – and in any case you will still need to go to the image selection menu and main advertisement:

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Samsung-TS-L632-DVD%C2%B1RW-LightScribe/dp/B003A05HIM/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_b
Okay. You revived a thread that is nearly two years old, only to call me a liar?

Prove hard evidence that my statement

[B]Quote: [/B]

[INDENT]
“The TS-L632H does not support Lightscribe at all.”

is false information.
[/INDENT]
I certainly didn’t answer this thread with that intention – it was to help someone who I felt sorry for.

And after you claimed I was incorrect, I did [I]more[/I] research, which you see here: I really was not certain that the information I had already provided would prove [I]correct [/I]– I was quite prepared to offer you an apology, though I cannot agree with you that mine and uncrushable’s experiences are not the same: Even if it had turned out that the TS-L632H was [I]not[/I] a Lightscribe drive – our experiences are [I]so[/I] similar; and that is why I [I]did[/I] this research.

I am quite prepared for the possibility that some drives of this model [I]are[/I] Lightscribe drives and some are [I]not.[/I] (Who knows?!) But Amazon certainly has one that [I]is.[/I]

It is a parlous state of affairs – it just goes to show how difficult it is to find these specifications, and you can’t say a drive isn’t a Lightscribe drive just because the specifications on a site don’t [I]mention [/I]Lightscribe, unless there is a specifications truth-table provided on the page which specifically says or indicates “yes” or “no”.

[/FONT]

[e-Liza1]

[B]Actually this one is the “N” version manufactured in Februaty 2008, featured along with a slightly cheaper TS-L632 “H” version, manufactured in January 2008. Only the TS-L632 “Ver. N” (as it says at the [I]bottom[/I] of the label) which is a significant proportion of the cost of the drive, an extra $9-00 more, is advertised as being Lightscribe.[/B]

[B]So it appears that Toshiba-Samsung (the TS in TS-L632) produced a new version in February 2008, and that Asus got confused by the changeover from the “H” version to the “N” version and installed the wrong “version” in uncrushable’s Notebook.while advertising it as the newer version of the same model. But for such a significant difference - [I]very [/I]significant both in price and physical structure - it is very strange that they retained the same model number: It is hardly just a different [I]“version”![/I][/B]

[cvs]

Indeed! With TSST drives, the devil is in the detail so to speak

A change in the last letter indicates a new version/revision/model … there are a number of different TS-L632 drives out there: TS-L632B, TS-L632D, TS-L632H, TS-L632N and TS-L632M … finding what the actual differences between the various models are is not always very straightforward unfortunately …

Same goes for other TS-xxxxx or SN-xxxxx models.

[chef]

[QUOTE=e-Liza1;2558159]…
They are all so irresponsible!

And then, because no-one seems to know the truth, even the people who are trying to help you misinform you! (See reply.)

[B]I have a Compaq Presario CQ42-136TU Notebook with an HP CDDVDW TS-L633N DVD Writer [/B](SATA optical drive: LightScribe SuperMulti DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support) … but how did I manage to validate that? Not from my Notebook there is[B] no[/B] [B]Lightscribe logo[/B] on my CD drive! Not from my [I]documentation![/I] Not from HP on-line! Not from anywhere but here …

[/QUOTE]

What the heck is going on, whats your problem?
You have stated that you haven’t the same drive, also your Laptop is from another manufacturer.

In case you never heard of it, slimtype drives in Laptops, Notebooks etc have different OEM firmwares applied depending on the manufacturer (s choice). And many OEM firmwares were crippled simply to save money…so their capabilities are different beside the hardware differences which also exist with some models…

So, you set on a wrong horse here, IMHO.

[mciahel]

[QUOTE=e-Liza1;2558324]

Okay. You revived a thread that is nearly two years old, only to call me a liar?
Prove hard evidence that my statement

[quote]“The TS-L632H does not support Lightscribe at all.”

is false information.[/quote]
I certainly didn’t answer this thread with that intention – it was to help someone who I felt sorry for[/quote]Your “attempt to help” is misleading in this case.

And after you claimed I was incorrect, I did [I]more[/I] research, which you see here: I really was not certain that the information I had already provided would prove [I]correct [/I]– I was quite prepared to offer you an apology, though I cannot agree with you that mine and uncrushable’s experiences are not the same: Even if it had turned out that the TS-L632H was [I]not[/I] a Lightscribe drive – our experiences are [I]so[/I] similar; and that is why I [I]did[/I] this research.
TS-L632H is not a Lightscribe drive. Period

And all other things are so simple to resolve:
You buy a computer with a certain feature set. A Lightscribe capable drive can be a part of that feature set, and the computer is advertised as having this feature.
If this feature does not work for some reason, then it is your right to make your warranty claims towards the vendor. With a brand new computer, it is not your problem if either the preinstalled software is misconfigured, the hardware is faulty or even the wrong hardware is installed. Simply slam the computer onto the vendor’s desk and have him fix it under warranty. Or get a refund.

[QUOTE=cvs;2558484]Indeed! With TSST drives, the devil is in the detail so to speak
A change in the last letter indicates a new version/revision/model …[/QUOTE]That’s why we have a chapter in the FAQ that tries to deal with that topic

[QUOTE=chef;2558620]
In case you never heard of it, slimtype drives in Laptops, Notebooks etc have different OEM firmwares applied depending on the manufacturer (s choice). And many OEM firmwares were crippled simply to save money…so their capabilities are different beside the hardware differences which also exist with some models…[/QUOTE]Basically you are correct, but it makes no sense to cripple a more expensive Lightscribe model.

Michael