New User Looking for External DVD Suggestions

[mprodan]

Hi, fairly new here. I'm looking to purchase an external DVD player for my iMac. I may want to play blu-rays on it and I THINK I already understand that whatever I get will require special software to read the blu-rays. Basically I'm looking for hardware suggestions base on that.

Thanks!!

 

[Fishrrman]

I have one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SE-506BB-TSBD-External-Blu-ray/dp/B00AO1XFM0

Works fine for CDs and DVDs, although I haven't tried it with BluRay yet.

Requires only -one- USB connecting cable to the Mac (some drives need a second connection for additional power).

 

[cynics]

Similar to Fishrrman I have one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JJGFRIQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I use it for ripping my personal blu rays and dvd's. And for that purpose its worked very well.

Good luck with quality player software, studios hate the idea of a blu ray being in a computer.

 

[mprodan]

Thanks again to both of you. I have looked at those and will likely go that route. Cynics can you share what you are using? I have used HandBrake before, but what companion sofware?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

One other thing, if you're still reading.

I'd get a drive that also has M-DISC support. I bought mine before they added it.

Some of the Samsungs have this, some do not...

 

[mprodan]

OP:

One other thing, if you're still reading.

I'd get a drive that also has M-DISC support. I bought mine before they added it.

Some of the Samsungs have this, some do not...

Got it, thanks!

 

[satcomer]

I had the OWC Blu-Ray external for over three versions of OS X and using Macgo Blu-Ray Player software.

Plus I wouldn't trust a slot drive with any disks! Had so many disks eaten by laptop slot drives to burn me badly!

 

[mprodan]

I ended up getting one of these. It comes in next week, I'll let you know how it goes.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Computer/Computer+Drives/BDR-XD05S

I read about the M drive support and I'm not looking to do any large archiving.

 

[satcomer]

I ended up getting one of these. It comes in next week, I'll let you know how it goes.

https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Computer/Computer+Drives/BDR-XD05S

I read about the M drive support and I'm not looking to do any large archiving.

Then get the Mago Blu-Ray Player to watch Blu-Ray movies. To archive Blu-Ray look at MakeMKV beta (update every 30 days to be current).

 

[JTToft]

Then get the Mago Blu-Ray Player to watch Blu-Ray movies

- Has it advanced beyond the nonsense it was a few years ago? How are menus and BD Live? I also remember it completely not loading some discs; has that been resolved?

 

[satcomer]

- Has it advanced beyond the nonsense it was a few years ago? How are menus and BD Live? I also remember it completely not loading some discs; has that been resolved?

You have to go through the menu options in it's updates!

 

[mprodan]

- Has it advanced beyond the nonsense it was a few years ago? How are menus and BD Live? I also remember it completely not loading some discs; has that been resolved?

I'm mostly interested in archiving all of my purchased blu-rays. Don't really plan on watching on the iMac.

 

[mprodan]

Then get the Mago Blu-Ray Player to watch Blu-Ray movies. To archive Blu-Ray look at MakeMKV beta (update every 30 days to be current).

Thanks I've found info all over on make mkv so I'll probably use that. I'm familiar with handbrake as I used it extensively in my former windows based life. So I can use make mkv to rip them then handbrake to convert to unlocked mv4? I don't want to steal I want to copy my purchased blu Rays so I can play them over Plex server to my fire tv. I've actually just gotten away from Apple TV.

Here's another basic question, what can I use for everyday DVDs burning, both blu Ray and regular dvd. I have seen suggestions to buy an older version of iLife (9.0) and install that then upgrade. But then I've seen others say that the licenses are all shut down by Apple and it won't run.

I've seen others say Toast is the way to go. .????

 

[mprodan]

I got some new dual layer DVD's and was able to easily burn to those. The others I had attempted to use were about 10 yrs old and single layer, so maybe a standards thing? (not exactly sure they were empty either)

I ran my first blu-ray archive this morning with make MKV beta, it took about 1 hr, for a 2 hr movie, and this was in quiet mode. I'll try my next one with the quiet function turned off.

I'm now running that .mkv through Handbrake to an .mv4 and it's taking about as long as the movie is, a little less than 2 hrs. This was always the case before on my old PC. I've read somewhere that Handbrake doesn't use multi-core processors.

So far I'm happy with the Pioneer drive, runs really nice, seems to have average speed, price not too bad. Noise isn't an issue for me as I don't watch movies on my Mac.