A Review of the Best PC Blu Ray Players

Planning to upgrade your PC's existing internal DVD drive to a Blu-ray disc drive and wondering which is the best PC Blu Ray drive to buy? Or maybe you want an external USB blu-ray drive to plug into your laptop and want help selecting the best one for you? Well you're in the right place because this article is a guide to selecting the best PC Blu-ray players and Blu-ray drives depending on the features you need and want.

Internal or External Blu Ray Drive?

First off you'll need to decide if you want an internal or external BD drive. And secondly you'll need to determine whether you want a blu ray drive that simply plays blu ray discs or one that can write to them as well. Whatever your choices, you'll find the best blu ray player for your needs right here. Each drive on this page is extremely highly rated by their owners, offer easy installation, are reliable, and of course, deliver the high-def picture quality you are looking for.

Blu-ray technology is the latest disc format available on the market and the quality of movies recorded in BD are unsurpassed, but this doesn't mean that upgrading to blu ray is necessarily expensive. You'll see several of the PC blu ray players here selling at under $100 so they are well within reach. Blu ray has many advantages over DVD including being much more reliable and having five times the storage capacity. Blu Ray discs can store very large files like high definition movies and video games, plus all of your photos, music and documents. And thanks to Blu-ray technology, disk swapping from next generation consoles is all but a distant memory.

The first Blu-ray drive in this list of the best PC blu ray players is the Lite-On 4X SATA Blu-ray ROM Drive IHOS104-06. It is an internal Blu-ray drive and is perfect if you just want to upgrade your existing DVD or CD drive to one that will play Blu Ray disks. It does not record Blu Ray, but it does come with CyberLink PowerDVD software.

It does what you expect from a basic Blu-ray drive and has a very low price tag on it, perfect for people on a stiff budget but want to enjoy blu-ray movies on their computer or through their HTPC and home theatre. However, the package does not come with a SATA cable for connection to the motherboard so you will need to purchase a separate one for a few bucks.

Second on the list is the LG Electronics 10X Blu-ray SATA Writer Drive with Software WH10LS30K. This BD disk drive is also an internal Blu-ray drive but with more features than the previous Lite-On model. This LG Blu-ray drive is capable of writing data on Blu-ray disks as well as other compact disk formats like CD and DVD and is fast at 10X speed.

You can play Blu-ray media with this drive or create your own high definition videos. Unlike the Lite–On Blu-ray drive, you can find all the necessary cables inside the box. The package includes a software disk, SATA cable, 4 case screws and a MOLEX to SATA power converter cable. This drive works with common operating systems so you will have little to no problem installing this blu ray drive into your computer.

The third Blu-ray drive is the Blu-Ray USB External Player DVDRW. This drive can also write data and supports other disk formats like DVD and CD. The best things about this blu ray drive are its portability and low price. This drive is external and is used by plugging it into your a computer via the USB port, perfect for those of you who want to bring Blu-ray capability to multiple computers or devices.

It benefits from Plug and Play so no additional software is needed for this external blu ray drive. Power is supplied through the USB cable so you will not need any additional cables or power adapters either. The Blu-Ray USB External Player DVDRW supports USB 2.0 interface and is compatible with commonly used laptops and desktop PC’s.

The next drive on the list of best PC Blu-ray Players is the Pioneer BDR-205 Disk drive - BD-RE - 12x/2x/8x - Serial ATA - internal - 5.25". This Blu-ray drive from one of the most trusted component makers, Pioneer, is an internal drive and has a SATA interface. The Pioneer BDR-205 Disk drive is the world’s first 12x BD-R/BD-R DL optical drive, the fastest Blu-ray burner currently available.

It can write up to 12x speed on Blu-ray discs so if you are looking for a Blu-ray drive solely for writing discs, then this drive is the perfect choice. It also supports most recordable media discs like DVD and CD. Sadly, the box does not include any cable or screws so you will have to purchase these separately for a few dollars.

Last on the list is the Buffalo Technology MediaStation 8X External Blu-Ray Burner. This Blu-ray drive is external and connects to your computer or laptop via USB 2.0. The drive can also write on Blu-ray discs with a speed of 8x and 16x on DVD’s. Additionally, you can enjoy your movies in high definition with its HD up scaling feature, so it's great for movie buffs who want to see everything in high definition.

The only drawback on this drive is that it is not supported by versions of Microsoft Windows older than Windows 7, so if you've got Windows 7 you're good to go, if not then this blu ray drive is not for you unless you're thinking of upgrading your OS. You can install the drive using the included software disc simply and easily and without doubt this Buffalo Mediastation is one of the best PC blu ray players on the market.

All of the PC Blu-ray players discussed in this article have their own unique features and choosing the drive that is right for you will come down to which features you are looking for - the best PC blu ray player will be one that does what you want it to is easy to install and is reliable.

If you're just looking for a drive with the basic features of a Blu-ray drive to play your Blu Ray disks and you want an internal drive, then I'd definitely recommend the Lite-On 4X SATA Blu-ray ROM Drive. If you're looking for a complete Blu-ray experience including the ability to write blu ray disks, HD upscaling, along with portability, then the Buffalo Technology MediaStation 8X External Blu-Ray Burner is an excellent choice. The LG Electronics 10X Blu-ray SATA Writer Drive is also very good because all the necessary cables and screws are included in the package and it is extremely fast.