Almost a decade ago, Blu-Ray competed to be the top format for high data capacity and high definition videos, and it won. Ever since it came into being, it is the best media streaming option to date. From smoother and crispier imaging to having more room for movie extras and overall better theatrical experience, blu-ray is still better than many streaming servers we have today. Although it has repeatedly been said that services like Netflix will knock discs out of existence. And they will be hard to find, some people have a rationale to still buy physical media.
Best External Blu Ray Drives
Best for Budget – External Blu Ray Drive, USB 2.0 CD DVD Portable Burner
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Designed for customers who want a budget option for burning their CDs and DVDs, the portable drive by Oulin is an incredible choice. The manufacturers claim that this high storage drive is at least 5 to 10 times faster than an ordinary DVD drive. People often feel confused about why they need an external DVD or blu ray burner because they are a common part of any laptop or computer. That is however not true because multiple notebook computers and slim models do not have a drive. Similarly, many tech-savvy users remove their drive to make space for a bigger hard drive or SSD. For those users, an external blu ray drive is the best because it can serve multiple devices. Simply connect the drive to your computer via USB port and start transferring your data.
Another incredible feature of this external blu ray device is its ultra-slim body. The volume this drive takes is extremely low so you can keep it on your desk easily and it won’t look bad. Just like almost all of the available external blu ray drives, this one also comes with a simple plug and play feature which allows you to start using it directly without going through the time-consuming process of installing software.
Most Popular – External Blu Ray DVD Drive 3D, USB 3.0 Type C Portable Bluray DVD CD Optical Burner
If you are one of those people who do not like to be interrupted by fluttering quality and buffering while enjoying a movie, then this product is a ‘must-have’ for you. The drive can support all types of disks, CDs, and DVDs and has a plug and play function so you can easily use it on multiple devices without wasting your time on software.
This external drive comes with a modern USB 3.0 connection which allows users to enjoy faster data transmission. You don’t have to be worried about the compatibility issues with this external drive. It can work with any device or operating systems like MAC OS and Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10.
Another incredible feature of this external drive is its ‘super’ low profile. The slim device is very easy to carry around and comes with safeguards to ensure long life even if it gets dropped from a reasonable height.
Editor’s Choice – Pioneer BDR-XD05B Blu-Ray Player & Burner
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The Pioneer BDR -XD05B is an exceptionally small and lightweight physically but its functionality is unmatched. The drive comes with the capability of USB 3.0 and supports all disk formats exceptionally. One more unique feature of this drive is that it comes with the capability of extracting power directly from the USB port which means that it doesn’t need any external adapter or power source to work. This is an extremely convenient feature for users who move around a lot with their notebooks and don’t like to carry a plethora of different wires with them.
For the movie lovers, the Pioneer BDR – XD05B is ideal. It comes with the proprietary PowerRead technology that allows the drive to play movies or music even when the disk surface has been damaged with fingerprints and scratches. Additionally, the reader boasts an auto quiet system and other advanced features that will allow you to immerse yourself in the movie/music without any glitches.
The powerful external drive for blu ray is an ‘all in one’ player and a burner that allows users to both read and write their disks. The high storage device has one of the best writing speeds in this list and allows users to burn their disks with the utmost convenience.
External Bluray DVD Drive, MthsTec USB 3.0 and Type-C Blu-Ray DVD Burner
This futuristic and incredible device is arguably one of the best choices for anyone. The MthsTec USB 3.0 Burner boasts incredible speeds that are unmatched by many common devices available in the market. With 6x more speed for blu ray to 24x more speed for CDs, you’ll never go wrong with this incredible product. To connect the driver with a computer, you are given the option between a USB 3.0 and a Type C connector. Both of these connectors are known for their incredible data transfer speeds and error correction abilities.
The external blu ray drive-by MthsTec is compatible with almost all the common types of personal computers. The drive is compatible with all windows, chrome books, and Mac OS to give you complete freedom of using on whichever device you like. The external drive is extremely easy to use as it comes without any power supply and the ability to be powered by the USB cable. On top of it all, the drive costs below $100 which is quite impressive when we consider its features.
5 in 1 External Bluray DVD Drive, USB3.0/Type-C Blu Ray Drive Player Slim Optical CD DVD Drive Burner
The 5 in 1 External Blu Ray Drive is perhaps the most versatile drive in this list because of its countless awesome features. Apart from being good with all kinds of disks, the drive is also a TF and SD card reader that comes with a USB 3.0 and C type connectors. The only limitation this reader has is the fact that you can’t use all of its features simultaneously. Other than that, the drive is simply awesome. Given its incredible features, the high price tag it comes with is understandable but if you can spare some extra cash, this drive should be your choice.
When it comes to compatibility, the 5 in 1 External Blu Ray Drive-by Wintale checks all the boxes. From a regular desktop to the most advanced notebook computer, this drive will operate flawlessly without ever needing any pre-existing software. To top it all off, Wintale has an excellent track record of after-sales services. The manufacturers give 24/7 customer support along with a quality warranty
Other Excellent External Bluray Drives
- This BD-HM57C is a derivative Blu-ray model.
- This product lacks a key feature that is found on the similar and better featured,...
