There used to be a disc print licencing problem for Canon in some countries. I don't know if it still applies. My Canon iP5000 was only available in the US without the disc print feature.

My Canon iP4300, iP4500 (and 5200 I used) have been in a different league of reliability and ease of use compared to my two Epson R210. Genuine ink is still annoyingly expensive though. As I remember you could get the DVD printable Canons from Canada. Got mine here in Thailand. Definitely worth paying the shipping and duties if you're in the USA.

I have used the Epson Artisan 835 for about a year. I print about 10-20 DVDs per month and have had no problem. The Epson 835 WiFi feature works great for me with my laptop running Vegas Pro 9.

Personally, I'm steering clear of any Epson printer from here on out. My R800 has been a very expensive disappointment. I got it specifically because it could print directly onto printable DVD discs. It fouls up more than it works.

If you were happy with the R200 you will be happy with the Epson Artisan 50 which is essentially an updated R200. I have the Artisan 50 with a continuous ink system installed and it works very well.

Some of the higher end versions of the Epson disk printers seem a little awkward to use as the disk slot is under an overhang which makes it hard to load.

Thanks for the suggestions. Based on responses here I looked around at Canon printers. I found this new model
Canon IP4920 for $93.56. I think I'll give it a try.

/jerry

Very happy with my Artisan 50. It works very well and prints DVDs and CDs beautifully.

The R200 has always been a bit cantankerous for me. I would often have to fiddle with it to get the DVD to feed. Eventually it just got to the point where it wouldn't feed at all. I read where others had the same problem with the Rd200 so I think I will try a Canon this time.

That being said, I bought an Epson Workforce 635 all-in-one printer a couple months ago for my general purpose printer/scanner/fax and it works beautifully.

/jerry

If you were happy with the R200 you will be happy with the Epson Artisan 50 which is essentially an updated R200. I have the Artisan 50 with a continuous ink system installed and it works very well

There used to be a disc print licencing problem for Canon in some countries. I don't know if it still applies.
I have the Canon Pro9000 Mark II. Mine came from the bunch manufactured for the U.S. market, and is indeed DVD/CD-disabled. However, all the necessary mechanical parts are in the machine, and there's a hack to enable DVD/CD printing. What the hack does is fool the printer's brain into thinking it's in Europe or Japan. Works fine.

I have an Epson Artison 720. I got it because my wife wanted a scanner too so it's next to her desk. It's hooked up via wi-fi, VERY NICE.

They don't have the tray any more. IMHO I liked the tray better, the new built in tray doesn't come out as far as I'd like.

I have the similar Epson R300. Problems galore with the feed tray. Had to get an updated feed tray from the Epson supplier. Every so many discs the tray would go out the back and get jammed. That deteriorated the rollers when trying to remove it with difficulty. Small ink cartridges, but aftermarket inks readily available. Had an Epson 720 and a 900. Both junk. Feed problems, clogged print heads, etc.

Have a Canon iP4300 and an MX850. Those I modified to print in the USA. Both took the same CD tray that I bought from a company that is now out of business. The MX850 issues scanner errors on a regular basis so I can't use it as a copier. Prints well from the computer. The iP4300 works well for disc printing. Had to replace the purge unit last year because it would not print pigmented black. Works again now. Both of those models take the CLI-8 cartridges which hold a fair amount of ink. I use G&G inks that work as well as the Canon inks. The newer Canon printers like the iP4920 that you mentioned now take the 221 cartridges that are smaller (intentional I am sure). But they print CDs and DVDs in the USA without having to trick the printer into thinking it was born in another country. Imagine that. I hate Epson so I would choose the Canon iP4920.

John.

I have had the Epson Artisan 800 for about a year. I also had and hated the R200, it was horrid. The 800 works just fine. The DVD print is very, very nice. The wireless network attachment was super easy. Alternate inks seem to work just fine.

Epson R200s (I have a 220) disk feed problems can be greatly improved by roughing up the bottom of the disk tray with sandpaper.

There is also a updated design of the disk tray available (or there was anyway) that improved the problem though mine is to the point where it needs to be sandpapered too.

This same trick works on paper pick rollers on printers if you're having trouble with the paper feed.

rocky

Rocky, I was hopeful I could save $100 when I read your post, but I can't get that to resolve my problem. As soon as I tell it to print it ejects the disk tray and then flashes the ink and media red lights. This is the same problem I have had for quite some time with this printer. In the early days I could keep retrying and it would work, but no amount of fiddling seems to bring it around now. I'm tired of messing with it so I am off to order the Canon. I found it a bit cheaper at B&H - $89 with free shipping.

I appreciate you offering up the sandpaper tip - it was definitely worth a try for me. Maybe it will work for someone else who stumbles across this thread in the future.

/jerry

>Epson R200s (I have a 220) disk feed problems can be greatly improved by roughing up the bottom of the disk tray with sandpaper.

I don't have any problems with the Epson 960 and the R1800. The 960 is a manual feed so it never messes up.
JJK

Jerry. It seems it's more than just a friction problem. I used to design inkjet printers at a large well known company known by its initials. Making precision mechanisms out of cheap plastic only works for a while - they just wear out or the chemicals in the ink attack other parts and mess them up.

good luck
rocky

I replaced my R200 with an Artisan 50 and I'm very happy that they have fixed all the issues that plagued the former.

My Canon has been very reliable, no issues whatsoever. I acknowledge the expensive ink but have always used genuine ink despite the price as an insurance against possible problems.

The only problem I find is that discs usually print too light, so I have to set CD-LabelPrint to darker and to increased contrast. Some disc brands need more correction than others.

as peter above - but i use generic ink, after all, it's not for photo prints. results very good.

Artisan 50 tray works without any problems!

Epson R-280?
If they still make it.
Works as a utility printer and to do a few DVD tops now and then.
BTW, if the problem is that it isn't pulling in the tray, I heard a tip from a chap down under.
He said all you need do is rough up the edge that enters the machine with a fine sandpaper.
The info came to late for me but may be of value to you or someone else to save a few sheckles.

There are numerous older Canon models that are designed to print disks beautifully. I personally use a couple of Canon IP3000 printers (4 ink cartridges) and the printers just run forever. I've printed thousands of disks, never any issues.

Since I'm in the USA, the printers came with the disk slot blocked with a plastic strip. You can go on eBay and in 5 minutes and maybe $20 get the tray and firmware instructions needed to make the printer work with disks.

Oh, and these Canon printers (and many similar Canon models) can do auto-duplexing. Fun to watch--where does the paper go to get flipped over?

We had maybe 4 Epson printers over the years. After a year or two of use, throw them out--plugged nozzles. But the Canon nozzles don't plug, and if they should, you can buy a nozzle assembly and fix it yourself.