Technically the drive will still function on Linux as a DVD-RW drive for playback and recording of DVDs and reading of Bluray discs. Actually it's also possible with Nero for Linux to also burn Blu-Ray media. The only thing missing from Linux at the moment is on the fly Blu-ray playback (although it is possible to rip a BD movie and play it back).
I picked up an LG GGCH20L Blu-ray combo drive from PC World for about £80, which reads everything (including HD-DVD) and writes to everything except Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
Seems like a better deal than this drive, unless this drive also writes to Blu-ray, though the Blu-ray writer version of the LG drive (GGWH20L) is only about £125.
£110 for a BD reader? For an extra 20 quid, why not just splurge on an LG BH08LS20 and let you write as well? OK, it won't give you Lightscribe, but is that really a killer feature?
Fair enough that it's SATA only though. In my experience, any rig that didn't have SATA connectors probably wouldn't be up to the job of displaying 1080p anyway.
If the bundle is the same as everywhere else, the powerdvd is stereo-only, which is pretty much useless for HTPC.
BD writing sounds cool but as long as the media costs like 5€/pop, it's just not worth it. And the time the prices come to around 1€/disc, these writers are real dinosaurs.
WD My Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive - Black (USB 2.0)
WD Caviar Black 1TB Hard Drive (Serial ATA-300, 7,200 RPM, 32MB)
WD My Book Essential Edition External 1TB Hard Drive (USB 2.0, 16MB)
Intel X25-M Gen2 160GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (SATA)
WD My Passport Essential Portable 320GB Hard Drive - Black (USB 2.0)
PLDS iHES208 Blu-ray drive
Rob Beard
Windows only? #
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 09:02 GMT
I presume you mean the software is Windows only?
Technically the drive will still function on Linux as a DVD-RW drive for playback and recording of DVDs and reading of Bluray discs. Actually it's also possible with Nero for Linux to also burn Blu-Ray media. The only thing missing from Linux at the moment is on the fly Blu-ray playback (although it is possible to rip a BD movie and play it back).
Rob
Thomas Bottrill
LG #
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 09:02 GMT
I picked up an LG GGCH20L Blu-ray combo drive from PC World for about £80, which reads everything (including HD-DVD) and writes to everything except Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
Seems like a better deal than this drive, unless this drive also writes to Blu-ray, though the Blu-ray writer version of the LG drive (GGWH20L) is only about £125.
Annihilator
Overpriced nonsense #
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 09:02 GMT
£110 for a BD reader? For an extra 20 quid, why not just splurge on an LG BH08LS20 and let you write as well? OK, it won't give you Lightscribe, but is that really a killer feature?
Fair enough that it's SATA only though. In my experience, any rig that didn't have SATA connectors probably wouldn't be up to the job of displaying 1080p anyway.
Anonymous Coward
not such good value #
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 09:21 GMT
equivelent LG is only £80 and LG with Blue ray writing is only £148, so this isn't such great value
Olli Mannisto
Stereo powerdvd? #
Posted Thursday 15th October 2009 12:10 GMT
If the bundle is the same as everywhere else, the powerdvd is stereo-only, which is pretty much useless for HTPC.
BD writing sounds cool but as long as the media costs like 5€/pop, it's just not worth it. And the time the prices come to around 1€/disc, these writers are real dinosaurs.