LG 8x USB Portable External Slim Blu-ray Burner Drive BP50NB40

good, portable, fast, powerful, Expensive. These are all the things I look for in a Blu Ray Read Writer, However one of the criteria was not fulfilled which was expensive, but that doesn't matter anyway. This drive plays anything, DVDs, CDs, CD ROMs, DVD ROMs, HD DVD, Blu Ray, BDXLs. It doesn't even matter if it is regionless, it will just play it anyway. The only disadvantage of this little thing is that it eats up 2 USB 2.0 Ports on my computer, but then again, what do you expect if you have to supply both power and Data to a computer thing with Servos in it. Overall ----> GOOD

Got it as a way to to get my physical DVD/Blu-ray collection on to a NAS device so I could use Plex on the local network Cons Has the old USB Micro connection for its USB 2.0 These are not the most robust connector, Speed wise USB 2.0 is fine as the data speed of USB 2 is faster than the max read speed of any physical optical-mechanical drive. The original Firmware is "Big Studio" Friendly as in there are only so many DVD Region changes available. Pros The firmware can be updated/changed. If you don't know how then you should not be attempting this. With said Firmware it should be able to read UHD Blu-Rays... This drive seems to work fine under Linux. Works for Blu-rays and DVDs Disclaimer Have not written any media as I do not have any media to write to or plan to ... MoreGot it as a way to to get my physical DVD/Blu-ray collection on to a NAS device so I could use Plex on the local network Cons Has the old USB Micro connection for its USB 2.0 These are not the most robust connector, Speed wise USB 2.0 is fine as the data speed of USB 2 is faster than the max read speed of any physical optical-mechanical drive. The original Firmware is "Big Studio" Friendly as in there are only so many DVD Region changes available. Pros The firmware can be updated/changed. If you don't know how then you should not be attempting this. With said Firmware it should be able to read UHD Blu-Rays... This drive seems to work fine under Linux. Works for Blu-rays and DVDs Disclaimer Have not written any media as I do not have any media to write to or plan to write/author anything at this stage. large portions of this review have been removed before publishing so as to comply with the gist of NZ copyright law as to instruct how to do is kind of not favored by law where saying it can is not a problem.

I still collect / buy physical media, Bluray, DVD, Games but I sold my old work station about two years ago and upgraded. My old PC had an LG Bluray Drive in it of which was the perfect workhorse. I was planning on purchasing an external drive for my new build anyway since my new case doesn't allow for a BD Drive to be mounted, plus I wanted my new build to have a clean aesthetic without the noticeable clunky BD Drive. Read a lot of great reviews on this item, so I though why not jump at it, it's slim and stealthy looking which is what I was looking for in an external drive and it also needed to be silent whilst running. Packaging: Comes package really well inside it's tiny box which has nothing more than a picture of the unit and a few manufacturer details printed ... MoreI still collect / buy physical media, Bluray, DVD, Games but I sold my old work station about two years ago and upgraded. My old PC had an LG Bluray Drive in it of which was the perfect workhorse. I was planning on purchasing an external drive for my new build anyway since my new case doesn't allow for a BD Drive to be mounted, plus I wanted my new build to have a clean aesthetic without the noticeable clunky BD Drive. Read a lot of great reviews on this item, so I though why not jump at it, it's slim and stealthy looking which is what I was looking for in an external drive and it also needed to be silent whilst running. Packaging: Comes package really well inside it's tiny box which has nothing more than a picture of the unit and a few manufacturer details printed on the outside, I'm glad manufacturers are finally moving away from the ugly plastic clam shells and are keeping things environmentally friendly with recyclable materials. The drive was held snuggly by a couple of soft foam pads to prevent it from moving around during transit, inside the box has it's double ended USB power / data cable, a CD with bundled software and a small instructional leaflet. Aesthetics: The unit is typical of a stealth looking drive, you almost wont even notice it on your workstation because of it's slim design and dark color theme. Powering and Data transfer: It is recommended to use both USB connectors as one utilizes a single USB port to feed a sufficient amount of power to run it and the other for data transfer, buyer beware, using only one USB port would cripple it's performance and it may struggle to read or transfer data from your media disc especially Bluray disc's that hold more information. Installation and OS compatibility: The unit presented no issues with installation and was immediately detected upon plugging it into two free USB 3 ports on my Windows 11 PC, yes, this unit will run on a Windows 11 PC with the latest 22H2 update build version 22622.601 installed. User awareness, be sure you have x2 USB (either USB 2 or USB 3) ports free like I previously mentioned, this requires x2 USB ports to run at it's full potential. Use and performance: Ejection button is very responsive and the disc mounts securely into place, the tray slides in and out freely and locks securely into it's closed position, the supplied software disc spun up almost immediately upon closure of the disc tray which presented a few typical clicks and whines as the disc spun up. The unit presented no issues reading or playing back data, DVD's and Bluray discs although I haven't yet written or burned any media to disc (as I don't have any blank disc's) but I'll try that out at a later time. The drive is really quiet, I couldn't hear it working which is a good thing, there was no heat detected coming off of the tiny unit and the USB cables provided must have been doing extremely well with feeding power to it as unit didn't seem to fluctuate during playback of any media. The bundled software included on the CD disc is Cyberlink Media Suit 15, I wont go into what apps were included as I most likely wont be using any of them since I have my own personal preferences already installed on my PC anyway. Now for the downside which isn't really a downside but just me being nitpicky... For those who have a huge work station and have their PC's sitting under their desktop, you would need to have your PC close enough to manage a suitable or permanent spot for it to sit as the cables for this unit are not that long that they can be conveniently routed cleanly from USB ports at the rear of your PC, perhaps I would recommend that you'd use a couple of USB extension cables or a USB hub extension to have placement options. Other than the short cable, I'm very happy with the unit as it will more than likely be used simply to backup my physical media library to my PC and nothing more. Would I recommend this unit? more than likely yes to those who are looking for a slim, quite external drive for either using with their desktop workstations or mobile laptops.

