BenQ DW1625 LightScribe 16x DVD±RW

When it comes to labeling your CD's and DVD's, there are few affordable options. The most popular way is to use a permanent marker. While quick and easy, the results are often messy and not very professional looking. Using stick on labels look much better, but they too have their downsides. They have a tendency to smudge when wet, curl with age and if not centered, can cause discs to become unbalanced. Using inkjet printable discs does eliminate most of these problems. However, buying a compatible printer can be a costly investment, especially for consumers.

At the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show, HP unveiled their LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling technology. Developed as a better alternative to markers and stick on labels, LightScribe gives you the ability to burn silkscreen-quality graphics and text onto your CD's and DVD's. Best of all, this is done with the same drive used to burn the data. Simply burn your data, flip the disc and then burn the label. Needless to say, LightScribe stole the show and companies like Hitachi-LG, Mitsubishi Chemical, Moser Baer and Toshiba quickly jumped on board, pledging support for this new technology.

While it took longer than many expected, LightScribe products have finally started to ship. One of the first DVD writers to take advantage of this new technology is the DW1625 from BenQ. Announced this January, the DW1625 offers 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD±RW and 2.4x DVD+R DL writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 16x. The drive also includes features like 40x CD reading and writing speeds, 24x rewriting speeds, and support for BenQ's own Write Right technology.

With LightScribe being the hot, new technology, we couldn't wait to get the DW1625 in the 'Labs. For the past few weeks, we polished our label creating skills, giving BenQ's new drive a thorough workout.Does LightScribe live up to the hype? Is the DW1625 the drive for you? Keep reading as we find out.