ot – blu ray burner question

[Craig Seeman]

LaCie also just announced an external 8X burner
https://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=11218
I wonder if they’re both using the same mechanism.

[Chris Babbitt]

The Buffalo unit uses the Panasonic SW-5584 BD burner. I believe the limit on BD media is still only 6x.

[Chris Babbitt]

I just did some checking, and apparently BD-R media currently only supports up to 4x writing speed.
The older model Buffalo MediaStation 6x external drive can be had for only $200, and it also plays HD-DVD. The only problem is that I’m not sure if either of the Buffalo units will work on a Mac. The specs say PC only, but this might only apply to the bundled software.

[Greg Barker]

I have the Buffalo burner and so far I think it’s a decent burner. It does have a fairly cheap plastic housing and comes with USB or eSATA connectivity (no Firewire). The software is also PC only but that wasn’t a big deal to me since I use Toast for my burning on the Mac. I just received my 6x media so I haven’t had the opportunity to burn anything faster than 2x at this point.

I also own the LaCie 2x burner. That unit is built like a tank so that may be a consideration if you plan to tote your drive around often (it also “matches” the color of a Mac Pro). The LaCie in my opinion is going to hold up a lot better if you intend to carry your drive from place to place. On the other hand, the Buffalo is generally cheaper in price and I’m sure will hold up just fine if your going to leave it in one location. Hope that helps.

– Greg

[Craig Seeman]

This new LaCie is 8x (6x USB) on R disks (2x on RE). Price is $449
It’s both Firewire and USB.
https://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=11218