LG Electronics 14X USB 3.0 Super-Multi External Blu-ray Disc Rewriter BE14NU40 (DVD+/-RW with M-DISC Support)

This is a review and comparison of 2 great, external, high speed, USB 3.0 Blu-ray burners: the Asus 12X Blu-ray Burning Speed USB 2.0/USB 3.0 External Blu-ray Drive (BW-12D1S-U Lite) and the LG Electronics 14X USB 3.0 Super-Multi External Blu-ray Disc Rewriter BE14NU40 (DVD+/-RW with M-DISC Support). I have owned the LG drive for likely over 10 years and the Asus drive for one year and have used them both heavily. Both drives are great, and you won’t be making a mistake purchasing either one. (Or, you can do as I did and purchase both!) Both drives do a great job reading and writing all of the advertised disc formats. Both work at high speed. Both have similar price and availability. Both drives have been very reliable for me. I have used both drives heavily on 100s of discs over many years. The LG drive was the first one I bought many years ago, and after many years of heavy use it eventually stopped reading Blu-ray discs (everything else still worked). I happily replaced it with the same drive. I got more than my money’s worth from the first one. My Asus drive has not failed, but I have only had it for about one year. The differences between the drives are really quite minor. Again, you won’t be making a mistake by buying either of these great drives. But perhaps my descriptions below will help you match the quirks of each drive with your own personal priorities. The Asus drive may be slightly faster on some reads, but is noisier and has an unusual shape. My impression is that the Asus drive may on occasion be very slightly faster than the LG drive. I have not done any formal benchmarked speed tests, but I have read thousands of discs with these drives, so take this for what it’s worth. The Asus drive is always slightly noisier than the LG drive. But frequently, the Asus drive will start to “rattle” at high speed, and it becomes quite loud. This can often be quieted down to more reasonable noise levels by gently nudging the drive into a slightly different position. In the drive’s defense, I use the drive on its side with other drives on either side. On the other hand, the LG drive doesn’t make this noise. The Asus drive comes with a stand and can be mounted on its edge and there are shallow bevels at slightly irregular angles on the case. This very unusual look may appeal to some. You can look at the ads to see this. If you don’t like that look, you can just ditch the stand. Without the stand, the drive is mostly a standard box shape but with a few shallow bevels at irregular angles. The “top” is not quite flat but has a very shallow peak near one corner. So it would be difficult to stack other drives on top of this one. The sides, however are essentially flat, with only a slight inward beveling at the base, so it rests quite well on its side. The Asus drive (9.5" x 6.5" x 2" without stand) is slightly larger than the LG drive (8.5" x 6.5" x 1.75"). Some reviewers have expressed frustration with the eject button on the Asus drive. You do have to push the button straight in or it won’t work, but I have not found this to be bothersome. The LG drive is able to read a few discs that the Asus cannot, but it will occasionally overheat. On rare occasions, I have had poor quality discs (usually old burned discs) that the Asus drive is unable to read or sometimes even recognize but which the LG drive is able to successfully read. Occasionally, the LG drive will fail to read any discs for awhile. This usually happens on a hot day, after I have used the drive for several hours, or when the drive has struggled for many minutes to read an unreadable disc. The drive remains on and the reading light flashes and the eject button works, but it doesn’t actually read any data from any disc at this point. I suspect it is due to overheating. I usually switch to my other drive for awhile and then come back to the LG drive, which works fine in a few hours (maybe sooner, I haven’t tried). In contrast to the Asus drive, the LG drive has a standard box shape except for rounded edges and a gently (outwardly) rounded front. The LG drive is not silent but is consistently rather quiet (always quieter than the Asus), even at high speed. Again, both drives are great. Buy one (or both) and enjoy! P.S. As a side note, burned CDs and DVDs do NOT last 100 years as I was previously lead to believe, and pressed CDs don’t always last 100 years either; although they certainly are more reliable over time than burned discs. I am suprised by the not insignificant number of burned and pressed discs that are no longer readable after several years. Burning discs is clearly NOT a reliable method of long term backup. If you had this brilliant idea, also, buy one of these drives TODAY and start getting your data off – before it’s too late.

