I have this LG Super Multi Blue External USB 3.0 14x Blu-ray Disc Rewriter, Model # BE14NU40, and using it on my Macbook Pro Retina using Mac OS X El Capitan it is working fine, without any drivers need to be installed. When you get piles of movies that want to create to Blu-ray disc for preservation, you should read the reviews of best 8 Blu-ray burning tools (software and hardware) for internal and external burning on Windows and Mac firstly. External Blu-ray drives are portable tools for writing and reading data on such modern high-capacity media as Blu-ray discs and DVD/CD discs. With a simple USB connection to your PC/laptop, these compact devices offer great mobility.
After researching more than 70 optical drives across four years, testing more than a dozen, and surveying more than 300 readers, we’ve found that the LG GP65NB60 is the best USB DVD drive and the Pioneer BDR-XD05B is the best external Blu-ray drive—if you need an optical drive at all. I'm looking for a good/cheap external Bluray drive for ripping my Blurays that compatible with my Macbook Pro, Was looking at some online but don't know what to get. Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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The Rundown
- Best Overall: LG GH24NSC0B Super Multi Drive at Amazon, “A burner that offers speed, power, and reliable performance.”
- Runner-Up, Best Overall:Asus DRW-24B1ST at Amazon, “It’s quick, works with all formats and burns quietly.”
- Best Budget: LG GH24NSC0B at Amazon, “Runs super softly with its Silent Play technology…you’ll be surprised it’s even running.”
- Best Splurge:LG WH16NS40 at Amazon, “Capable of Blu-ray disc rewriting, which mandates the more expensive price tag.”
- Best Write Speed:Samsung SH-224FB/BSBE at Amazon, “A superb combination of blazing write speeds, excellent reviews, and a wallet-friendly price.”
- Best for Silence:Plextor PX-891SAF at Amazon, “An improved chassis design helps regulate the amount of air flow to reduce the noise level.”
- Best Blu-Ray:Asus Black BC-12B1ST at Amazon, “Fast, quiet and energy-friendly performance makes for a stellar burner that offers more than meets the eye.”
- Best Included Software:Dell DW316 External USB Slim DVD R/W at Amazon, “A plug-and-play solution that you can use with a USB port.”
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: LG GH24NSC0B Super Multi Drive
If you want a burner that offers speed, power and reliable performance, the LG GH24NSC0B Super Multi Drive should be at the top of your list. The budget-friendly price paired with a 24x DVD-R write speed makes the LG the first burner you should consider. The 0.5MB buffer isn’t as high as 2MB options that cost a little bit more, but the inclusion of M-Disc supports the burning of DVDs that are rated for heavy use.
Runner-Up, Best Overall: Asus DRW-24B1ST
The Asus DRW-24B1ST is an exceptionally good SATA DVD burner that offers wide compatibility at a low price. The full spread of read and write options is here, including DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, CD-Rs and CD-RWs. With 16x DVD ROM burning and 24x for all other formats, the Asus performs very well, completing even the most sizeable project at 4.7GB in a timely fashion.
As an extra bonus, it offers E-Green Engine technology, which aids in automatically closing drive applications when not in use to conserve energy. Overall, the Asus makes for a fantastic choice as a DVD burner, it’s quick, works with all formats and burns quickly and quietly.
Best Budget: LG GH24NSC0B
At under $20, this SATA-connected disc drive barely makes the lowest price on the list, but it’s value is in the details. It writes and plays a variety of formats, including DVD+R, RW DVD-R and RW DVD-RAM. It employs an M-DISC technology that etches data with a rock-like surface, rather than dye to ensure a more stable imprint of whatever information you’re copying. It writes at speeds up to 24x and is compatible with Windows 10. It also runs super softly with its Silent Play technology, so even with all those speeds and capabilities, you’ll be surprised it’s even running.
Best Splurge: LG WH16NS40
The LG WH16NS40 separates itself from the pack with pricing that almost doubles the average cost of DVD burners, but does so with plenty of reasoning. The inclusion of 4MB of buffer memory handily allows the LG to store additional amounts of data before writing it to the disc, which helps support a quicker write speed. As a bonus, the LG is capable of Blu-ray disc rewriting, which is what mandates the more expensive price tag. The burner has 16x Blu-Ray disc rewrite speed and 16x for DVD ROM.
Best Write Speed: Samsung SH-224FB/BSBE
Samsung’s SH-224FB/BSBE is a superb combination of blazing write speeds, excellent reviews and a wallet-friendly price. The drive reads all the usual suspects, including dual-layer DVD-ROMs and DVD-Rs, making it highly flexible for every burning scenario. Additionally, Samsung included M-disc capability which offers burned DVDs a super long shelf life.
The 0.75MB buffer pairs nicely with the 24x DVD DVD+R write speed and 8x DVD+RW write speeds, which makes the Samsung one of the fastest burning SATA drives. With admirable performance and a wallet-friendly price tag, you can’t go wrong with this burner.
Best for Silence: Plextor PX-891SAF
If silence is a virtue, then the Plextor PX-891SAF internal SATA DVD burner is a top choice for every computer owner. With fast write speeds for both DVD and CDs, the capability to write to a dual-layer DVD is included. The overall silent burning might be a slight tradeoff for slower buffer memory at just 0.5MB and 160ms DVD access time, but it gets the job done at 24x DVD recording.
