ASUS unleashes USB 2.0 Blu-ray drive -- government denies knowledge
By Laura June 
posted Jun 29th 2009 3:39PM
posted Jun 29th 2009 3:39PM
ASUS has taken a pretty basic USB Blu-ray drive and given it a fine veneer of high-gloss looks. The SBC-04B1S-U isn't fancy stuff -- 4.8x maximum Blu-ray disc reading, 8x DVD burning, a USB 2.0 connection, and Windows (but not OS X) compatibility. The bright blue 'X' on the side also flashes and has a dedicated app just to control its brightness. None of this will help, of course, when the strobing 'X' attracts the attention of the entire underground world of paranormal conspiracy theorists to your bedroom as if you threw up the alien Bat-Signal -- but, you know, whatever. There's no word yet on pricing or availability for this attractive, skinny dude.
[Via SlashGear]
[Via SlashGear]
coolest external optical drive ever. but who cares? can blu-ray even play smoothly over USB?
No they thought they'd sell you a drive that wont work with the interface its connected to *rolls eyes*
well, seeing as Wikipedia says "BD-Video movies have a maximum data transfer rate of 54 Mbit/s" and the theoretical max for USB 2.0 is 480 Mb/s, i'd say yes. anybody care to confirm this?
I would still think at absolute max bitrate, BD movies might not play well since 480mbps is the burst rate, not sustained. The actual transfer rate might be much less, though I doubt it'd go below 54mbits in most situations...
They should have still included a firewire port.
I can confirm it. I've played blu-rays smoothly on my 2 year old LG drive over a cheap sata -> usb adapter many times.
what is that? wolverine approved? hehe cooling looking nevertheless ..
looks like a certain game console o.o
Looks like a skinny, glossy black version of the old Seagate FreeAgent external HDDs.
They should have add atleast an ESATA port :(
Knowlege?
knowlege, it's what you have when you don't have knowledge.
Just like the government... Denying a foreigner. Or at least I assume they're a foreigner with a name like Knowlege. Is that Italian?
It was a good attempt but nothing could make this news exciting. Good effort, though.
No, seriously.
its gadget news on a gadget blog. what exactly did you want from this?
It cant write to BD either? That is a little useless. My PS3 serves me fine for now.
...said Mario.
No Burning = No Buy
I don't care how good it looks.
OMG! Looks so sweet! I want one!
you just had to be the "OMG! Looks so sweet! I want one!" guy
Followed by..
THATS WHAT SHE SAID!
This is an external Blu-ray ROM drive / DVD Burner combo. It's not a Blu-ray player. On a PC, the "player" is the software, like Cyberlink PowerDVD Ultra.
Yes... USB 2.0 can easily handle Blu-ray bitrates.
Tom
Cyberlink
Hey do you think you guys could throw in a copy of PowerDVD this time that has more than 2 channels of audio unlocked?
Does anyone else find it really pointless to post something under a username, and then sign off with your real name?
- Godzilla
@j3ff86
What drive do you buy? My clearance Sony 2x BR drive came with PowerDVD that supports 5.1 and I think I paid a little under $80 for it.
Unfortunately the software for playing Blu-rays on a PC is still the same old dysfunctional shite.
Hey, Tom Cyberlink.
Any chance of you releasing some software that isn't massively bloated, has a decent UI and isn't hugely overpriced for a retail version?
Hey can we please not floccinaucinihiliphilificate the cyberlink guy, what you think of powerdvd is not relevant ATM. He made a good point and that should stand as is.
Call me when there is a slot load Blu-ray drive under $100. until then, meh.
dnt make fun of my beutiful mchine
Insted I'll mke fun of your mssing vowls.
Easy there guys ... it looks like it will come with Blu-ray player software, like every retail Blu-ray disc drive. The ASUS website mentions TrueTheater HD (TTHD), which is Cyberlink's DVD upsampling technology, found only in PowerDVD (the Blu-ray player software).
Tom
I just want Asus to release the P30A. I cannot stand waiting for it.
If they sell it for around $150 I'd consider it, but probably not for anything higher.
And why won't it work in linux?
Because they cannot DRM the sh!t out of your OS?
Looks nice... if it has a decent price i'd look into it, but at the same time, i have Blu-Ray in my PC already... so yeah... probably won't be getting it. (I do need a burner though, me and my genius didn't read all of the spec page for my Blu-Ray drive) :(
why would i want to buy an EXTERNAL bluray drive?
On a notebook perhaps.
"..and Windows (but not OS X) compatibility."
Don't hate on the drive, hate the Apple. Its not the drives fault that Apple hasn't changed its stance on BR, put the bag of hurt where it belongs.
Apple's choice was to not include blu-ray drives in their hardware.
I blame the manufacturer of the drive.
That doesn't change the fact that Apple isn't exactly Blu-Ray friendly. Why would they incur the expense of including an OS X compatible Blu-Ray player software for the small percentage of customers that would have a Mac and the hardware necessary to properly view a Blu-Ray movie on it. That would be offering a plug-in hybrid version of a car in the Middle East, it just doesn't make good business sense.
"and Windows (but not OS X) compatibility. "
It'll be interesting to see if Ubuntu supports this drive while OS X does not. If this drive uses somewhat standard software interfaces like other USB optical drives, I'm going to bet it will.
Now if only they would make a matching netbook that could actually push some 1080p...or even 720p. Then this would be all the sexier.
looks decent, minus the graphic
Eighteen months ago the first evidence of intelligent life off the Earth was discovered. It was buried 40 feet below the lunar surface near the crater Tycho. Except for a single very powerful radio emission aimed at Jupiter the four-million year old black monolith has remained completely inert. Its origin and purpose are still a total mystery.
Eee Drive, now shipping!
"None of this will help, of course, when the strobing 'X' attracts the attention of the entire underground world of paranormal conspiracy theorists to your bedroom as if you threw up the alien Bat-Signal..."
Pure. Comedy. Gold.
Blueray at 4.8x? why the hurry? no software publisher has yet put anything on blueray. why? Sony, of course. money doesnt grow on trees, and publishers know that its way way way cheaper to publish on several DVDs. Would you like to know when BD is going to go mainstream? when another format dominates and destroys it. the proof is in their previous formats.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9361497&st=asus&lp=7&type=product&cp=1&id=1218091194134
For those of you who want the same thing but without the bluray reading part.
Does it have a built-in BitTorrent client to download HD movies before they're out in blu-ray? :P
Nice i want one!