External Blu-Ray Drive Recommendations?

[Dane]

Can anyone recommend an external blu-ray reader (specifically for the SP2)?

I'm looking mostly just to watch movies, but also to rip movies so I can watch them when travelling, etc.

Thanks

 

[Nuspieds]

I bought this: Amazon.com: Rosewill Direct USB 3.0 External Slim Aluminum 6x Blu-Ray Writer RDED-12001: Computers & Accessories.

Keep in mind that this uses a USB Y-cable, so you need two ports. The advantage is that at least you don't need a power adapter for it.

 

[Garfield]

Im using this one without any Problem: Amazon.com: Samsung SE-506AB/TSBD 6X USB2.0 External Slim Blu-ray Writer Drive (Black): Computers & Accessories

It requires only one USB port, so you don't need an Y-cable.

 

[Dane]

Many thanks, as the Surface family only has the one port, I think the Samsung looks ideal.

 

[ctitanic]

Many thanks, as the Surface family only has the one port, I think the Samsung looks ideal.

Check if they have an external power supply. Sometimes when you are burning the power coming from the USB is not "powerful" enough.

 

[Dane]

The probability of my actually using it for burning it quite low, but thanks for the tip.

 

[Nuspieds]

The Samsung is USB 2.0, that's why it will work with just the standard USB 2.0 cable.

If that spec meets your use case, then fine; otherwise, per all the research I have done, if you want a USB 3.0-spec device, then it will either have a Y-cable or a power adapter.

 

[D1vad]

I bought this: Amazon.com: Rosewill Direct USB 3.0 External Slim Aluminum 6x Blu-Ray Writer RDED-12001: Computers & Accessories.

Keep in mind that this uses a USB Y-cable, so you need two ports. The advantage is that at least you don't need a power adapter for it.

So are you saying this actually works on your surface pro, which only has one USB port? Or that it needs a hub and a power supply for the hub to work?

Does the Rosewill RDED-12001 have a power jack?

 

[Nuspieds]

So are you saying this actually works on your surface pro, which only has one USB port? Or that it needs a hub and a power supply for the hub to work?

Does the Rosewill RDED-12001 have a power jack?

For a Y-cable device to work, it needs TWO ports. Therefore, by itself, the Rosewill does not work with the Surface Pro as-is. For my use case, I only need an optical drive in the rare occasion I can only access some software (e.g., legacy) via DVD/CD. This, for me, means I only need the optical device at home while docked and, in my case, "docked" means connected to a 10-port USB 3.0 hub. Thus, I have the additional free spare ports needed for the Rosewill's Y-cable; it does not require a power adapter (since it uses two ports).