Cheap build, poor experience and performance

On unboxing I tried peeling back what I thought was electronic film on the case since it is riddled with air bubbles. I discovered that it wasn't removable and is just a super crappy build. The tray that holds the disc feels like it could snap with little effort. Then I realized how hard it was to hook up to my MacBook Pro, which I consider a major design flaw. I had to buy two USB adapters that were thin enough to connect on the same side since the provided cord is daisy chained with a very short second connection cable. I was willing to look the other way on all this, but then it would only recognize discs some of the time. I tried multiple times with different discs under a number of conditions and it just doesn't reliably recognize discs. That is a deal-breaker ... MoreOn unboxing I tried peeling back what I thought was electronic film on the case since it is riddled with air bubbles. I discovered that it wasn't removable and is just a super crappy build. The tray that holds the disc feels like it could snap with little effort. Then I realized how hard it was to hook up to my MacBook Pro, which I consider a major design flaw. I had to buy two USB adapters that were thin enough to connect on the same side since the provided cord is daisy chained with a very short second connection cable. I was willing to look the other way on all this, but then it would only recognize discs some of the time. I tried multiple times with different discs under a number of conditions and it just doesn't reliably recognize discs. That is a deal-breaker and very frustrating! I also could register through LG website and was told to email LG my product info. I did this and never got a response. This is my first experience with LG and I definitely will steer clear in the future.

Drag and drop fails

Out of the box, this drive has been the Worst we have ever bought. Upon insertion of a BDR, Windows immediately pops up a dialog asking which format to use, we always select the drag and drop formatting ("large floppy..."), as we have done with other CDRW and DVDRW drives over the decades. This drive seems ok during the initial format. But the first drag and drop action (the system indicates the copy process is done, as usually occurs on other burners), upon removing the disk, or simply powering the system down and back up, the drive fails to act as drag/drop - Instead, the system displays "There is a problem with this drive, allow Windows to repair it ..." The repair process worked the first time this error appeared, but there after, the disk is closed, no further ... MoreOut of the box, this drive has been the Worst we have ever bought. Upon insertion of a BDR, Windows immediately pops up a dialog asking which format to use, we always select the drag and drop formatting ("large floppy..."), as we have done with other CDRW and DVDRW drives over the decades. This drive seems ok during the initial format. But the first drag and drop action (the system indicates the copy process is done, as usually occurs on other burners), upon removing the disk, or simply powering the system down and back up, the drive fails to act as drag/drop - Instead, the system displays "There is a problem with this drive, allow Windows to repair it ..." The repair process worked the first time this error appeared, but there after, the disk is closed, no further files can be added, and the 25GB disc is trash after only 2 GB of data is written. The properties of the drive are set to "DO NOT 'FINALIZE' upon disk removal", but this is exactly what is happening. After contacting LG, they promised to send another drive. It has been over a month, without further contact from LG. Of course, Best Buy (the retailer the drive was ordered from) refuses to refund, and defers to LG. 2nd contact with LG "I see your case, but (after a month) they are still determining the next step ..." and have not shipped a replacement. Normal CDRW DVDRW discs, so far, seem to be ok, but this cannot be depended on at this point when attempting to use Blu-Ray discs. We purchased this drive strictly for permanent, dependable archiving, but now realize the manufacturer is still unaware of the issue, or simply does not want to help. The software bundled with the drive (Cyberlink "Media Suite 10 for Blu-ray" OEM version has a copyright date of 2015, and though it claims to be Windows 10 compatible, will not install or run on any PC. Cyberlink, LG and Best Buy acknowledge the bundled software is "Crippled", but no one will do anything. We will continue burning our archives onto DVD RW and CD RW discs, since the are EXTREMELY RELIABLE for long term archiving.

