Read speeds vary from 8X for Blu-ray, 16X for DVD, and 48X for CD-considerably faster than the speeds offered by portable drives, like the Samsung SE-506AB External Slim Blu-ray Re-Writer ($129.99 street, 4 stars). The drive has read support for most Blu-ray disc formats, including BD-R, BD-R DL, DB-RE, and BD-RE dual-layer, as well as DVD and CD formats. In terms of actual use, the PX-LB950UE performed wonderfully.
Beyond the movie magic, it also lets you burn data to disc, create system backup discs, and create custom labels on blank LightScribe discs.īe ready to set aside a fair amount of time to install all this software: Installing from both discs took nearly an hour, but you can use the drive itself to install the software-something you often can't do with portable drives, like the Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW ($129.99 street, 2 stars). On the second disc you'll find the CyberLink BD Suite, which offers tools for Blu-ray and DVD playback, disc authoring, video capture and editing. Some of the more accessible include adjustments of drive speed to reduce noise levels, and secure erasure of data on rewritable media.
One contains PlexUtilities, Plextor's proprietary software suite, which includes drive information and diagnostic tools, and advanced tools that will likely go over the average user's head, like optical disc surface scanning, parity error scanning, professional laser tracking, and focusing diagnostics. The PX-LB950UE comes bundled with two software discs. You may have trouble, however, because, unlike the USB 3.0 port, the eSATA port on the back of the drive doesn't stay connected we found that it disconnects or unplugs entirely if any sideways pressure is exerted on it, a problem that is exacerbated by a very stiff cable.
The eSATA cable is a necessity for anyone using a PC without USB 3.0, such as a budget desktop or a laptop more than about two years old, but who still wants to take advantage of the drive's speed. The USB connection is backward-compatible with USB 2.0 ports, but at the cost of sometimes jittery playback and slower disc burning. The USB 3.0 cable has the blue-colored USB A connection to plug into your laptop, but the back end uses the rarer Standard-B connector-most USB 3.0 accessories use the smaller Micro-B connection to reduce bulk. The drive also comes with an AC power adapter, a USB 3.0 (USB A to USB B) cable, and an eSATA cable.īecause the drive connects with either USB 3.0 or eSATA, it offers higher data transfer speeds than standard USB 2.0 and thus smoother playback and shorter burn times. On the back of the drive, you'll find an On/Off switch, a power connector, and ports for both USB 3.0 and eSATA. On the front of the drive is the disk tray, a blue LED power indicator light, an eject button, and a pinhole for manually ejecting the tray. Keeping the drive planted to your desk are four rubber feet. The glossy black plastic housing has no vents for airflow, but the drive is open enough to stay cool it never climbed higher than 87 degrees Fahrenheit during our disc playback and burning tests. The PX-LB950UE is a tray-loading drive, with a front-ejecting tray. For a Blu-ray reader and burner that's a little easier to carry around, consider the Pioneer BDR-XD04 ($149.99 direct, 4 stars). The PX-LB950UE is definitely a desktop drive, with its 2.03-by-6.42-by-8.85-inch (HWD) size and 2.65-pound weight making it far too large for day-to-day portability.
Instead of sacrificing capability for a smaller package, it gives you a full-blown and full-featured optical drive, regardless of what type of system you attach it to. The Plextor External Blu-ray PX-LB950UE ($229.99 list), on the other hand, can. But for the most part those drives can't compete with the larger models found on desktop PCs. We've spent a lot of time lately with compact portable optical drives that give you the ability to take your Blu-ray and DVD capability on the road-even if you're using an ultrabook. Best Hosted Endpoint Protection and Security Software.