External Blu Ray Caddy ?

[barndoor]

PC unfortunatly just died, it's old so thought I might get an i5 laptop, but I have a newish Pioneer Blu Ray burner that I still need to use, can anyone recommend a good USB 2 caddy pls ?

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Is your Blu Ray burner IDE/P-ATA or is it S-ATA? In the latter case E-SATA (external S-ATA) might be the way to go. Just make sure the new laptop will have an E-SATA port.

Something like this might do the job:
http://www.alternate.de/html/product/Vosstronics/VTG-KC51CS/77952/?

[barndoor]

It's SATA m'lud, a Pioneer 206, Laptop I've seen, a Toshiba Satellite L775-11E is only USB 2.0, good point about E ATA tho,
Might have to look again at laptops.....

[LoRd_MuldeR]

The advantage if you get a laptop with E-SATA port is:

You don't need any additional case (caddy) to use the S-ATA drive with the laptop. All you need is an E-SATA to S-ATA cable and a suitable power adapter.

[jfcarbel]

I research high and low and I have owned many external enclosures and I bought this Nexstar DX Model NST-530SU (http://www.vantecusa.com/gl/product/view_detail/381) based on my research. I am very happy with it and I have same BD drive you have inside it. I have used its e-sata and USB on many occasions without issue and burned many BDs.

It sells for $42 on newegg and is highly rated. I have not had a single problem with it.

[barndoor]

Thanks JF, you can get them here in the UK, seen a Vantec NexStar DX NST-530S2 5.25" SATA to USB2.0 Optical Drive External Enclosure
for about £32, which is good, have a budget for a laptop of £600 max, most sub £600 machines only have USB 2, which is a pain, at mo, it's a choice, both 17.3", i5, 6GB, USB 2.0 only, an Acer with a BD reader and 2 yr warranty, or a Toshiba, no BD, 1 yr, from what ive been told, Toshiba are better m/c's, guy even described them as having "legendary reliability" I know of two Acers, one that has never blinked in 5 years, the other had to have a new power connection after 18 months, but I think that was damage, like that drives can be mounted vertically in enclosures, trying to save space, after PC.