Fast and Compatible

Got this unit to use as external burner for my HP laptop. It works flawlessly and without any issues. It burns all types of media that you could need. It came with software from Cyberlink which I wasn't all that keen on until I used the bundle included. Now it it quick and hassle free to use the included utility's. It also is MDISC compatible to allow for the authoring of life time archives. Highly recommend this great AIO burner and player unit.

Great external writer/reader!

I received this for a holiday present and couldn't be happier. It does exactly what I want and seems rugged enough to be portable. Write speeds are great for a device that uses USB 2.0, read speeds are great as well. The only slight negatives I've seen are the included software which works, but lacks newer functions unless you buy their upgrades. That's not really LG's fault, it's Cyberlink's, so I didn't take away a star. Overall if you're considering this reader/writer, get it.

LG External Blu-Ray drive

I bought this Blu-Ray drive a few weeks ago and it came with Cyberlink(CL) software. The CL software doesn't work very well. It played ok with standard DVD. But I found I had issues with standard Blu Ray. It would not play. I figured out why. A software bug forced an important message back to the primary desktop screen. Once I OK'd the message it finally worked for Blu-RAy display of the movie. Apparently this CL software has minimal functionality and you must purchase more expensive products to get all you want. CL support is not great. CL said it's not their problem, it's LG's problem. Neither is LG's support that great. LG recommended I download a free package called Leawo. It only plays Blu-Ray and standard DVD. I want to be able to PLAY/READ/WRITE/COPY and ... MoreI bought this Blu-Ray drive a few weeks ago and it came with Cyberlink(CL) software. The CL software doesn't work very well. It played ok with standard DVD. But I found I had issues with standard Blu Ray. It would not play. I figured out why. A software bug forced an important message back to the primary desktop screen. Once I OK'd the message it finally worked for Blu-RAy display of the movie. Apparently this CL software has minimal functionality and you must purchase more expensive products to get all you want. CL support is not great. CL said it's not their problem, it's LG's problem. Neither is LG's support that great. LG recommended I download a free package called Leawo. It only plays Blu-Ray and standard DVD. I want to be able to PLAY/READ/WRITE/COPY and CONVERT media. Needless to say I am very disappointed in the software supplied with the unit. You would think that LG/CL would have beta tested their product combo to see if it works properly???? The audio CD player played but not as the tutorial indicated (Missing software functions) I could not convert to MP3 at all. Disappointed for weeks!

Worst Purchase Ever!

I bought this as an external for my business’ Windows computer. We perform home inventory services for clients and wanted to offer video capture of their home’s belongings. The salesclerk at Best Buy recommended this product and I paid almost $100 for this device. I should have paid closer attention to the box... It is only Windows10 “compatible” which means it’s useless actually. I can’t believe that for as long as Windows-10 has been available to the public, LG can’t manufacture a product that actually works with this software! It was already a difficult decision to buy a Windows computer to begin with (MAC still “just works”), but it’s ridiculous that I will need to download a 3rd party’s software so that Windows can recognize that the device is connected and run ... MoreI bought this as an external for my business’ Windows computer. We perform home inventory services for clients and wanted to offer video capture of their home’s belongings. The salesclerk at Best Buy recommended this product and I paid almost $100 for this device. I should have paid closer attention to the box... It is only Windows10 “compatible” which means it’s useless actually. I can’t believe that for as long as Windows-10 has been available to the public, LG can’t manufacture a product that actually works with this software! It was already a difficult decision to buy a Windows computer to begin with (MAC still “just works”), but it’s ridiculous that I will need to download a 3rd party’s software so that Windows can recognize that the device is connected and run it. I’ve spoken to LG reps repeatedly and this review is based on the fact that they made me wait 10 days to tell me that LG was powerless to solve this problem on their own. Frustrated. For anyone who bought this to use with a Mac, you’re probably over the moon with happiness, which is what I expected to be my case) but now I’m regretting this purchase. This thing is going BACK to Best Buy!

poor design

I bought this writer not quite 4 years ago and it has had minimal use. Just recently it stopped writing to an M disc. It gave an error message but I had no idea where to decode the error message. Anyway I found that the electrical cord socket on the back of the blu-ray writer had come out of the machine. Upon further inspection I found that the electrical socket on the back of the writer was connected to a circuit board inside the writer by a few small copper wires. This is a horrible design. The socket should have been mechanically fastened to the writer case. So if you buy one of these do not plug and unplug the power cord on the back or it will separate from the circuit and leave you with an expense peace of junk. I expected better from LG.