It's been a couple of months since Blu-ray was ordained as the next generation high-definition (HD) successor to the DVD format but when it comes to practical choices for the average consumer, there are still perhaps less than a handful for the PC. This is a perception LG hopes to change by introducing an external version of its fastest 6x Blu-ray rewriter and HD DVD-ROM drive currently, the plainly named BE06.

With the dimensions of an external hard drive (of the 3.5-inch variety) and weighing around 1.5kg, the LG BE06 is not exactly the most portable of devices, though that's understandable as there's a limit to how far one can shrink such devices. The enclosure protecting the optical drive inside the BE06 is an attractive, glossy black and white, which is hence susceptible to fingerprint smudges. The eject button on the BE06 is touch sensitive, which fits in with its overall polished image.

Unlike external hard drives that may have eSATA or FireWire options, you connect the BE06 to the computer solely through the included USB 2.0 cable. While USB 2.0 is pretty fast, you may prefer to burn your data from the PC's hard drive instead of doing so directly from a source disc or drive.

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Danny
DVD News Editor
http://www.dvd-and-media.com