5.25" Slot load Blu-ray Burner Review by eMediaLive.com

By Hugh Bennett - Posted Oct 14, 2009

Most notably, DIGISTOR’s new 5.25" Slot Load Blu-ray Writer (SLBW) is the only half-height (HH) Blu-ray burning solution to employ a slot disc-loading mechanism. It’s also, by far, the physically smallest 5.25" unit I’ve ever seen.

Combine these with its respectable performance, the $375 DIGISTOR SBLW should be a good fit for everything from standalone kiosks and video surveillance systems to SMB servers and compact home theater PCs (HTPC).

No manufacturer has, so far, produced a true half-height (HH) slot load Blu-ray recorder. DIGISTOR met the challenge by taking matters into its own hands to create this unit by pairing a standard 12.7 mm laptop burner with a custom fabricated mounting sled and front bezel to bulk it to full size.

Physically speaking, the DIGISTOR SLBW is proportioned such that it should mount inside even the most cramped PC or server case, including pesky custom builds. At a mere 5.71" (W) x 5.71" (D) x 1.69" (H) the unit is nearly 1.5" shallower than a typical recorder, thus allowing for tighter fits, better airflow and overall ventilation.

Also, as a slot-loading recorder, the DIGISTOR SLBW offers both a sleek appearance for home use and functional simplicity for commercial applications where an extending disc tray can often be a liability such as in medical, industrial, commercial, mobile, and other demanding settings.

Conclusion of 5.25" Blu-ray Slot-Load Burner Review

Since the DIGISTOR SLBW will appeal to an assortment of specialized audiences, each employing it for unrelated tasks, it makes perfect sense that the unit does not come bundled with any software*. Needless to say, however, it’s compatible with the universe of available BD data burning programs and video players.

For example, using Corel’s just-released WinDVD Pro 2010, I was able to flawlessly view a number of older Blu-ray Disc BONUSVIEW movies, such as Sunshine (Fox) and 3:10 to Yuma (Lionsgate), as well as brand new BD-Live titles including X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox).

All things considered, DIGISTOR’s new 5.25" Slot Load Blu-ray Writer may not be the fastest, prettiest, most feature-packed, or even the least expensive option out there but should have its own audience and charms nonetheless.

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