Group test: what's the best DVD drive?

The best optical drives you can buy

PC Advisor reviews the best DVD/Optical drives you can buy in the UK right now.

5. Pioneer BDR-206MBK

Pioneer BDR-206MBK
  • Reviewed on: 16 December 10
  • RRP: £190 inc VAT
  • Rating: Rated 7 out of 10

One of the difficulties of reviewing this Pioneer BDR-206MBK is that the prices are still very much in the air. At the time of writing, early adopters may be expected to pay around £190. We should expect this price to drop quickly (early prices in the USA have it at around the $150 mark), but it's clearly not going to be a cheap drive. It will be worth considering for those who need to write huge amounts of data for archival storage. For general Blu-ray use, though, the LG BH10LS30 looks likely to be very much cheaper and considerably faster for everyday burning.

4. Samsung BD-C8900

Samsung BD-C8900
  • Reviewed on: 19 January 11
  • RRP: £426 inc. VAT
  • Rating: Rated 8 out of 10

All in all, the Samsung BD-C8900 is an excellent 3D Blu-ray player with good PVR functionality. While a little on the steep side, it's one of the only ways to record 3D television - which is sure to appear more frequently in the future.

3. LG BH10LS30

LG BH10LS30
  • Reviewed on: 24 August 10
  • RRP: £68.65 inc VAT
  • Rating: Rated 8 out of 10

The LG BH10LS30 is a very serviceable product that, for a relatively modest £100, offers writing facilities that outstrip those of previously tested models.

2. Lite-On eNAU608

Lite-On eNAU608
  • Reviewed on: 1 February 11
  • RRP: £43.09 inc VAT
  • Rating: Rated 8 out of 10

The Lite-On eNAU608 is as versatile and handsome a portable DVD burner as you can find, but it's not the model to go for if high-speed performance is a must.

1. LG BX580

LG BX580
  • Reviewed on: 7 December 10
  • RRP: £175 inc VAT
  • Rating: Rated 9 out of 10

The LG BX580 offers exceptional image quality, full multimedia capabilities and very good internet content.

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