The full range of formats is included with DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD-RAM, CD-RW and CD-R. The silent DVD burning is aided by an improved chassis design, which helps regulate the amount of air flow to reduce the noise level. The Plextor also supports M-disc branding, which offers a long shelf life for whatever you're burning.
Best Blu-Ray: Asus Black BC-12B1ST
Burning Blu-rays never quite captured the public attention that the global rise of included internal SATA DVD burners did, but there’s still an audience looking for the very best in picture quality. The Asus Black BC-12B1ST internal Blu-Ray drive is a moderately priced option that offers a 12x Blu-ray reading speed, plus support for multiple Blu-ray platforms. The integrated e-green technology saves over 50 percent of power consumption against a standard DVD burner.
As a bonus, buyers just looking for a high-quality 24x DVD burner can take advantage of 1080p HD upscaling on their traditional DVD burns if possible. Unfortunately, software is not included and must be purchased separately, but the fast, quiet and energy-friendly performance makes for a stellar Blu-ray/DVD burner that offers more than meets the eye.
Best Included Software: Dell DW316 External USB Slim DVD R/W
While most burners need a separate software to burn or play CDs and DVDs, this Dell device is a plug and play solution that you can use with a USB port. It comes preloaded with CyberLink Media Suite, making it a perfect accessory for both Mac and PC laptops that don’t have an internal optical drive.
The DW316 has read and write speeds of 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) and 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 6x (DVD±R DL), respectively, and a buffer size of .75MB. At just 5.41 x 5.67 x .55 inches and weighing .55 pounds, it’s easy to toss in your bag, so you can play and burn discs on-the-go.
Best overall
Pioneer BDR-XD05S
Pioneer's external Blu-ray burner is one of the slimmest options on the market, featuring a clamshell design and six-times write speed for single-layer and dual-layer BD-R. It has plug-and-play functionality and support for the latest macOS and Windows 10 software. You simply plug it into your computer via USB — Pioneer drive supports USB 3.0 — and you should be good to go.
It's also great value at $75.
Bottom line: It's a super-slim exterior Blu-ray drive that's easy to connect and enjoy.
One more thing: This drive loads from the top, which helps keep it slim, but that means you can't tuck it out of sight easily.
Why the Pioneer BDR-XD05S is the best external Blu-ray player
It's slim, one of the thinnest on the market, and features an attractive clamshell design. Pioneer has done a solid job with the BDR-XD05S, which enables owners to plug-and-play on both macOS and Windows. Support for USB 3.0 is present for increased speeds to take full advantage of available PC power.
The added bonus of using USB 3.0 is that a single cable is enough for both power and data transfer. Older, USB 2.0 drives required the use of two USB ports on your PC.
Pioneer's burner writes at six-times speeds on BD-R single-layer and dual-layer discs and four-times write speeds for triple-layer and quad-layer BD-R discs. It's also capable of reading and writing DVDs and CDs.
Feature-rich
ASUS 6x Direct
This award-winning, stylish entry from ASUS is a great option if portability isn't such a big factor for you. It comes with a vertical stand that will save precious desk space in your office, but beyond aesthetics, this drive is capable of writing at six-times speeds for standard BD-R discs and supports BDXL, meaning you'll be able to backup up to 100GB of data onto a single Blu-ray.
At the time of writing this drive costs a very reasonable $70.
Bottom line: It's a great option for those who require a powerful burner that's simple to use.
One more thing: Features ATP technology for top-quality burning for those with data to write.
Speed
LG BE14NU40
LG's Blu-ray disc writer is the fastest on the list, capable of writing at fourteen-times speeds on single-layer BD-R discs and it supports BDXL discs, as well as M-Disc. The latter is designed to last a very long time, hundreds of years in fact. Thus if you need to back up data, this is a solid option.
It's fairly pricey at $140, but you're paying the premium for the sheer performance.
Bottom line: It is a great little drive that's incredibly fast and supports the M-Disc format.
One more thing: It's large, bulky and weighs in at 3.3 pounds.
Portable
Buffalo MediaStation
For a compact and extremely portable option, here comes the Buffalo MediaStation Blu-ray Writer. It features two integrated USB cables — one for data transfer and a second in case you need a boost of power to the unit — which both neatly wrap around and fold into the drive for ease of mobility.
And it comes in at just under $100, too, so it's not the most expensive drive around, either.
Bottom line: It is designed to be transported around with an accompanying laptop for portable use.
One more thing: Supports, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, BDXL, and even DVD HD upscaling.
Conclusion
You really can't go wrong with these external Blu-ray drives. It all boils down to what you need, how much you can afford and whether you're a fan of any particular electronics brand. That said, we feel the Pioneer BDR-XD05B is worthy of the top spot.
Best overall
Slim Usb Blu-ray Drive
Pioneer BDR-XD05S
Pioneer's external Blu-ray burner is one of the slimmest options on the market, featuring a clamshell design and six-times write speed for single-layer and dual-layer BD-R. It has plug-and-play functionality and support for the latest macOS and Windows 10 software. You simply plug it into your computer via USB — Pioneer drive supports USB 3.0 — and you should be good to go.
It's also great value at $75.
Blu Ray Drive For Imac
Bottom line: It's a super-slim exterior Blu-ray drive that's easy to connect and enjoy.
One more thing: This drive loads from the top, which helps keep it slim, but that means you can't tuck it out of sight easily.
Best External Blu Ray Drive For Mac
Updated September 6, 2017: We updated our top pick with the latest version of Pioneer's USB Blu-ray drive.