Buffalo MediaStation 8X External Blu-ray Writer

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Buffalo MediaStation 8X External Blu-ray Writer

Jayesh Limaye, Nov 12, 2008 1758 hrs IST

Now create Blu-ray discs on the go with this new external Blu-ray writer.

Good performance, Reads and writes Blu-ray, DVD and CDs, eSATA, USB 2.0, Adequate bundle.

Very expensive, No standalone playback.

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The format war has long been won by Blu-ray and it is therefore not surprising that we see new Blu-ray drives being launched often. It has been a trend with optical drives that whenever an internal drive is launched, an external counterpart for the same is soon introduced.

Japanese manufacturer Buffalo has recently launched its MediaStation BR-816SU2 external Blu-ray writer capable of writing to BD-R at 8x, which is the fastest available today.

These come with not just USB 2.0, but also the newer and faster interface with a growing popularity - eSATA. It is not just usable as a backup drive, but can also entertain you by playing the latest BD titles. For the first time, we have an external Blu-ray writer in our test labs and we will put it to the test to find out how well it fares.

Bundle

Buffalo MediaStation 8X External Blu-ray Writer BR-816SU2

eSATA cable

eSATA bracket

USB data cable

Power adapter with cable

User Guide

Warranty Statement

Blank Blu-ray Disc (BD-R SL)

Installation CD

Buffalo has sensibly provided all the required cables. It even provides an eSATA bracket - useful if your PC doesn't feature such a port but has an internal SATA port. Including a BD-R is a good step, because you get your first taste of how it feels to write BD discs.

While a BD player has been bundled along, Buffalo did not include any Blu-ray title with the drive; something we would have liked to see. The installation CD has an easy to understand setup wizard that guides you through the process of installing this drive.