Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought the LG BE12LU30 because it had the features I was looking for: an external drive capable of fast read/write speeds for CD, DVD and BD discs of various types. I also wanted the ability to print a label on the disc using LightScribe technology. There aren't many external Blu-ray rewrite drives to choose from and this one, having just been released in October 2010, had not yet been extensively reviewed by end users, but I decided to take a chance on it. I wasn't thrilled with the white and black exterior color scheme, but the unit has a solid well-built feel to it. I do like the blue read/write activity light on the front and the stand that allows it to be placed in a vertical position to minimize the space taken up on the desktop.
You can connect the BE12 to your computer via the USB 2.0 or the eSATA port. I'm using the eSATA port to get the maximum 12X write speed. Using the USB port will drop performance to 6X. The eSATA connection is capable of 3000 Mbps versus 480 Mbps for the USB, although the capacity of the eSATA port is not fully utilized. A short cable is included to convert an internal SATA connection to an eSATA slot plate at the back of a tower computer case. I didn't try it out, but included with the software is a USB Boost utility which improves the data rate over the USB somewhat.
I installed the BE12 on my Lenovo Q700 HTPC running Windows 7 without a problem. A software CD is included with a number of CyberLink applications: Power2Go, PowerDVD, PowerProducer, MediaShow, PowerBackup, and LabelPrint. They are not the latest versions, however. The software also includes USB Booster and the LG Tool Kit. The latter should be run because it checks for and installs the latest LG firmware for the drive. It launches automatically whenever the PC is booted up. You may want to disable it by running msconfig and unchecking `LG Firmware Autoupdate' in the Startup tab. You can also run it from the Start menu.
The BE12LU30 is a LightScribe enabled drive, but except for a tiny LightScribe logo on the back of the carton, this feature is not mentioned anywhere in the documentation. You have to install the LightScribe system software to be able to use this feature. It's available from the LightScribe website. Once this software is installed, the LabelPrint utility will automatically sense the availability of a connected LightScribe enabled drive and provide the means to print a label of your design directly onto the front surface of the disc. You have to turn the disc over in the disc tray to print the label, and, apparently, there is a sensor to detect the presence of the LightScribe disc in the proper position so you can't make a mistake. Unfortunately, only CDs and DVDs are available at this time with the LightScribe printable surface.
I've only used the BE12 a couple of times so far. Once to write a DVD+R disc along with a LightScribe label and once to write a BD-R disc. I used the Power2Go application in both cases and the burns were accomplished with no hitches. The drive is fairly quiet, as well. I wrote 820MB of data to the DVD+R in 15 minutes at 16X and another 15 minutes to print the LightScribe label. I then wrote 6.3GB of data to a BD-R disc in 72 minutes at 12X maximum speed. Both discs were written flawlessly on the first attempt.
I am very pleased with the apparent quality of the BE12, its ability to read/write virtually all CD, DVD and BD media, and its superb performance. I have no reservations about recommending this Blu-ray drive.
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LG External 12x Super Multi Blue Lightscribe Blu-Ray Rewriter BE12LU30The LG Super Multi Blue BE12LU30 external Blu-ray rewriters feature eSATA and USB connectivity with 12x BD-R write speeds. Simply plug in and record up to 50GB of files, photos, or business documents onto a dual layer BD-R disc. LightScribe gives you the added feature of creating customized labels that are etched onto a special coated LightScribe discs (sold separately). With Blu-ray, DVD and CD burning capabilities, the BE12LU30 gives you the option to choose the media best suited for each task.
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