LG Electronics BDXL Drive - External, Black (WP50NB40)

This unit replace an identical one that worked for many years, but started having errors. The prior version of this BD disk writer had been used for many years to make backup disks of important documents that we store in a safe deposit box at our bank. This replacement model writes data disks without errors. It is not high speed, but that is why it can write over 100,000 data files in one copy job without errors. It is important to use two USB ports to provide sufficient power without errors, I find that a USB 3 link for the data port and a USB wall charger for extra power works best.Do NOT install or use the software that is included with the device.Use the built-in driver and disk writing app on your PC/laptop for writing and reading disks.

I was leery getting this, but since computers don't come with optical drives anymore and I like burning my backups to a blank Blu-Ray Drive, so I had to find a replacement quick (and with little cash at hand). I've been very pleased with this, it works great and didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

***Final Update***Make MKV and Handbrake = the way to go when you want the best quality ripping.**Further Update**DOES NOT support 4k.**A little bit of an update**Great little device, you can't go wrong, unless your ONLY purpose is to RIP Blu-Rays and want to dish out another couple hundred for an ASUS 6x ripper AND have a CPU that can support that speed.Second counter to negative reviews: The longevity. Don't try to RIP multiple files at once, or yes, your device will last about 2 days. RIP only 1 file at a time.Third counter to negative reviews: Software. To RIP Blu-Rays you have 3 real choices of software:- 1st: Handbrake or VLCThese are free but do not support encrypted Blu-Ray movies.- EasyFabInexpensive for lifetime use, easy to use, simple interface, useful tools. Doesn't do HVEC (x265) encoding which is far superior to x264, doesn't crop videos, doesn't support latest NVIDIA's gimmicky hardware, and doesn't do 4k rips.- DVDFabFeels like pirated software with Wukong ( a Chinese deity that is like a cross between Satan and Loki ) as a logo and a clunky/bloated interface. However, this will encode in x265, does support NVIDIA's gimmicky hardware, does rip 4k, does auto iTunes tagging that is mostly correct, does auto crop that is usually okay, and does bypass any and all encryptions. The problem is, it's Chinese, their terms of service blatantly tells you they will sell your information to shady people, and it's hella expensive at 140 bucks.Best Tool for iTunes Tagging and DVD Rips:Hands down: Aimersoft UltimateNo other tool comes close. This is beyond comparison the best bang for the buck video software that is on the market. Excellent tools, useful options, clean interface, good support, and inexpensive for what you get. Just make sure you set in the preferences to convert only 1 file at a time, if you are RIPPING a DVD.Best video players for playing Blu-Rays- VLC is the open-source one that everyone loves- Gom is the one I like. Gom has annoying ads, but more than makes up for it in useful tools, customization and out-of-the box support for video and audio formats. A firewall solved my ad problem with Gom.

If you are just using this as a Blu Ray Disc reader for your local region Blu Rays, it works great, and comes with software that you can use to play the Blu Ray Discs. As I am a software developer and have used a lot of different softwares similar to this in the past, I can't really speak on it's ease of use. I didn't have any problems with it other than the region lock issue I mention below. It does require 2 USB ports to run, so if you have a limited number of those you may need a hub to use the drive. The end that plugs into the disk drive is a Micro USB.If you are planning on using this for more than one region, the out of the box software will only let you change the region 5 times. In order to change the region the first time in their software (PowerDVD 18), I had to delete the region file, otherwise it would not let me change the region despite there being a settings menu to change the region (the region setting itself was grayed out until I removed the file). If you are more technical, you may be able to get around the change limit using registry changes or modifying the file that stores the Blu Ray Region. There is more information on doing that online.Side note, the software that the drive comes with is not the most recent version of the software. Mine came with PowerDVD 18 (along with some other software listed in the screenshot. I did not install all of the software available through the installer, so there are a few more options available.) It does also come with a firmware update, but that update cannot be applied while there is a disk in the drive, so if you use the disk drive to install the software, it will tell you it failed to update the firmware. You can also download the firmware update through their website, but not the software due to "licensing restrictions".

Good quality. Works perfectly

It's held up multiple years! I wrote a whole bunch of blu ray disks with it, and it still reads and rips CDs and everything like it's meant to! The cord connection is a little loose, I think I got a defected one for cheaper, but it works fine. Love it!

Worked great for the first 30 DVD/Blu-Rays I put into it. then it started not recognizing disks that are new out of the box. Would gently wipe the sensor, and it would recognize the same disk. tried another disk. same issue. and its only getting worse and worst. only had this for a month. terrible product. I wish i read the other reviews before buying. stay clear on this. You get what you pay for. if you want a good blu-ray read/writer, you need to spend good money. avoid this at all costs.

Great drive if u know how to setup libredrive