Asus Debuts SBC-04D1S-U External Blu-ray Drive

Finally, a solution for that perplexing issue that hits netbook owners the hardest. Asus has placed its recent design cues onto a new external optical drive, but this is no normal external optical drive. Instead of just reading back DVDs and CDs, the SBC-04D1S-U External Slim BD-Combo Drive plays back Blu-ray Discs, promising high-def playback on any machine with a USB port and enough GPU power to handle the strain.


The unit even comes with a stylish stand, and frankly, the upright position reminds us a little of the slim PlayStation 2 console. It is capable of reading 4.8X BD-ROM/R/RE and writing 8X DVD+R/24X CD-R formats, while the Turbo Engine increases the connection performance between the USB cable and the external drive. The unit supports most all flavors of Windows and ships with CyberLink burning software, and with dimensions of just 157x142x21 mm (W x D x H) and a weight of 14.53 ounces, you'll barely even notice it in your carry-on. Per usual, there's no mention of a price or release date at the moment.

Specifications

Write Speed	DVD-R: 8X,- (CAV) DVD-RW: 6X,- (Z-CLV) DVD+R: 8X,- (CAV) DVD+RW: 8X,- (Z-CLV) DVD+R(DL): 4X,- (Z-CLV) DVD-R (DL): 4X,- (Z-CLV) CD-R: 24X,- ( Z-CLV ) CD-RW: 16X,- ( Z-CLV ) DVD-RAM: 5X
Read Speed	BD-ROM/R/RE: 4.8 X max. DVD-R(Single): 8 X max. DVD-RW(single): 8 X max. DVD+R(Single): 8 X max. DVD+RW(single): 8 X max. DVD-R(DL): 6 X max. DVD+R(DL): 6 X max. DVD-ROM (Single): 8 X max. DVD-ROM (Dual): 8 X max. DVD-RAM: 5 X max. CD-ROM: 24 X max. CD-RW: 24 X max. CD-R: 24 X max.
Access time	BD: 240 MS DVD: 200 MS CD: 200 MS
Writing Mode	DVD-R & DVD-R(DL): DAO(Disc-At-Once)/Incremental Recording (Multi-Border Recording) DVD-RW & DVD-RW (DL): DAO(Disc-At-Once)/Restricted Overwriting/Incremental Recording (Multi-Border Recording) DVD+R & DVD+R (DL): Sequential Recording (Multi-Session Recording) DVD+RW & DVD+RW (DL): Random Recording CD-R/RW: DAO(Disc-At-Once)/TAO(Track-At-Once)/SAO(Session-At-Once)/Packet Recording (Multi-Session Recording)
O/S Compatibility	Windows 2000 Windows NT XP compatible Vista compatible
Interface	USB2.0
Data Buffer	2 MB
Bundle Software	Cyberlink
Disc Formats	Write: DVD+/-RW,DVD+/-R,CD-R,CD-RW,DVD-RAM Read: BD-ROM,BD-R,BD-RE,DVD-ROM,DVD+/-RW,DVD+/-R,Photo CD,CD-DA,CD-Extra,CD-Text,CD-R,CD-RW,DVD-RAM
Disc Diameters	12cm/8cm
MTBF	60,000 Power On Hours Operating Duty Cycle (Read) 10 % POH Operating Duty Cycle (Write) 2 % POH
Mounting Orientation	Vertical and Horizontal ( +5 ° ~ -5 °)
Dimension(WxHxD)	157x142x21 mm (W x D x H)
Weight	412 g
Power Requirements	DC+5V ±5%,DC+12V ±10 %
Temperature	Operating: 5? to 40? Storage: -30? to 60?