For the last few weeks I have been playing around with a cool external DVD burner from LaCie, the LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe. The LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe is feature packed and has everything I could think of wanting in a DVD burner.

Need multiple format burning? The LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe can burn DVD+RW, DVD-RW and dual layer disks with a compatible OS. Need to burn or read CDs or CDRWs? The LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe can do that too.

With connectivity via either USB 2.0 or FireWire, the LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe was as fast as my internal DVD drives. The LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe even has an extra FireWire port on the back of the enclosure.

And speaking of the enclosure, the LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe's skin is real aluminum, not fake metalized plastic. The use of real metal in the enclosure helps reduce the sound escaping from the internals of the drive. The LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe is one of the quietest drives of any sort that I have used.

Now, so what exactly is LightScribe? LightScribe is a method of using the DVD burner to burn a label directly onto the surface of LightScribe media. The process is slow at best resolution, the test label I burned onto the disk surface took 23 minutes to complete. There are two lower resolution setting to speed the process up.

Though, if you are expecting much detail from images you use for a label, take the time and go for the best resolution. Best resolution is still pretty soft and has somewhat poor quality. The test lables I burned did not come close to the resolution you see in the image of the LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe included with this review.

If you need high quality labels for professional use, I don't think the LightScribe technology is there yet. I suggest using a printer capable of printing directly to compatible CDs and DVDs, such as the Epson RX700.

Normally, I am not a big fan of external drives of any sort, I prefer internal drives. However, external drives are great for those with systems that lack the available bays or for users who lack the desire to open the computer case up.

The LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe is an excellent external drive with robust software and great features. The same drive is also available from LaCie in an internal version. The MSRP for the external version of the LaCie d2 DVD Burner with LightScribe is $139 USD.