Internal or External Blu Ray upgrade?

I'm wanting to upgrade to Blu Ray this week (can't wait any longer, darn it!)

I tried an external USB Lite-On drive a few months back, but I guess it was defective, as it would randomly 'forget' that it had a disc in it. I suppose it was just defective, but I didn't exchange it, just got my money back.

I've got an Asus n80nv, and I *think* Sony's $300 slot loading drive would fit in my notebook more or less okay.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

But... it's $300. Alternatively, I've heard some people have had good luck with this Vantec external USB enclosure:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

combined with a nice internal desktop Blu Ray drive like:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...t_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

That's roughly half the price, and I woudln't need to worry about it fitting, but I'm slightly iffy just because that Lite On drive didn't work (even though I *think* that was a problem with it, not with USB drives in general, and when it saw discs at all, playback was great).

Anyway I just thought I'd ask what you guys think. I wish internal notebook drives were cheaper! Desktop Blu Ray drives are so cheap now that to me the price difference over DVD is negligible (heck, I payed far more for my first PC DVD drive back in 2000).

 

Hi Wolfpup,
have you considered this Pioneer drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129037

I've been eying it for a while - seems to be the best burner IMHO.

Some other considerations -
burning a BD takes considerable time; right now the notebook drives aren't as fast as their external bethrens, and definitely more expensive.

I would ask these questions:
1. how often do you burn a BD
2. do you need to access/use the BD drive in a mobile setting without power outlets
3. what's your tolerance to wait times.

 

Oh, thanks for the link to that drive (didn't know burners were so cheap already!) Right now I actually don't care about burning, I mean I wouldn't min having it, but I'm really just looking for something for playback. I guess I should have said that in my post!

(Not bad though...that's just $90 more than the desktop drive I was looking at!)

 

try Ebay i guess, for the notebook drives!