AfterDawn: News

LG introduces three new Blu-ray drives

The large electronics company LG has announced it will be releasing three new PC Blu-ray drives with a price range of $200 USD to $380 USD.

The three drives, the BE06, GBC-H20L, and GBW-H20L are the latest in a successful line from LG. The BE06 is an external model which connects through a USB 2.0 port. It is supposed to be compatible with "all" Blu-ray disc formats, as well as all CD and DVD formats. The drive however, can only write DVDs and CDs at up to 16x and 24x speeds respectively and read BD-R at 6x speed. BD-REs can stream at 2x. That drive will cost $380 USD.



The other two models are internal drives and the GBW-H20L is the only of the three that can write Blu-rays. It "has a read/write capacity of 6x for BD-R discs, and 2x for BD-RE. A 16x speed is retained for DVD+RW/-RW in both models." The models are listed as $200 USD and $280 USD, respectively.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 3 Jun 2008 18:04

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• 22 comments

• H0bbes

  Quote:It "has a read/write capacity of 6x for BD-R discs, and 2x for BD-RE. A 16x speed is retained for DVD+RW/-RW in both models." The models are listed as $200 USD and $280 USD, respectively. That is not a bad price at all.

  3.6.2008 18:23 #1

• Stu_dent

  Well until blu-ray becomes mainstream I think we can safely say "who cares" at the moment!
  
  But like h0bbes says it ain't a bad price if blu-ray were to catch on, though no chance of us in the UK seening those prices no doubt we will get shafted and forced to pay £200 and £280 ($400 and $560, respectively)

  3.6.2008 18:28 #2

• ZippyDSM

  why is it so slow for BD-R's, quirks in the BR/lens spec?

  3.6.2008 19:14 #3

• juankerr

  Originally posted by ZippyDSM: why is it so slow for BD-R's, quirks in the BR/lens spec?The rotational speeds and throughputs are totally different for DVD and Bluray drives. A 2x read speed on a BD drive is closer to a 12x minimum read speed on a DVD drive:
  
  
  

  3.6.2008 19:32 #4

• ZippyDSM

  juankerr
  you dun killed mew brain cells with your fancy math...
  LOL
  
  let me re ask..... it seems there is a different read speed in BD-R and BD, is this so then why if not I need to uncross my eyes and learn to read =0-o=

  3.6.2008 19:36 #5

• NexGen76

  I got my BD/HD-DVD Rom for 150 buck from pricegrabber like a month ago.Prices are falling.

  3.6.2008 19:49 #6

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by NexGen76: I got my BD/HD-DVD Rom for 150 buck from pricegrabber like a month ago.Prices are falling.Older units that might have quirks are falling in price new unit prices are waffeing above 200 tho, need to get new units to under 200 ASAP for BR to to replace DVD within a 5 year span.

  3.6.2008 20:01 #7

• oappi

  if lg includes powerdvd they have a deal =). Btw is there any free players (software) that are able to play blu-ray movies?

  3.6.2008 20:59 #8

• 7thsinger

  That's not a bad price.
  
  I'm still hoping they drop below $200.00 Fairly soon. Then i'll buy one.

  3.6.2008 23:08 #9

• canuckerz

  Pity the standalones are dropping in price as quickly as the burners.

  3.6.2008 23:32 #10

• glassd

  Quote:Originally posted by ZippyDSM: why is it so slow for BD-R's, quirks in the BR/lens spec?The rotational speeds and throughputs are totally different for DVD and Bluray drives. A 2x read speed on a BD drive is closer to a 12x minimum read speed on a DVD drive:
  
  
  Juankerr, that is un-fair, logic and fact will not be tolerated.

  4.6.2008 08:03 #11

• ZippyDSM

  Quote:Quote:Originally posted by ZippyDSM: why is it so slow for BD-R's, quirks in the BR/lens spec?The rotational speeds and throughputs are totally different for DVD and Bluray drives. A 2x read speed on a BD drive is closer to a 12x minimum read speed on a DVD drive:
  
  
  Juankerr, that is un-fair, logic and fact will not be tolerated.I was reading wrong again 0-o

  4.6.2008 10:09 #12

• glassd

  Nothing directed at you Zippy. Just to many uneducated comments that are made in general.

