Windows 7: Blu-ray Player for my Computer

BinkerNate · 30 Dec 2010

I have a Gateway SX2802 Desktop, complete witha DVD plater; I want to replace the DVD Player with a Blu-ray player but dont know which is the best one nor which is compatible with this particular desktop. Any suggestions, ideas, etc?

Johnathan Lyman · 30 Dec 2010

The biggest thing you want to make note of is if you have an available SATA port on your motherboard. There is not enough bandwidth available over and IDE channel/cable for blu-ray.

If you want to just read BDs, my recommendation is Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Disc Reader Model iHOS104-08 (USD $60)

If you want to burn, Newegg.com - LG Black 10X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Disc Combo Model UH10LS20 LightScribe Support - Blu-Ray Drives (USD $77)

At 4x, you can rip a BD-50 disc in about an hour to hour fifteen.

I have this Newegg.com - PLEXTOR Black 6X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM USB External BD Combo Super Multi Drive Model PX-B310U

I picked it up on sale for like $80 because I had a laptop at the time and a sony blu ray drive for my laptop was over $200. It works pretty well for being over USB 2.0.

BinkerNate · 30 Dec 2010

I don't know about the SATA port, that's something maybe for Geek Squad; but yeah, I have no current plans for burning discs. Though, because we rarely burn DVDs on this, since that first option has a DVD feature as well, I wonder if we can burn DVDs with it when a time comes where we might want to burn with the DVD player again.

Is it easy or is it preferred to have a professional install a blu-ray driver on this desktop?

Johnathan Lyman · 30 Dec 2010

If you're comfortable with opening your case, it's as easy as working with four screws and plugging in two cables (one sata, one power)

This is what a sata port looks like:

Even on retail boxes, you have at least two. New retail boxes are coming with sata optical drives now anyways.

There are typically no drivers to install.

Tepid · 30 Dec 2010

Any Reader will only read discs. The first one listed above, will not burn anything.

The second one, ill burn both DVD's and BD's.
Look for the RW (Read/Write) and that will tell you.

The third one is actually not too bad... Plextor is a good Quality name and it's USB so you can use it anywhere as long as the video card can handle Hi-Def, if that is what you would be watching. All modern PC's of the last 2 years should be able to without a problem, going older you will need to test.

Zepher · 30 Dec 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Tepid

Any Reader will only read discs. The first one listed above, will not burn anything.

The second one, ill burn both DVD's and BD's.
Look for the RW (Read/Write) and that will tell you.

The third one is actually not too bad... Plextor is a good Quality name and it's USB so you can use it anywhere as long as the video card can handle Hi-Def, if that is what you would be watching. All modern PC's of the last 2 years should be able to without a problem, going older you will need to test.

Second one Burns CD and DVD's and plays BluRays.

I have a Lite-On reader in one machine and an LG HD-DVD/BluRay/DVD combo drive in my main machine.

Bluray on a PC is nice to have but can be finicky at times.
The 2 mainstream Bluray programs are PowerDVD and Total Media Theater.

I also have a stand alone Panasonic Player that I use most of the time since it almost guaranteed to play without issues.

linnemeyerhere · 30 Dec 2010

BinkerNate,
My suggestion is to leave your DVD drive in place and install the Blu-Ray drive under or over it in an available drive bay. You will have the power plug loose in the case for this drive and then all you will need to do is install the sata cable to the mobo sata header. All easy stuff and the next boot the system will see the drive and then you can install the blu-ray drive provided with the new optical drive.

Zepher · 30 Dec 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by linnemeyerhere

BinkerNate,
My suggestion is to leave your DVD drive in place and install the Blu-Ray drive under or over it in an available drive bay. You will have the power plug loose in the case for this drive and then all you will need to do is install the sata cable to the mobo sata header. All easy stuff and the next boot the system will see the drive and then you can install the blu-ray drive provided with the new optical drive.

his machine looks like a slim unit with 1 drive bay.

Tepid · 30 Dec 2010

BD-ROM: 10XDVD-ROM: 16XDVD+R: 16XDVD+RW: 8XDVD-R: 16XDVD-RW:

Yeah, my bad,, sorry about that.

linnemeyerhere · 30 Dec 2010

Zepher,
You're correct it is a slim line with the optical drive in a vertical array and it doesn't appear to have any optical drive slots free.

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