Model: NU EBC100
Rating: 7 out of 10
Price: $200 inc. GST
Web: www.nu-global.com

The NU EBC100 is a compact slimline notebook Blu-ray/DVD combo drive in an external case. The drive can burn CDs and DVDs but only play Blu-ray discs. However, this includes Blu-ray movies via the CyberLink BD Power series software supplied so if you have a notebook with HDMI output, you should be able to get this drive and watch Blu-ray movies with full digital 1080p quality and sound using your notebook. At least in theory.

The drive is basically a rebadged Panasonic (Matsushita) UJ-120S, which isn’t a new drive. Compared with ASUS’ SBC-04D1S-U for example, the EBC100 burns double-layer DVD media at half the speed (2X only) and can only burn CD-R media at 8X (the ASUS tops out at 24X).

We didn’t find this drive particularly quick either, taking 13mins09secs to burn a 4.38GB full-capacity DVD-R test disc. The ASUS on the other hand took 11mins10secs, all of two minutes faster despite the same nominal 8X-speed burning option being used.

Where the EBC100 does have some pluses is in power support. You can run the drive directly from USB only or you can used the supplied AC power brick. (Very few vendors include one of these for this type of drive). You could also use a double-A type USB cable if you needed to. So in terms of power options, the EBC100 gives you just about everything.

Despite the comparatively slower burn, burn quality was good although the error counts and error peaks were slightly higher than the ASUS drive.

If you’re looking for a way to turn your notebook into a Blu-ray player, this would be one way to do.

NOTE: If you’re hoping to turn your netbook into a Blu-ray player, we wouldn’t recommend it. While the drive here is capable, most netbooks are underpowered for Blu-ray movie playback.

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