Yamaha CD-RW Drive Writes Images In Substrate

johnny5 writes: "Yamaha has recently demonstrated a new CD-RW drive that can write images into the unused space on a CD-R disc after the data track is written. The technology, called DiscT@2(TM), is due out in Japan in July. The images print on to the CD at approximately 250dpi, making graphics as well as text possible. More info can be found at Yamaha's CD-RW site (in English) as well as at Akiba PC Hotline (in Japanese, with better pictures. Babelfish for suitably akward translation). No word on a timeframe for U.S. availability"

Comments

This can be done now...

[qurob]

Don't you know the value of PI, some specs on CD diameters, track separation distances....copy a bitmap over...

Re:This can be done now...

[iangoldby]

The visibility of the burned track depends on the kind of substrate used on the particular CD blank. Green ones show up best. Pale yellow ones are often almost invisible.

Does this mean that the Yamaha drive will only be effective on green CDs, or does the laser use a different strength to burn the piccies?

Hack

[Lord Ender]

For anyone wondering what the word 'hack' actually means, THIS IS IT.

Neat but

[Sc00ter]

"The CRW-F1 is the first CD-RW recorder to offer the revolutionary DiscT@2TM Laser Labeling System, which allows graphics and text to be burnt onto CD-R disc, eliminating the need for labels. Customers can put graphics, such as signatures, logos, memorandums, and photo images onto CD-R's unused area after data writing. This unique feature will certainly enhance the CD-R recording experience for many users"

So it will only "draw" on unused parts of the disk, basically taking up space... crap.

*Sigh*... gotta flip it to see the images

[Goldenhawk]

Unless I'm misreading this, the image only appears on the data side of the disc. And the last time I looked, even on a bare no-label CD, I couldn't see where the data ended from the label side.

I don't know about you, but I'd never label the data
side of my CD-R.

Whenever they figure out how to show it on the LABEL side, call me.

I love it... useful and innovative

[dpbsmith]

Genuinely useful, genuinely innovative, not just some more "we're 8% faster using our own benchmarks on a good day with the wind behind us, and really almost pretty much compatible" nonsense.

Partial solution to a perfectly real problem.

The computer industry has gotten ossified... there are so many problems that have now been around for so long that nobody sees them as problems any more.

Of course, I know all of YOU are religious about labelling your media and are neat and tidy, so I'm sure none of YOU have ever been guilty of saying "You can recognize that diskette, it's the one with no label on it..."

Re:what's the point of this?

[jridley]

The "point" is that CD-R drives have become a commodity, and they're trying to stand out. Two years ago, I bought CD-R drives largely on brand, for the most part sticking with Yamaha and Plextor. It used to make a difference; I had cheap drives die on me after only a few hundred burns, whereas Plextor and Yamaha drives typically make it into the 10,000's.

However, for the last year or so, (at least, in my experience) a drive is a drive; they all work just fine and there's not much reason to get more than a $70 CompUSA-branded Sanyo or something. Yamaha and other higher-end manufacturers have had to cut prices drastically to remain competitive.

There are better and faster media being developed, but they're in the lab. When it comes time to develop a standard in the industry to utilize those media, I'm sure Yamaha will be at the table. In the mean time, they have to make money selling the product that's coming out the door now.

Having a drive that does something cool like this sets it apart and might make people spend an extra $20 for a Yamaha drive.

Re:Why Hardware?

[sh00z]

I've had a little bit of experience with lasers, and I'm pretty sure that the modulation required to accomplish this is going to be orders of magnitude higher than what is needed to burn data, and the time required for the on/off function just ain't gonna happen at 12X (or possibly even 1X). I'm betting that there's a physical shutter mechanism involved.

Re:Disc Tattoo

[Speare]

the revolutionary DiscT@2TM Laser Labeling System,

...pronounced as Disc Tattoo Laser Labeling System.

[Google doesn't show a German word for tattoo.] A tattoo is a permanent marking by stippling ink designs into living skin. Or in this case, a permanent marking by stippling burn designs into compact disc designs.

Stupid ASCII Rebus puzzles. Leet Speek trademarks.

Re:Cute

[Jucius Maximus]

"For smaller companies, now that is a different matter and something likw that would be rather neat and useful."

Do not underestimate the 'gimmick marketing potential' of this idea. Let me explain:

I'm not talking about marketing this actual Yamaha drive. I am talking about using graphic-ized CDs as marketing tools in themselves to sell other products.

If a company wants to sell something and have their marketing materials stand out, the marketing materials must have some sort of neat quirk. This can be in the form of a keychain with a built in puzzle, those business card shaped CDs, or whatever. They're neat things. The first time I got a business card shaped CD (marketing from MSFT no less) I did not believe when someone told me it was a real disc so I put it in my machine, and played the marketing video on the CD. Lo and behold it worked. And I ended up watching their marketing video.

I think that CDs with graphics burned on the back of them would have similar appeal.