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General discussion

BD burner suggestions

Jan 11, 2011 9:23PM PST

Am looking for suggestions for an external bd burner/player for my Lenovo R500 laptop.

I recently purchased a Canon Vixia HD video camera but have been unpleasantly surprised by how far behind the software and bd burning capabilities have lagged, making it difficult to share AVCHD (m2ts files) video.

also, is it standard to have to purchase bd burner software separately from the burner itself? I've noticed that is an issue with some bd burners in Amazon reviews.

I would like a USB model for ease of use, but have read some reviews that suggest USB connection is not good for bd burners. Is that true, and if not USB, what is recommended?

thanks for any suggestions. I'm not a techie and just want to burn hd home video to bd. Have already tested the laptop to make sure it can and according to the tests, it will work.

Discussion is locked

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2-cents
Jan 12, 2011 12:15AM PST

There is no native OS BD s/w for burning, you have to get it. What is supplied with the BD can be lacking but usually is capable for std. use as in players. Once you get beyond that, its best to buy some BD s/w. Next, the USB ports have always been slower than direct connection on the PC. the USB port is just slower, though the use of USB 3.0 improves all that. But, I thought your current laptop is capable or upgradeable for that, but check it out. Alas, BD just hasn't leaped forward in a big way, so any development is slower than past new devices, thus you're stuck with what's out there in limited selections. These are my observations, so they maybe loosely interpreted.

tada -----Willy Happy

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ASUS BR combo
Jan 12, 2011 3:33AM PST

Thanks, Willy. Can you be more specific in terms of brands/models?

I'm still confused as to what type of s/w to purchase--seems that every s/w purchase may have compatibility issues w/ every h/w purchase. When it comes to BDs, is it better to go w/ the drive manufacturer's software or some third party software? If the latter, what software is best?

Was considering the ASUS usb 2 6x BR combo ext drive; it has rec'd good reviews as a player but mixed as a burner--most buyers have complained about the "bloatware" that comes w/ the player (or the full version that can be purchased for another $100--still classed as bloatware). My impression is that the full software can handle burning bds, but not the skeletal version that comes bundled w/ the drive.

As you say, there don't seem to be many options for external BD burners/players.

I don't mind upgrading the software--but would like to know more about it from someone who has tried it. Nothing is more irritating than to throw good money after bad!

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Look into...
Jan 12, 2011 10:52AM PST

Pretty much, you're going to want or get along with any s/w sold with the BD burner. Its something you can play with and if you needs aren't meant, buy the fancy s/w to get things done. IMHO, you already bottled yourself using an USB ported BD drive. So, if you can get away from that you'll increase the performance level, but if you can't then that's that. As for any brands, there is hardly a huge offering of ext. BD burners. You're doing good reviewing any reviews or comments users post. However, as I like these drives from the likes of Sony, LG and Philips haven't gone wrong. Of course, any s/.w they provide should be considered a plus. The main commercial s/w package are Ashampoo or Roxio. I haven't tried any BD freebies but I'm sure they're out there to try and/or demo versions as well. However, you may want to try ImgBurn, just be sure it has the BD ability offered. Google for any others to try. This is as far as helpful I can be as I stated in the other post, not too many users are head deep into BD burning other than as players as what I've seen.

tada -----Willy Happy