Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Pioneer BDC-2202 this is currently the cheapest Blu-ray drive, but it does not burn Blu-ray discs. It burns DVDs and CDs only, and reads Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and CDs. For some people that may be enough, since Blu-ray burning is still impractically slow and expensive.
The drive requires serial ATA (SATA) interface, but does not come with a SATA cable, which you need to connect the drive to your motherboard.
Pioneer's web site has a list of compatible motherboards for this drive, which you may want to see before buying the drive. Mine is on the list, but I still had to update its SATA drivers before I can burn successfully.
Bundled software includes WinDVD 8 LE (which plays Blu-ray movie discs), Ulead VideoStudio 11 SE, and Ulead Burn.Now SE.
I tested with seven Blu-ray movie discs -- "Flightplan," "Memento," "Apocalypto," "Descent," "Basic Instincts," "The Untouchables," and "Dog Day Afternoon" -- and this drive played them all successfully on PowerDVD Ultra.
To play Blu-ray movies (and HD DVDs, for that matter), your PC needs to be fast enough and equipped with HDCP-compliant graphic card and monitor.
I can burn CDs and single layer DVDs with no problem. But I cannot burn dual layer DVD+R ("Matrix" brand bought from shop4tech), not even with Nero Buring Rom. I'll have to try other brands of media.
EDIT 8/11/09:
Last year I found 2 brands of dual-layer discs that I could burn with this drive:
Verbatim 95310 8.5 GB 2.4X Dual-Layer DVD+R, bought at Amazon, and
Matrix DVD+R Media 8.5G 8X Dual Layer Bulk (Item SKU: MATDL+R8X/B), bought at [...].
Click Here to see more reviews about: Pioneer BDC-2202B 5x Blu-ray/DVD/CD Combo Drive (Black)
Pioneer 5x Blu-ray player / 12x12 DVD RW +/- / CD / CD-RW drive in a retail box with a black bezel. No software included.
Click here for more information about Pioneer BDC-2202B 5x Blu-ray/DVD/CD Combo Drive (Black)