- 📀【High Writing and Reading Speed】 Max 8x DVDR Write Speed and Max 24x CD Write...
- 📀【Wide Compatible】This external dvd cd drive is compatible with Windows 98 /...
- 📀【Plug and Play Technology】Powered by USB port so just plug it into your USB...
- Plug & play. Easy to use,powered by USB port. No external driver and Power needed....
- High speed. Compatible with USB3. 0 and backwards compatible with USB2. 0 , bringing...
- Intelligent tech. Designed with eject button so that you never have to worry about...
- PLUG AND PLAY: The CD/DVD drive external USB 3.0 and USB-C ports and doesn't require...
- HIGH WRITING AND READING SPEED: The Type-C & USB 3.0 CD/DVD external drive offers Max...
- WIDE COMPATIBILITY&MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS: This external dvd cd drive is compatible with...
- Ultra Slim, New Mid Size Design, HDMI Output, 1080P Upscaling, JPEG, MP3 Playback,...
- 1 Year Parts & 90 Day Labor Warranty
- Region: DVD: 1; Power Requirements:120V, 60Hz
Blu-Ray: The Better Media Option
Although buying blu-ray discs (also known as BDS) sounds a bit outdated fashion now because of the online streaming services. It might still be a good choice to buy them and here is why
- Have you ever stepped out of the cinema and liked the movie so much that you wanted to “own” it? If yes, then it is highly likely that you will have to wait for its release on streaming services. This can sometimes take months to happen. In such cases, buying the blu-ray will be the quickest option to avail that movie. Also, it will be available at high quality all the time without an expensive streaming plan.
- Relying on streaming to watch your favorite movie on the go can be a hustle. Bad network connection and slow internet speeds can often take the details out. Hence, making a certain scene look like a blurry silhouette. It, for many people, most definitely can ruin the overall purpose of having a good movie watching experience if they are watching it at a very low resolution.
- Even if the movie you want to watch is available on the streaming service, it would be a better idea to invest in blu-ray rather than paying extra bucks to your service for that 4K streaming tier.
- There are services like Movies Anywhere and Disney Anywhere that unite your Blu-Ray purchases and allow you to stream the purchased media on all of your devices wherever you want to.
Who Should Buy an External Blu-Ray Driver?
With the new era of technology, old school devices are becoming obsolete and most modern-day laptops do not come with optical drives. Part of the reason is that the streaming services like Spotify and Netflix make it so you do not need to play a disc for music or movies anymore. But, for those who do not have the best quality internet to stream movies at high definition or who have decades’ worth of discs to watch, an external Blu-ray burner is the ideal solution. These burners can copy data quickly to your computer or you can burn your own data on discs using them. They are also the optimal option if you just want a DVD reader/writer because they are faster at burning discs than conventional DVD drives.
Features to Consider
There are countless drives available for you to choose while you are building your own pc or just looking for an external addition. At the same time, it is very important that you choose the one that meets all your needs. Choosing a blu-ray drive almost sounds like a straightforward decision. But there should be a little bit of thinking to do first. One product cannot have all the features. Hence, you should always choose the one that has everything you want from it.
1. Backward Compatibility:
The Blu-Ray drive you purchase should be backward compatible with CDs and DVDs which ensures one drive to play everything. Also, there is nothing as such forward compatibility. So even if you do not have blu-ray, choosing a DVD drive will leave you stuck with it. It is always better to prepare for the future.
2. Writing and Rewriting:
Saving data on discs is an old school. However, it is relatively a safer option because it eliminates the chances of potential hacks. Or if you like to save data on Blu-ray discs for some reason. Make sure the drive you choose is capable of doing it. So do not just scroll spot an item in the listing of an online store and assume it will do what you need. Some devices have Read/Write mentioned but will only write DVDs or CDs and read blu-ray.
3. Quiet Mode:
Some blu-ray drives can decrease the disc rotation speed for noise reduction. They have the ability to switch between quiet and performance mode seamlessly depending upon your needs. This can be helpful because some fast rotations can create awfully loud noises especially if the disc is damaged.
4. USB 3.0 Connectivity:
If it is the speed you crave. You must choose the drive that can provide up to 10x (5Gbps) speed while connected via USB 3.0. It is better compared to the 480Mbps on a USB 2.0 connection. Some drives can offer up to 18x speed without any AC adapters or having to install drivers for it. If your main purpose is watching movies, then speed would not be a problem regardless of the blu-ray drive. On the other hand, if you plan on ripping the data to your hard drive and burning your own BDs. Then you should definitely consider a faster drive because it can be extremely time-saving.
5. Built-in Software:
No matter what kind of data you’re trying to view through your disc, you would always need a software to run it. For instance, if the disc contains files and documents, you would need a file explorer. Or if it is a video, you will require a video player to properly view the contents of it. Some drives come with built-in media player software and audio stabilizers. This can be very useful if you are going to use it to play movies or music.
Conclusion
Be it watching high-quality movies without having to worry about bad connection or burning data on discs, external Blu-ray drives are the best optical drives you can get. Because they are fast, reliable and universal for all types of disc formats. You should always choose the product according to your needs and requirements.