What to Buy > Computer Components 162 162 people found this article helpful The Best External Desktop Blu-ray Drives of 2024 Check out our top selection of external Blu-ray drives By Emmeline Kaser Emmeline Kaser Writer Sarah Lawrence College University of Michigan Emmeline Kaser is a tech writer and former editor for Lifewire. She writes and edits commerce content about consumer technology for Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 28, 2024 We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. In This Article View All In This Article Reviews What to Look For Frequently Asked Questions Few computers have built-in optical drives, so external ones are the alternative for reading, writing, and playing back disc media. These Blu-ray drives are not the same as Blu-ray players—while they can play Blu-ray movies on your computer, they’re also designed to write and read other kinds of data stored on Blu-ray discs. Best Overall OWC Mercury Pro Read/Write Solution PHOTO: Amazon $150 at Amazon $150 at Adorama.com $160 at B&H Photo Video Pros 16x write speeds Fast read speeds Solid build Cons Heavy Short USB cable The OWC Mercury Pro is our favorite external Blu-ray drive based on sheer speed. Our product tester noted that its read speeds were more than twice as fast as most of the others he tested, which is a massive jump in performance. He tried the 16x write speeds with equally impressive results: a 13GB image library burned onto a Blu-ray disc in under 20 minutes from start to finish. If you're looking to read from or burn a lot of Blu-rays, the Mercury Pro is the best one we've tried. But James also noted that it doesn't replace a dedicated Blu-ray player. While videos look great on the connected laptop, that quality only translates if you connect the laptop to a TV. At 8.6 x 6.6 x 2.3 inches and almost 4 pounds, this somewhat bulky device is too heavy to be portable. The aluminum build looks great and feels durable, but it's best left at home. Blu-Ray Write Speed: 16x | Blu-Ray Read Speed: 12x | 4K UHD Support: No | Compatibility: Mac, Windows OWC Mercury Pro External USB 3.1 Gen 1 Optical Drive Review Best for Backups ASUS BW-16D1X-U Blu-ray Drive PHOTO: Amazon $168 at Amazon $134 at Walmart $137 at Adorama.com Pros 16x write speeds Optional data encryption Sleek design Cons Large footprint Mac software doesn't work The ASUS BW-16D1X-U can read and write Blu-ray discs (DVD and CD formats). But its main selling points are the 16x write speeds and included backup software. Asus provides access to the online NeroBackup program, which allows you to back up data from your Android device to Blu-ray. It also includes CyberLink Power2Go 8 software, which streamlines the process of burning your data to discs and includes optional data encryption to protect your files and personal information. Our reviewer noted that this software only appears to work on Macs. The BW-16D1X-U includes support for both M-Disc and BDXL disc formats. M-Disc is a proprietary archival disc format designed to preserve data for up to 1,000 years. BDXL (for Blu-ray Disc Extra Large) is a type of Blu-ray disc that can store more than five times the data of a regular Blu-ray, making it an effective storage format for extensive collections of files. This Blu-ray drive can support these archival and high-capacity formats as a data backup solution. The BW-16D1X-U includes support for both M-Disc and BDXL disc formats. M-Disc is a proprietary archival disc format designed to preserve data for up to 1,000 years. BDXL (for Blu-ray Disc Extra Large) is a type of Blu-ray disc that can store more than five times the data of a regular Blu-ray, making it an effective storage format for extensive collections of files. This Blu-ray drive can support these archival and high-capacity formats as a data backup solution. Blu-Ray Write Speed: 16x | Blu-Ray Read Speed: Not listed | 4K UHD Support: No | Compatibility: Mac, Windows Asus BW-16D1X-U Powerful Blu-ray Drive Review Compact LG WP50NB40 PHOTO: Amazon $120 at Amazon $80 at Best Buy $90 at B&H Photo Video Pros Very compact No drivers required Supports M-Disc and BDXL formats Cons Slower read/write speeds Requires two USB connections The LG Ultra Slim Portable Blu-ray/DVD Writer lives up to its name in terms of form factor. This drive is just 2 inches thick, making it one of the most compact devices on our list. It’s a solid option for anyone who needs to burn archival or high-capacity Blu-ray discs for data storage. The write speeds aren’t the fastest, but it supports both M-Disc and BDXL discs and is cheaper than many drives with this technology. M-Discs are an archival media format (this drive comes bundled with a Verbatim M-Disc), and BDXL discs are high-capacity Blu-ray formats that hold several times the data of standard Blu-rays. One downside is that it requires two USB connections: one to your computer and another to a power supply. The short length of the included cords can make it tricky to connect them to a wall adapter if needed. Blu-Ray Write Speed: 6x | Blu-Ray Read Speed: 6x | 4K UHD Support: No | Compatibility: Mac, Windows, Vista Should You Buy a Blu-ray Player? Best Design Pioneer BDR-XU03 PHOTO: Amazon $190 at Amazon Pros Vertical orientation Supports BDXL format Intelligent playback modes Cons Expensive Software compatible with Mac only The Pioneer BDR-XUO3 is compatible with macOS and reflects the sleek aesthetic of Apple products in its design. This slim drive measures 5.2 x 0.8 x 5.2 inches and weighs about half a pound. It has a durable magnesium body and a stand to be vertically oriented with an even more compact footprint. But this Blu-ray drive has a few other standout features. It supports the high-capacity BDXL disc format and has intelligent playback modes, including PowerRead, PureRead2+, and Auto Quiet. The PowerRead and PureRead2+ modes automatically provide smoother playback for music and movies, and the Auto Quiet mode automatically reduces the sound of the disc in the drive. These modes emphasize the BDR-XUO3 as a disc reader and writer and a device suitable for media playback. Blu-Ray Write Speed: 6x | Blu-Ray Read Speed: 6x | 4K UHD Support: No | Compatibility: Mac Should You Buy a Blu-ray Player? What to Look For in an External Desktop Blu-ray Drive Writing and Rewriting The most basic Blu-ray drives are helpful only for playing Blu-ray movies. If you want to burn Blu-ray discs, you can look for one capable of writing or rewriting. Drives that can write and rewrite Blu-ray discs are more flexible, but rewritable Blu-ray discs can’t store as much information as regular ones. Compatibility There are two compatibility issues to look out for with an external Blu-ray player: port type and operating system. Blu-ray players that support USB 3.0 transfer data faster, but that doesn’t help if your computer has only USB 2.0 ports. In that same vein, some external Blu-ray drives only work with Windows, others only with Macs, and some can be used with both. Speed Speed isn't a big concern if you only want an external Blu-ray drive to watch movies. But if you want to rip Blu-ray movies to your hard drive or burn Blu-ray discs, a faster drive will save you a lot of time. FAQ Can you read a DVD in a Blu-Ray drive? Yes, both CDs and DVDs are compatible with Blu-Ray drives, and there are combo drives that can burn discs of all three types as well. By contrast, DVD drives cannot read Blu-Ray media. What are the advantages of Blu-Ray? Blu-Ray delivers excellent image quality (up to 4K Ultra HD) and some of the best audio possible in physical media. Blu-Ray can deliver 7.1 audio, meaning up to seven channels of distinct sound and subwoofer support for low-end audio. Is Blu-Ray better than streaming? Blu-Ray media can deliver a superior experience versus streaming video, which heavily relies on your internet connection and the bandwidth available to your device. While Blu-Ray is becoming obsolete, it remains one of the best ways to experience films and television. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit