The present invention relates to a scanner for optical storage media with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. In the case of an optical scanner according to the invention having a light source for generating a light beam for reading out data stored on an optical storage medium, the light source being modulated by a radio-frequency modulator, and having an analog-to-digital converter, which converts an analog data signal generated by a photodetector into a digital data signal), the radio-frequency modulator and the analog-to-digital converter are synchronized.