This drive is just 2 inches thick, making it one of the most compact devices on our list. The LG Ultra Slim Portable Blu-ray/DVD Writer lives up to its name in terms of form factor. This Blu-ray drive can support these archival and high-capacity formats as a data backup solution.īlu-Ray Write Speed: 16x | Blu-Ray Read Speed: Not listed | 4K UHD Support: No | Compatibility: Mac, Windows BDXL (which stands for Blu-ray Disc Extra Large), is a type of Blu-ray disc that can store more than five times the data of a regular Blu-ray, making it an effective storage format for large collections of files.

M-Disc is a proprietary archival disc format that’s designed to preserve data for up to 1,000 years. The BW-16D1X-U includes support for both M-Disc and BDXL disc formats. Our reviewer James noted that this software does not appear to work on Macs. It also includes CyberLink Power2Go 8 software, which streamlines the process of burning your data to discs and includes optional data encryption to protect your files and personal information.

Asus includes access to the online NeroBackup program, which allows you to back up data from your Android device to Blu-ray. But its main selling points are the 16x write speeds and included backup software. The ASUS BW-16D1X-U can both read and write Blu-ray discs (as well as DVD and CD formats).

The aluminum build looks great and feels durable, but it’s best left at home.īlu-Ray Write Speed: 16x | Blu-Ray Read Speed: 12x | 4K UHD Support: No | Compatibility: Mac, WindowsĪsus BW-16D1X-U Powerful Blu-ray Drive Review While videos look great on the connected laptop, that quality doesn’t translate if you connect the laptop to a TV.Īt 8.6 x 6.6 x 2.3 inches and almost 4 pounds, this is a somewhat bulky device that’s too heavy to truly be portable. But James also noted that it’s not a replacement for a dedicated Blu-ray player. If you’re looking to read from or burn a lot of Blu-rays, the Mercury Pro is the best one we’ve tried. He tested the 16x write speeds with equally impressive results: a 13GB image library burned onto a Blu-ray disc in under 20 minutes from start to finish. Our product tester James Huenink noted that its read speeds were more than twice as fast as the majority of the drives he tested, which is a huge jump in performance. The OWC Mercury Pro is our favorite external Blu-ray drive based on sheer speed. OWC Mercury Pro External USB 3.1 Gen 1 Optical Drive Review

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