Blu-Ray burners are getting faster and faster and 4x is not really a speed to get all worked up over, but it is a substantial improvement on 1x and 2x. Panasonic’s new LF-PB271 is on the pricey side, but it is packing some heat. You get 4x Blu-Ray with BD-R2 (50GB disks) You will also get 5x DVD-RAM and a respectable 16x for DVD ±R or +RW (which is about as fast as you would need or want, if you wish to purchase budget media). The stats are nice; another thing that is nice is that the drive is SATA. SATA has enormous advantages over other cabling options. It is fast, the cables are small and they are really easy to put in.

Panasonic’s new Blu-Ray burner is on the expensive size and it is only 4x speed. While that is the best speed that is available now, future models are bound to get faster and prices are bound to come down. This author’s suggestion is to hold off a little while longer. Wait for the price go down and perhaps for the HD-DVD Blu-Ray war to be resolved. DVD burners used to cost the Earth and now you can pick one up for $50.

Price: About $425

Source: Akihabara News