Plextor PX-B940SA review

Gallery

Verdict:

Plextor's latest Blu-ray writer isn't as fast or as cheap at the competition, so it's not great value.

Review Date: 28 Aug 2010

Price when reviewed: £170

Buy it now for: £180
(see more store prices)

Supplier: http://www.kikatek.co.uk

Reviewed By: Alan Lu

Our Rating 3 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

The PX-B940SA is one of the first internal Blu-ray writers we've seen to come with a stated write speed of 12X for single layer 25GB Blu-ray (BD) discs. While it's faster than older Blu-ray writers, it couldn't keep up with other 12X writers we've seen.

As expected, the PX-B940SA couldn't reach its stated 12X for burning single layer BD discs, managing just 3.5X on average. It did exceed its stated 2X for writing two layer BD discs, managing 3X, and also matched its stated 2X for burning rewritable BD discs. Although it's not as fast as dedicated DVD writers, it's still quite quick at writing DVDs, especially 8.5GB discs where it burnt discs at just over 6X.

The PX-B940SA isn't an awful Blu-ray writer, but the very similar LiteOn iHBS212 is faster at writing 25GB BD discs and costs £60 less too. Unless you can find this drive substantially cheaper than the iHBS212, LiteOn's burner is a far better choice.

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