Other than epson R200?

[The Stinger]

When is other printer companies going to start making printers that print directly to discs? I have an Epson R300, but the price on ink refills is just outrageous!

I am very pleased with my R300, but I don't want to use generic inks cause I have heard that the heads in Epson printers clog very easy. And it's been over a year since Epson came out with this feature. I am surprised that other companies haven't jumped on the bandwagon and made these type of printers.

[johns0]

Check out canon,havent checked lately but their newer model if its out will do cd/dvd printing.

[Poppa_Meth]

cannon is definitely the one to do with if they just release them stateside. Have no idea what's taking so long. I've been rather disappointed with my R300. It was good for about the first 6 monthes then started developing a multitude of problems, mostly print head related.

[Toaster]

As I understand, the Canon pixima do print onto cd/dvd printables, BUT not on the versions available here in the USA... Epson has a copywritten patent on the technology or some crap- and Canon's USA models of these printers have a little piece of plastic over the slot- and do not come with the software or the tray

I bet you search Ebay and get one of the Canadian versions or NON-USA versions and get all the cd/dvd printing goodies

[RickTheRed]

@Toaster,
Canon I865 and I965 are not available in North America, including Canada. Europe and Australia for sure have them.

@Johns0
The pixma series follow the same path. In NA, they are photo printers. Anywhere else, they also print DVD/CD.

The stinger
The ink carts from Canon may be cheaper, but not by much. It will not make any difference.
You can search this forum. Some generic carts have good ratings. Many users are saying they are using them without clogging problems. You can give them a try

[mike1061]

If I buy a cannon printer from Canada (from like Ebay) will it work on USA's 120 volt electricity? Also does the ink run when wet like Epson's?
Thanks Mike

[RickTheRed]

If I buy a cannon printer from Canada (from like Ebay) will it work on USA's 120 volt electricity?

Mike, Canada electricity is 337 volt. you need a special converter.
Just kidding. Same as you. 120v

Also does the ink run when wet like Epson's?

I do not understand your question. Same frigging printer, same ink, same everything. The printer manual may be bilingual but this will be the only difference.

[canadateck]

If I buy a cannon printer from Canada (from like Ebay) will it work on USA's 120 volt electricity?

Mike, Canada electricity is 337 volt. you need a special converter.
Just kidding. Same as you. 120v

Also does the ink run when wet like Epson's?

I do not understand your question. Same frigging printer, same ink, same everything. The printer manual may be bilingual but this will be the only difference.

[Toaster]

[quote="RickTheRed"]

If I buy a cannon printer from Canada (from like Ebay) will it work on USA's 120 volt electricity?

Mike, Canada electricity is 337 volt. you need a special converter.
Just kidding. Same as you. 120v
:P LOL!

The better question is: If you buy a Canon here in the states, and remove the plastic panel to expose the cd/dvd printing slot, and somehow get the tray, download the software from canon, can a NA printer print onto cd/dvd ? Though I dont know how to get the tray, since legally Canon can't sell you one

[RickTheRed]

Let's assume you live in NA.
Let's assume you have a friend anywhere else in europe or middle east or anywhere someone can buy a canon replacement tray for a few bucks.
Now you buy the (name the printer you want: I965, pixma 5000, etc)
Are you sure you only need to remove a slot?
Are you sure it's the identical model with a slot cover?
Humm. That would be bluffing like hell.
Unless, you already have this printer.

[jaxxboss]

Im sure someone will take this task. It's just a matter of time. If I could make a DEAL on this like I just did for the R300 ($7.00 after rebates plus a cheapo digi camera), then I would jump on it.

As a matter of fact......... I'm going to look into it and see , if I can buy the Canon I865 for around $20.00 or so after rebates and coupons and a little price matching magic, I'll be the guini pig.

Whats the North Am version model # called? its not i865. is it i860 ?

[Toaster]

The only ones I've ever seen that have the disc slot are the Pixima's... The 4000 and 5000 100% for sure, since those were the ones I was looking at.

I personally don't have a Canon... Just an HP 7660 and Epson R200.
I'd be curious to know if the NA versions of the Pixima's WITH DISC SLOT can print on disc when the slot is exposed- I bet it does ?

[jimmalenko]

Sorry to rain on the parade here, but I've got a canon i865 and it's faaaaaaaantastic IMO

I buy my ink in bulk from a cartridge refiller and refill them myself.

There's no wait for drying or need to spray.

I'm one happy camper

[arklab]

I'm in the USA, and ordering a Pixima iP3000 from the UK, so I will be getting CD/DVD direct printing!

I will, however, be paying through the nose for the priviledge!
I've only found two places that ship from UK to USA so far, and the BEST price I've found is £40 ($75) to Calif. (and thats just the shipping charge)!
For the $100 printer I will pay $126 - and Pres. Bush LIKES the dollar weak!

