$99 USB Slimline Bluray Player

[Kaido]

New from FastMac:

http://store.fastmac.com/produ...fo.php?products_id=406

Mac & PC compatible, although only Windows has Blu-ray playback software. Supports the following:

* 2X BD-ROM reading
* 5X DVD-RAM Writing
* 8X DVD-R Writing
* 2X DVD-R DL Writing
* 4X DVD-RW Writing
* 8X DVD+R Writing
* 2.4X DVD+R DL Writing
* 4X DVD+RW Writing
* 8X CD-R Writing
* 8X CD-RW Writing

 

[erwos]

With DVD writing? That's an absolutely excellent deal. OTOH, it doesn't come with playing software, so you're going to be shelling out a hundred bucks for PowerDVD 8 Ultra or $70 for Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre.

 

[foolish501]

anybody have one of these, and know what type of drive is in it ? looking for a sata drive for my laptop, would be $40 cheaper to get this and strip the drive out than buying a sata laptop blu-ray drive

 

[boomhower]

Originally posted by: foolish501
anybody have one of these, and know what type of drive is in it ? looking for a sata drive for my laptop, would be $40 cheaper to get this and strip the drive out than buying a sata laptop blu-ray drive

I had the exact same thought.

 

[voodoojc]

Does this need to be plugged into the wall, or just USB powered?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: voodoojc
Does this need to be plugged into the wall, or just USB powered?

Doesn't say, but typically slimline optical drives are soley USB powered.

 

[Bidhere23]

I might just have to buy one even though I don't really need it.

 

[foolish501]

i've bought one, so when i receive it i'll let you know the drive model & if it's usb powered

 

[IlllI]

there was an article about this just released http://www.engadget.com/2009/0...ay-drives-including-a/

apparently theres 3 models

 

[Oyeve]

Sounds like a beta test for these drives. Cool tho, but i'll wait for some reviews.

 

[Slick5150]

Site only has 1 review on reseller ratings, and its this:

--
Very Dissatisfied

1/13/09 11:57 AM
This was the second time that I had tried to order a Macbook Pro battery from this company, and did not recieve a response for over a week. I contacted customer service twice via weblink, three times via email, and called twice, only to reach an answering maching. The terrible customer service is not worth the hassle, I don't care how good their batteries are.
--

Nice price, but, ehhhhhh

 

[MustangSVT]

Is there enough bandwidth for blueray on USB2.0 ? when I tried to play 1080p through usb2.0 with my external hdd, it would not be smooth . it could be the 2.5" 5400's speed as well.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: MustangSVT
Is there enough bandwidth for blueray on USB2.0 ? when I tried to play 1080p through usb2.0 with my external hdd, it would not be smooth . it could be the 2.5" 5400's speed as well.

Should be. Before I installed my SATA BD player into my main PC I hooked it up to my laptop via sata-2-usb2 connection and it played movies just fine. The laptop doesnt even have discreted video, just some intel crap.

 

[Lordhumungus]

It has enough bandwidth by a factor of about 12. 1080p Blu-ray = ~40.0Mbps USB 2.0 = 480Mbps

 

[foolish501]

there's been discussions on other deal websites about will it be able to play movies thru usb, and people seem to forget that Microsoft released the HD-DVD player for the xbox 360, and that used the usb interface. more than enough bandwidth to handle blu-ray/hd-dvd thru usb

 

[DamnRena]

Originally posted by: erwos
With DVD writing? That's an absolutely excellent deal. OTOH, it doesn't come with playing software, so you're going to be shelling out a hundred bucks for PowerDVD 8 Ultra or $70 for Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre.

just download VLC it plays anything.

 

[Blurry]

Originally posted by: Lordhumungus
It has enough bandwidth by a factor of about 12. 1080p Blu-ray = ~40.0Mbps USB 2.0 = 480Mbps

Let's not forget that the 480MBps is only the rated spec - there's no way anything comes close to that speed.

 

[abaez]

Originally posted by: DamnRena

Originally posted by: erwos
With DVD writing? That's an absolutely excellent deal. OTOH, it doesn't come with playing software, so you're going to be shelling out a hundred bucks for PowerDVD 8 Ultra or $70 for Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre.

just download VLC it plays anything.

Not Blu Ray or HDDVD

 

[holden j caufield]

Any update? I'd get this but the company seems kind of shady.

 

[Alex C]

Will there be freeware to play blu-rays in the not too distant future?

 

[DamnRena]

Originally posted by: abaez

Originally posted by: DamnRena

Originally posted by: erwos
With DVD writing? That's an absolutely excellent deal. OTOH, it doesn't come with playing software, so you're going to be shelling out a hundred bucks for PowerDVD 8 Ultra or $70 for Arcsoft TotalMedia Theatre.

just download VLC it plays anything.

Not Blu Ray or HDDVD

Do BluRay disks dont come with its own media player? I remember when i put a dvd in my computer it asks me to install a Player. BluRay does'nt do this as well?

 

[foolish501]

got mine today, it's usb powered (but also comes with a usb to power connector aswell), the drive is an ide panasonic uj-120. was hoping it would be sata so i could swap it out with my laptop's optical drive.

just about to format my main machine, too many problems with it, and won't recognise any disks in the drive, but tested a movie on my laptop using power dvd 8

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: holden j caufield
Any update? I'd get this but the company seems kind of shady.

FastMac is not shady, they've been around in the Mac community for years. Just FYI.