I purchased this to burn 89GB of data files (mostly docs, xls, ppts, pictures, Downloaded programs, and lots of GPS data/image files/maps, and a few home movies--collected since the 80s). . References: . This LG Burner 3.0 SuperMulti LG Electronics 14X USB 3.0 Super-Multi External Blu-ray Disc Rewriter BE14NU40 (DVD+/-RW with M-DISC Support) $109.00 . 1 Verbatim M-Disk 100GB Verbatim M Disc BDXL 100 GB 4X 1 Pack Jewel Case 98912 $29.01 . 1 Nero 2016 Classic Download Nero 2016 Classic [Download] - Currently $99.99. I Paid $29.99. . FYI, My Computer: Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini-Tower H505s Desktop, AMD E2-1800 APU 1.70 GHz with Radeon HD Graphics, 4GB RAM, plus a 32GB ReadyBoostCache on a SDHC Memory Card inserted into one of the SD Reader Slots (I just leave it there). Windows 8.1 . I initially bought a LG Electronics 8X USB 2.0 with M-Disk $27.25 (Super Multi Ultra Slim Portable DVD+/-RW External Drive with M-DISC Support GP65NW60). This burner was NOT recognized by either of my 2 computers as BDLX - M-Disk (3TL) compatible. None of my burning software (Nero, Power2Go, LenovoBurn, and 2 freeware programs) would recognize this as M-Disk compatible either. This was useless for Blu Ray, with my computers. . So, I purchased the 2016 NERO Classic and this LG 14X USB3.0 burner. I Really wanted to make an Archival backup (you can get info on why M-Disks are so valuable for almost permanent/lifetime Data storage on the M-Disk website). . This burner was immediately recognized by my computer as M-Disk BDXL compatible. I put in the Verbatim 100GB BDLX Disk and stepped through the proper process to span unbroken files (See Nero Burning for M-Disks on the M-Disk website for the correct settings. Amazon will not allow a link, but it's under Step-by-Step Instructions - a downloadable PDF). . It ran flawlessly. It verified the data flawlessly. It burned 89GB of mixed data and verified it in 58 minutes. I was utterly impressed. I viewed some of the more complex data files directly from the finished disk and they were perfect. . This combination worked better than I had hoped for (Nero Classic + this Blu Ray M-Disk burner) and was worth every penny. Notes: I tried some of the freeware for burning, but they do NOT have the Ultra buffer (in Nero's program) that seemed to make this process run flawlessly. I was pleased I purchased the Nero Software for this task.

The first device I received had to be returned because it continually timed out. The replacement has worked very well so far and writes a good solid disc w/o imperfections. The company that sells it is great to deal with (itparts). They bent over backwards to make me happy, and this involved several positive phone conversations and emails to resolve my situation. I use it to burn DVD Movies that I have made and these movies involve many "effects" that I have put into the movie including Dolby 5.1 surround sound and my last one is over 2 Hrs long. Naturally, I cannot foresee the future but if it continues to do what it does now, it is a very good buy at the price it is offered at and it is a solid burner.

The product does exactly as advertised, and it most definitely works with Windows 7, 8 and 10. I even used it in Linux. This external Blu Ray player is backward compatible for all previous disc-based media, including DVD ROM and CD ROM. Based on some other--negative--reviews here, I have deduced that an unforgivable level of user ignorance is at fault, resulting in the product being wrongly blamed for the failures. I hope to help others understand how this happened, and perhaps influence a better outcome. Blu Ray is proprietary technology, and in order to use it effectively, three separate elements are required: hardware, media, and software. HARDWARE: this device serves admirably as a Blu Ray writer/player. I have thoroughly tested both with flawless results using the included software for writing and various software for playback. MEDIA: if you want to write or play a Blu Ray, you have to have Blu Ray media. SOFTWARE: this is where things get a little complicated, and where--based on the failed reviews--I believe the core problem to be. Blu Ray playback software requires two elements: codecs and media player. The codecs, if you have them, are a part of your computer's video card. If the video card does not support Blu Ray by including the codecs, you will not be able to view BD content on that computer. If your machine is a desktop model, it is possible to replace the video card with one that is BD compatible. If you have a laptop, it is unlikely that any upgrade is possible unless you have an enthusiast-class machine with a discrete video card that can be replaced. Media player can be as easy as using VLC Media Player from videolan.org. VLC Media Player is Open Source and free of charge to use. There is also a basic media player included with the other software provided with the device. One does not have to pay to upgrade that software in order to use it, though a number of possible features are only available by upgrading to the paid version. Final thoughts: in Windows 8 and 10, the device will not be visible unless there is media in the drive. This has less to do with the hardware and more to do with how Windows handles externally connected devices. Do not be alarmed if you can't locate the drive when it is empty: just slap a movie in and it will appear again. I hope this helps!