So in all I'll be paying about the same as getting a US iP3000 PLUS an Epson R200.
I will, however, only be paying for one set of (cheeper) ink carts. and somehow be thumbing my nose at Canon USA.

Oh, and just so everyone is together on this business, all Canon regions include the CD Tray EXCEPT ALL THE AMERICAS.
That includes Canada, Mexico, and South America.
Don't waste your money there if you want CD Printing.

[lchiu7]

I just bought a Canon i865 after having so many problems with sticky labels. Although it's yet another printer around the house I am really impressed with the label printing. I have only done a few to Ritek printable DVD+R but the results are really great. With the current low price of printable DVD's and the small amount of ink printing on DVD's uses, I think I will be using them all the time now

Larry

[jaxxboss]

Toaster, where did u see them at? cUSA, staples?
jimmalenko , where u at?
arklab , where did u order from? what about the 220 volt/50 htz situation?
lchiu7 , where u at?

I really dont need another printer as I have 2 r200s and an R300 and a lexmark, and one more on the way that came free with a pc setup i just bought. But , Im always looking for better. Better is good. Better is much better than good, although not as good as best is.

[mikesbytes]

On ebay.com (the US one), there were some good prices on genuine epson cartridges. However, with the cheaper prices of other brands ink, you might as well accept a shorter life and then when it dies, but that even better printer.

[jaxxboss]

The ink is cheaper if you buy the whole printer than it is to just buy the ink. Staples has the R200 right now for $60.00 after rebates, cheaper if u have some coupons. I just bought the r300 for $20.00 after rebates abd price match. Yesterday costco had the r300 for $#114.oo out the door.
So, ink is cheaper if u buy the whole printer. LOL, disposable printers !! gotta luv em

[lchiu7]

lchiu7 , where u at?

I really dont need another printer as I have 2 r200s and an R300 and a lexmark, and one more on the way that came free with a pc setup i just bought. But , Im always looking for better. Better is good. Better is much better than good, although not as good as best is.

New Zealand

The i865 is pretty cool. You just put a CD feeder unit into the main paper output area, and then place your CD/DVD on a flat holder and feed it in to print. The software while not great, works well enough. I was able to print a label using an image pasted from one of the DVD image sites pretty quickly.

The other choices around here are the Epson R210 and R310 but they are more expensive than the Canon and I don't like the way Epson implements its consumables

Larry

[RickTheRed]

If you also print photos and want to use genuine papers, you will find out that Canon paper is twice the cost than Epson paper.

[lchiu7]

If you also print photos and want to use genuine papers, you will find out that Canon paper is twice the cost than Epson paper.

I have a HP printer for doing photos which is fine for me. I use Kodak paper with it and the output looks great, Having only gotten the Canon in the past couple of days haven't tried its photo output might do so since it came with some sample 6x4 paper

[arklab]

Oh Boy,
I’m at work right now, and don’t have the name of the second vendor handy. I do remember that their prices were higher for both shipping (at £50) as well as the printer. They also want “foreign” buyers to use a “direct bank transfer”. Which would be OK with me if the prices were the same as they have the printer IN STOCK.
And come to think of it, I found a third supplier, but they wanted about £100 just for shipping! (Even I’m not THAT nuts!)

Anyway, the shop I’m waiting for is T4 Cameras. (I’ll try to provide links later today when I get home.)

If anyone else is thinking of ordering from a UK store, please give consideration as to just which Canon Pixma you might want, as you will NOT want to change your mind AFTER you pay all that extra money.

A Brief rundown on Pixma’s (as I understand them).
1) Pixma’s under the iP3000 DO NOT HAVE THE CD PRINTING, no matter WHERE you buy them.

2) The iP3000 has only four (individual) ink tanks with a very large pigment black, and is supposed to be just a little slower than the iP4000 and iP5000. It has 2pl nozzles.

3) The iP4000 is a iP3000, but adds a small dye-based black ink cartridge for five total. Better for pictures. (There is also an “R” model that has wireless built-in.)

4) The iP5000 – identical to the iP4000, but has 1pl heads for even finer printing. It is interesting that some reviews show WORSE photo quality than the iP4000, and it is the only Canon Pixma with the 1pl heads. Ink clogs MAY be a problem, with nozzles this fine. Or not.

5) The iP6000 is kinda weird, as it has six ink tanks (all small), a slot for memory cards, an IrDA port to print photos directly from a cell phone, and is SLOW AS A FREEZING SLUG. Back to 2pl heads.

