While picking out the right Blu-Ray burner might not take as much time and energy as shopping for a new video card or motherboard, there are still some important decisions to consider. You’ll want to decide on either an internal or external drive and look at technical specifications like cache size, burn speed, and access time. Make sure you pick a model with an interface type that matches what you have available and consider what load type— slot or tray loading— is better for your setup.
Internal vs External Drive
Internal
Internal devices are installed inside your computer case and connect directly to your motherboard, usually through a SATA or similar connection. These devices are typically the fastest ones you can choose, but once installed, you cannot easily use them with a different computer.
External
External Blu-ray burners, on the other hand, are not actually installed into your system and simply connect to your computer through a USB or eSATA port. These burners are sometimes slower than internal models, but it is very easy to unplug them and connect them to a different computer on the fly.
If you only need to use your burner with one computer and want the best speed possible while minimizing desktop clutter, then pick an internal drive. However, if you want to be able to use your burner with different computers and do not mind having another device in your workspace, then an external model is the way to go.
Cache Size
The cache size, or cache memory, represents physical memory in the Blu-ray burner used to temporarily store data before transferring it to a computer or writing it to a disc. This is a pretty simple specification and more memory/larger cache size is better. You should look for a burner with at least a full 1MB of memory, but 4MB or more is definitely preferable. This helps ensure fast, smooth burning and minimizes opportunities for data corruption.
Burn Speed
Quite simply, burn speed indicates the maximum speed at which data can be written to a disc. In general, most Blu-ray burners have about the same speed for older media types like DVD and CDs, so really look at Blu-ray write speed. At the very least you should pick a model with a maximum speed of 12X (especially for an external device) but a speed of 16X is preferable.
An internal burner should have a maximum speed of 16X to ensure fast writing, but external devices usually burn a bit slower. One thing to keep in mind is that burn speeds to rewritable discs (BD-RE) are often much slower, so look at BD-R speed for burning to a standard Blu-Ray disc.
Interface Type
The interface type of a Blu-Ray burner refers to the type of physical connection used by a device to install it inside a computer or connect it to a system. For internal devices, you are almost always going to find models that use SATA connections, though there are a few out there that use USB ports to connect internally to your motherboard.
External devices are a bit more varied, and you can find both USB and SATA connections, meant to plug into an eSATA port on your system. As long as you have a SATA connection available, choose that option for an internal device. The physical connection on an external burner can introduce some bottlenecking, so look for either an eSATA connection or USB 3.0 to ensure optimal speed and performance.
Access Time
The access time, also referred to as BD-ROM access time, indicates how long it takes for a drive to receive a request for data from a system and then fulfill it. What it comes down to is that you want to find a burner that receives and relays data quickly, which means lower times are better.
Look for an access time of less than 200ms for an internal device, while external devices will probably be closer to about 240ms. Anything above 300ms is going to be noticeably slower than other models when accessing data, so you probably want to avoid models with such high times.
Load Type
There are primarily two different ways in which you can load a disc into a Blu-Ray burner, either through a slot or via a moving tray.
Slot-Loading
Slot loading models are good because you have fewer moving parts to deal with. This greatly reduces the chance of failure of physical components.
Tray-Loading
While tray models are the most common, they also can be problematic. The mechanism that moves the tray in and out is more likely to fail which often happens over time with these models.
Top-Loading
External devices may also come with a top-loading design. This is where the top of the burner opens up at the push of a button and you set a disc inside the device.
Ultimately, the load type is a pretty minor concern, but you should make sure you pick a model that fits with your system. Simply determine if you need room for a tray to move out from the burner when ejected, or to open up the top of an external top-loading model.
Additional Features
As you consider different Blu-ray burners, keep in mind any extra features and options provided by various models. The software included with a burner can be very important, including both burning programs as well as software for reading data. If you want to play Blu-ray movies through your computer, then you should definitely look for a burner that includes software for playing media.
You should also consider models with M-DISC support, which is a type of media designed to withstand heat, erosion, and weathering. If you want to keep your data around as long as possible, M-DISC is worth looking for, though you then need appropriate Blu-ray discs.
Manufacturer and Warranty
Like any other device or computer peripheral, you want to make sure you choose a reliable manufacturer that stands by their product and covers it with a solid warranty. Companies like LG, ASUS, and Pioneer all make excellent Blu-ray burners. You can also look for manufacturers of general Blu-ray players such as Samsung and Sony. A one-year warranty is pretty standard for Blu-ray burners, but you should definitely not pick a model with a shorter period of protection.