Pioneer Slim External Blu Ray Writer BDR-XD05B (Black)

First of all, I will start by state over a question I had when I bought it : what kind of USB cable does come with this. The answer is that it's a USB3 type micro-B cable for the drive plug, and for the computer plus it's a dual type A plug (one is USB3, the other one is USB2). If you plus it into a USB3 port on your computer, you only need to plug the USB3 part of the cable, but if you use a USB2 port, you will need to plug both of the plugs to get enough power. Also, the cable is around 18in long. However, you can use almost any USB3 microB cable to use the drive, so if you want a longer and more permanent cable for it, don't hesitate. For the drive itself, it works fine. You will need an additional software to read bluray disks, but that's true for all bluray drive for PC. For Windows users, just purchase and install something like PowerDVD (I don't know what is available for Mac or Linux) and you will be all set. The drive doesn't need big setup : just plug it and start to use it. When used, it emits some noises (not a show stopper at my sense) on loading disks, but when the content is loaded, I barely ear it.

I received this product yesterday . Excellent product till now . Plug and play . Quite. Smallest as possible and light weight . Excellent design and compact .

Very easy to use, so far no problems burning BLU_RAY Discs

This initial version of my review will be brief, as I am only using the drive for playback at the moment. Will write a more detailed review once I have had the chance to more thoroughly test the drive (both read and write). Briefly, this is my setup: MacBook Pro 16" running macOS Catalina 10.15.2, and the CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 dock. What makes me happy is that I am able to plug the Pioneer BDR-XD05B drive into the front of my CalDigit dock with a single cable! I do not need two heads (one for data, one for power) in order for the drive to work. I know that if you are using any USB 3.0-compatible USB port, you should only need one port for data AND power. I am here to tell you that that is not true for all drives. I have tried one that, despite its description, did not function that way even when using the same hardware setup I have described above. I am using the USB-C port on the front of my dock and it works perfectly fine for playback needs. I ordered the Amazon Basics USB Type-C to Micro-B 3.1 Gen2 Charger Cable (3 ft) so that I can go straight into the USB-C ports on either the dock (when I am at home) or the laptop itself (when I am out and about). The single cable is all I need to power and operate the drive. Ejecting from either the keyboard or the right-click menu will slow the drive down to a stop and then pop the lid of the drive. That is probably my only regret with this drive: that it is not a slot drive (like the SuperDrive) or a pop-out tray drive like some other models. But that is a small price to pay for a top-quality drive that so far can easily play both standard DVD and Blu-Ray discs. I have not tried any HD/4K discs yet (as I do not own any), and I have not tried burning yet, but standard playback works just fine. The drive itself is as described in the photos and text. It is small, lightweight, and probably very portable. Will have to get a nice neoprene zip case for it, but other than that and the USB-C cable that I already purchased, there is nothing more I believe I will need for this drive.

I can't install an internal blueray or DVD burner/player in my new desktop computer because of its design so I needed an external. This one comes with software albeit a version that tries to get you to spend money to update to a different version but still, you need the software and this gets you started. The player works fine so far. I have only used it to load programs but I intend to use it to archive on M disc and also to burn video on Bluerays. There are some minor issues. The USB cable is too short, about 12". I have USB version 3 inputs but still needed to connect the second USB for power. I ended up using other USB ports in the front of my desktop due to the short cable. I'm sure this is not a problem on a laptop. You can buy a power adapter too as another option. The manual implies that this is an accessory but you won't find a Pioneer adapter in any search. The manual gives specs for the adapter. The unit vibrates quite a bit if placed on a hard surface so I put it on a mouse pad. Smooth and silent on the mouse pad. I recently loaded the software but the installer states that a file could not be loaded. Might be a Windows 10 problem. I haven't tried the software yet but I downloaded an update from the manufacturer of the software. I'm hoping that solved the problem. I'm setting up a new computer and only work on this a little at a time but will update if there are any problems. So you might wonder why I still give it five stars? This little unit is packed with abilities for burning and playing a variety of disc, is compact, comes with software and all at a good price. It's few issues are good to know up front but are inherent to the fact that it is a compact portable external player/burner so I give it a pass on these issues.