This drive exceeds all expectations. Running on Early 2013 Macbook Pro, connected to USB 3.0 Transcend hub, which is connected to the new Dell 2515U monitor's 7-connection built in USB 3.0 hub with all slots filled, is recognized as 3.0 and flies with all of the in-between connections. Data transfer exceeds 5gb/sec! Tested all burning options and using manufacturers' recommendation of Verbatim discs, everything works flawlessly. I created disc images for CD, DVD, and Blu Ray using Aurora for Blu Ray encoding & decoding. Another reviewer wrote that they experienced good burning but discs were only recognizable on the LG drive on the Mac, and that he tried to view files and music on a Windows machine and the disc would be recognized, but would appear to be empty, void of the data actually on the disc. This is apparently a problem exclusive to him/her. Perhaps a Windows OS glitch causing the issue. I have two Macs in the house and three WIndows PCs and I did not experience this problem at all. It works properly and is recognized across platforms. It actually does a fantastic job of burning CD-DA format music discs. I tested with several CD's, ripped them to both Apple Lossless and AIFF, and burned to disc using both file formats. What really amazed me is I have four hi fi setups in various rooms in my home (I'm an old audiophile gear junkie) and have CD players in all, as well as CD players in our two vehicles. One of the vehicle's players and one in the home never liked CD-R discs even when formatted as a CD-DA audio disc, and would not play them. These two players actually play the CD-R discs I've burned as CD-DA with this LG drive! Bravo LG! Fantastic unit. Oh, did I say it is fast? It FLIES!

This drive worked like a champ, no complaints . . until it stopped reading and writing CDs and DVDs. It just sits there trying to figure out what to do with them and then spits them out. It won't play any music CD or purchased DVD. It won't record any either of those formats either. It just spits them out. Works just fine on Blu-ray. Does everything it is advertised to. Of course the problem started shortly after Amazon's return/exchange window. But, it is still well within LG's 90 warranty period. I contacted them (long, tedious and depressing - don't you feel sorry for customer support people who have no tools at their disposal to solve customer problems?) They said they would replace it, but I have to send it back and be without blu-ray production ability for 7 to 10 working days from when they receive it. Given the holiday season - it will be sometime next year before I have a replacement. Mechanical things do fail. Customer support does not have to. LG has a mark against it in that category. I was more than willing to pay for the new drive ( and get a refund when I returned the defective one ) but, no, that is not their business procedure. So, I bought replacement equipment that will be here tomorrow ( thanks to Amazon ). I should be able to continue to do the work I have to in my busiest season while LG processes my request. Given that it took an hour to get a return authorization, who can predict when that will be. Just consider LG a basic supplier, not a partner. This drive ( when it is replaced ) will be welcome, it really is a great drive and performs incredibly well . . . when it does.

For my windows PC, this machine has worked flawlessly. The main reason it received 2 stars is because it was advertised to work with Macs. While it does connect, the connection drops every time you go to access the drive via software. It's infuriating. I would attempt to use my drive on the Mac and 1 out of every 50 times the connection would stay steady. Hooked it to the PC, never an issue. If you're a non-Mac user, there are probably cheaper options out there. If you're a Mac user, don't get your hopes up.

Regardless of your reasons, a Blu-Ray burner is probably in your future. If your blu-ray burner sits on a desktop, I recommend this one. With high-quality stock (don't turn cheap now) this burner is a rock-solid performer. It is very fast. I have gone through more than 100 disks and not had a failure. It does not come with burner software, but there are many choices in the market. This one works with the commercial product I bought years ago for my DVD burners. I cannot add much more to the technical reviews but will join in on all the other positive reviews. I have not used the M-disk feature, either. I have very little that I think worthy of keeping beyond a few years. I store databases and projects that have been idle for a few months. I don't expect to restore them. (I know that sounds odd, but it's true.) And if they age much beyond a couple of years, I never expect to hear from the client about this project again. Even a 20 year lifespan would be excessive. I'm sure I'll burn all my images and videos for my kids, but that's about it. Very light. Very efficient. Plug-and-play simple installation. Quite operation. USB 3.0 speed and efficiency. Good value. It even looks good. What's not to like?

A very good dealer, On telling him that the drive was defective, he immediately told me he would take it back & give full refund. The problem being that the Cyber Media Suite is not good, I downloaded Imgburn software, selected UDF 2.6 and it worked fine. LG 14X USB 3.0 - is a superfast burner. Did tests on USB backup drive direct copy to Blue Ray - No Problem with Imgburn free software. You can trust PRAYOSHA IT SOLUTIONS LLP completely. Mehul Dalal

Bought this years ago and still works great! And also still one of the fastest around! Great stuff

Flaky

Lovely Product. very speedy and silent. Seller support is excellent . Pratyosha Seller gave me excellent support and even idea for product. Packaging was excellent and its Original