  4.6.2008 12:12 #13

• FredBun

  only bd-r, how about bd+r?

  11.6.2008 23:39 #14

• error5

  Originally posted by FredBun: only bd-r, how about bd+r?FredBun: There is no such thing as BD+R. There are 2 types of BluRay recordable media:
  
  BD-R - write-once media
  BD-RE - re-writable media
  
  
  http://www.emedialive.com/articles/reada...cleid=11397#iib
  http://www.blu-raydisc.info/format_spec/re1_specs.php
  

  Pioneer Kuro 50" PDP-5010FD 1080p Plasma With 24fps input and 3:3 72Hz Playback - ISF Calibrated
  Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player// Sony PS3 60GB - soon to be replaced by the Panasonic DMP-BD50
  Marantz SR6001 Surround Sound Receiver With HDMI// B&W604/602/LCR600 // Hsu Research VTF3 Subwoofer
  HD DVD Titles - 85 // BluRay Titles - 63 (and counting)
  

  12.6.2008 01:00 #15

• FredBun

  OK, reason I asked was I always record with dvd+r's, I always prefered the + over the -, wonder why with bluray you dont get that option.

  12.6.2008 01:11 #16

• juankerr

  Originally posted by FredBun: OK, reason I asked was I always record with dvd+r's, I always prefered the + over the -, wonder why with bluray you dont get that option.DVD+R (DVD+RW Alliance) and DVD-R (DVD Forum) are competing formats which initially led to confusion.
  
  BluRay has only BD-R/BD-RE. There is no competition and therefore no confusion.

  12.6.2008 01:19 #17

• FredBun

  So they say, still I'd rather have had the option, I prefered the pluses for a reason, there go's sony again with thier cram it down our throats take it or leave it mentality, sad.

  12.6.2008 01:28 #18

• juankerr

  Originally posted by FredBun: So they say, still I'd rather have had the option, I prefered the pluses for a reason, there go's sony again with thier cram it down our throats take it or leave it mentality, sad.Your logic eludes me.
  
  First of all, the BDA is not just Sony. The BD-R/-RE specs were formulated and approved by all the members of the BDA.
  
  Secondly, one single recordable format leads to less consumer confusion and eliminates the need for hybrid drives. It also results in less compatibility problems with players. I remember my father buying his first DVD burner which only supported +R discs. I didn't know this so I got him -R blanks which I had to return. Then the +R burns he did wouldn't play in his DVD player. Those were the days when hybrid drives were still not the norm.
  
  Having multiple formats is not necessarily a good thing.
  
  One format = less consumer confusion + less compatibility problems.

  12.6.2008 01:45 #19

• FredBun

  I stand corrected, I thought BDA was sony, also I do not disagree with you about confusion, even though the confusion was minor just my opinion, but you also proved my point a little, e.g. how your Dad got screwed, and yes he did, just like I might get screwed if I ever buy a bluray player will that mean I won't be able to play all my movies I burned with dvd+r's, bluray players from what I understand will also play standard dvd's, but as far as home made one's will it play dvd-r only?

  12.6.2008 02:07 #20

• error5

  Originally posted by FredBun: just like I might get screwed if I ever buy a bluray player will that mean I won't be able to play all my movies I burned with dvd+r's, bluray players from what I understand will also play standard dvd's, but as far as home made one's will it play dvd-r only?Easy solution: research the specs of your prospective player.
  
  For example the Panasonic DMP-BD30:
  
  http://www.blu-ray.com/players/players.php?id=5&show=specs
  
  Compatible DVD media: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-R DL, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, and DVD - RAM
  

  Pioneer Kuro 50" PDP-5010FD 1080p Plasma With 24fps input and 3:3 72Hz Playback - ISF Calibrated
  Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player// Sony PS3 60GB - soon to be replaced by the Panasonic DMP-BD50
  Marantz SR6001 Surround Sound Receiver With HDMI// B&W604/602/LCR600 // Hsu Research VTF3 Subwoofer
  HD DVD Titles - 85 // BluRay Titles - 63 (and counting)
  

  12.6.2008 02:20 #21

• FredBun

  GREAT, It was a nice link, I even joined, thank you.

  12.6.2008 02:34 #22