Support for Hewlett-Packard's direct disc labeling technology, LightScribe, appears to be on the decline.
Digitimes.com reports that the percentage of LightScribe-enabled DVD burners to all DVD burners has dropped from 80-90% in the first quarter of 2007 to 50-60% in the second, citing sources from both Taiwan's optical disc and optical disc drive (ODD) making industries.
LightScribe has been initialy supported by ODD brands and OEM makers. However, higher prices for LightScribe-enabled DVD burners compared to equivalent models without LightScribe, the market acceptance of the technology has fallen short of expectations.
A licensee of LightScribe has to pay initial lump-sum royalty fee of US$250,000-300,000.