6) The iP8500 is the top choice (and price) if you print nothing but photos and CD’s. It has EIGHT small ink tanks including red and green ink and 2pl heads.
It prints text SLOW (but faster than the iP6000), but photos are blazing fast … far faster than any of the others.

All of the above (from iP3000 to iP8500 – and “NON Americas” models) come with a CD/DVD Tray and the CD print software.
As you can see from the above, however, just WHICH is BEST depends a lot on you and what you want to print.
As I really don’t want to have to mess with extra ink tanks, I’ve chosen the iP3000, but the iP4000 sounds tasty too. [/i]

[Bodyslide]

http://www.t4cameras.co.uk/index.asp

[Michelle]

Sorry to rain on the parade here, but I've got a canon i865 and it's faaaaaaaantastic IMO

I buy my ink in bulk from a cartridge refiller and refill them myself.

There's no wait for drying or need to spray.

I'm one happy camper

Why is there no need for drying or spray?

[arklab]

Opps

Almost forgot

what about the 220 volt/50 htz situation?

OK, I have two ways to handle the voltage situation
(Well, three if you count just forcing the plug in and listening to the sizzle sound.)

First (and maybe the best) is get a voltage converter. These are small metal boxen with plugs to accommodate both systems. The better ones will go ether way (no, I DON”T mean THAT!) and for about $30 for 100W are UL listed.
This has the advantage of leaving the UK printer completely as made by Canon UK, so should be no problem operation wise.

I will be trying approach number two, first however.
This is to call Canon USA parts (Not service) and get the correct power supply for the US version of the printer you get from the UK.
This swap turns out to be SUPER EASY to do. You don’t even have to open the printer case!
You just:
Turn the printer upside-down.
Remove two torx-head screws.
Press the metal “clip” away from the power supply and pull it SLIGHTLY away from the printer.
Remove the small four-wire plug from the UK power supply (Its keyed for proper alignment and looks a lot like the plug for connecting a CD drive to a soundcard or mobo.
Install the new US power supply in the reverse order.
The price for the power supply? $12 plus shipping of $5! (Shows just how badly Canon wants us to keep our printers working so we can buy LOTS of over-priced ink tanks. Think about it. Which should cost more … ink tank or power supply???)

There IS a caveat to method two, though.
I got my hands on an iP5000 to see if a US printer would ask for a tray when set up from a UK driver.
It didn’t.
At first I could see the options for CD in media choices and such, but nothing would actually WORK, and soon the tray options magically disappeared!
So I must ASSUME that there is a chip (or something) somewhere IN THE PRINTER that lets the driver know that the printer is US and don’t do CD tray printing.
And that “something” could be housed in the power supply.

I really won’t know until I try it, and that sure isn’t gonna be till it gets shipped.
It may be that the “plastic flap” that covers the tray entrance is the culprit.
Maybe this can be “hacked” some how, but I just don’t know.

[arklab]

Hey, thanks Bodyslide!

Yep, that's the place with the best price (that I've found, anyway), but no stock right now!


PS If anybody knows of anyplace else that ships to the USA, please let me know! This would include Australia and New Zeeland, too.

[Toaster]

So you're saying the USA version will NOT print to cd's even with the UK (non-usa) drivers........hmmm........interesting

[lchiu7]

Hey, thanks Bodyslide!

Yep, that's the place with the best price (that I've found, anyway), but no stock right now!


PS If anybody knows of anyplace else that ships to the USA, please let me know! This would include Australia and New Zeeland, too.

Here is a place in New Zealand that does international orders and here is the Canon ip3000

http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/41ba17ef04ef69fc2741c0a87f990753/Offer/AddProduct/XP0149

Note the following

At the moment $1NZD = $0.70c(US)

The price quoted here includes 12.5% local tax. If the item is shipped internationally this tax would not apply so there is a 12.5% discount on this price. This might cover part of the postage. It works out to be about US$172 before shipping. Not sure how that compares with the UK prices.

Larry

[disturbed1]

There's a web shop that sells modified i850s and i960s for DVD printing. No voltage problems, they are US canon models that have been modified.

Not cheap by any means http://www.gsmediasystems.com/printers.html

[arklab]

WAY COOL, lchiu7
Thank You!
I'll check out stock, shiping rate, etc tonight.

Toaster:
Yep, I even tried the drivers from Singapore!
After you close and re-open the printer properties, the DVD Disk and Tray options disappear!
Like I said, I don't know if this is reading a chip ID inthe printer somewhere or just reacting to a "fault" when the plastic tray door (the little one without a finger semi-circle) stays in place.
The printhead carrage DOES get raised to make room for a CD Tray when you drop the small "ramp" above the out-put tray, though.
From the manual, the Canon CD Tray sure looks a LOT like the one Epson uses on their R200 and R300, though.

Anybody from Australia?