Why are external blu-ray burners so scarce?

Every time a manufacturer comes out with one, it seems they always get discontinued shortly thereafter. I don't understand it. Doesn't Sony want everyone to adopt blu-ray? Why isn't there more market penetration with external blu-ray burners? Any ideas, and possible predictions when they may become much more commonplace?

 

For storage/backup purposes blu-rays are cumbersome and cost prohibitive. Hard drives are much cheaper (per GB) and easier to access.

For media purposes (ie burning something so that you can watch it on your TV) the trend is towards streaming from computer to TV or from computer to some device that you connect to the TV (PS3, XBOX, networked media players, etc.)

Blu-ray is doing well as a DVD replacement for highest quality movie distribution to consumers. But there isn't really a viable future in disc based storage and backup so it doesn't make sense from a business perspective to invest in that kind of infrastructure.

I personally have a PS3 and love blu-rays for watching movies from netflix and occasionally purchasing one. But I don't see the point of buying a blu-ray burner (once upon a time when the format war was just brewing, I did, but that was then) or putting one in my laptop, with small screens you can barely make out the increased resolution.

I just bought two 1TB drives for $60 each and am setting up a NAS for my home network. I will be copying all the movies I had burned onto DVDs back to my NAS and will then throw out my burned DVDs. I will be backing up my NAS to an external drive, so my data is secure and easily accessible all in one place.

 

Once USB3 gets fully adopted, I think we're going to see more burners.

 

Agreed. USB 2.0 is not consistent enough to feed a 6x burner, USB 3.0 will provide consistently fast speed.

 

I've been looking at putting one together using an external enclosure with an eSATA connection. USB 3 will do the job, too.

 

Absolutely! In fact, they bet the farm on it.

That's because it's a new format an still under a great deal of experimentation. The manufactures keep changing because the want to corner as much of the market with their innovation as they can; and don't want to get left behind. To an extent, stand alone blu-ray players are the same way.

 

Thanks for the replies. I had posted a thread awhile back asking about the viability of using SDHC cards as long term data storage. I was considering blu-ray for the simple fact that a standard blu-ray disc (25GB) can store about 3 times as much as a dual layer DVD, and I thought it would be a great way to store my data. I'm trying to cut down on the "clutter".
I personally think optical discs are on their way out, one site I was reading the other night said blu-ray could very well be the last optical disc format we see.
Even though they are expensive, I may just buy some high density SDHC cards and use those instead (in fact I got rid of my pack of DVD-RW's I had and use a 4GB SDHC card instead, works great ).
Thanks again for the replies.

 

If that's true, then you know something that Sony doesn't. Besides, the only way to get the highest quality interactive video is via blu-ray. And if you're a gamer, the next logical step in it's growing evolution will be through that method of distribution.

So despite the predictions of doom from all our presumptuous laptop forum crowd, optical disc ain't goin' no where my friend!

 

It's prohibitively expensive.
It's cheaper and easier to buy an external hard disk.

When we get disk down to a buck each, and the burners under $100, then you will see Blue Ray takeoff. Until then, it makes far more sense to just buy an external drive or USB flash drive.

Truth is though, at the rate things are going, that won't be anytime soon, and it may be too little too late by then. Hard disk sizes have exceeded the reasonable use of Blue Ray to use as backup and flash drives are starting to drop fast. There is a very good chance that Blue Ray adoption is near it's peak.



USB 3 is more likely to kill Blue Ray than help it.

 

@Krane, I remember reading on the net not long ago that Disney is considering starting to release movies on SD cards as read-only. There have already been a couple of instances where movies have been released on USB thumb drives as part of a promotional package.
And while this is my opinion, optical discs have been around for more than 30 years (starting with the invention of the CD, which according to one site "optical digital recording and playback processes and materials were created in 1965", which is where it all started. Here's the article). It's an antiquated, slow, fragile technology that is, in my honest opinion, badly in need of replacing.

@leslieann, I'd like to get rid of the "bulk" and go as small as possible. A single blu-ray disc, or SD card in this case would be the best alternative for me I think. Also as I stated in my former thread, I'm still a little leary of using an external HDD for storing my important data. Atleast with optical discs they are read-only, and SD cards have a read-only switch as well.

 

In short, there's little demand for it.

 

Pretty thought out and logical answer, right along the lines of what I would say.

2TB HDDs for about $100 these days makes BR not so great for backup. For seeing stuff on TV another $100 gets you a HD media player like a WDTV Live that can play full 1080p right off your hdd or network.

BR burners are just not very needed for anything, and BR players are simply for those who like HD movies. When legit sites start to offer HD movie downloads along the lines of Itunes or Netflix I bet you can just about say bye bye to blueray (well atleast for us tech geeks)

 

they're slow due to USB2.0 so ppl prefer internal ones.. ppl only buy it if u use it if they don't have internal ones like in CULV laptops so demand is less..

 

Do you have any idea how long CRTs have been around before we moved to plasma and LCDS? And did you know that they still offer a vastly superior visual experience than either?

The fact that optical discs have withstood the test of time only means that they are a proven technology. That why Sony and others have invested so heavily in their continuation. Rather than getting rid of them and starting all over again, they are taking a more viable and practical route in perfecting the technology. That's also why millions were spent to get blu-ray as the optical disc standard. And with the greater compatibility on their side, it's a lot easier to sell the public with something they're familiar with (not to mention it's backward compatibility) than a whole new set of standards and hardware.

Believe me when I tell you, blu-ray has a future, and it is only going to get better with time.

 

We are getting wayyy off topic though. I was simply asking why external blu-ray burners are so scarce. The LG that was out for a little while had both a USB and eSata port, and I've seen a couple of 5.25" external enclosures as well with both ports. So it's a viable option, I just wonder why they are so hard to come by, and why they are always discontinued so quickly. Anyway, for me, the only options for data storage are blu-ray or SDHC cards. I like that there is a lot more storage space/area vs. dvd's or even dual layer dvd's.
Given that I've accumulated a lot of data over the years, it would be nice to cut down on the discs.

 

I believe it all got started when someone used this opportunity to dis blu-ray again. I in turn was compelled to set the record straight.

Indeed: 4.7 GB vs 25 GB or a dual layer at 8.5 GB vs 50 GB! That's quite an accomplishment.