Lite-On LH-2B1S

With the recent release of Sony's PlayStation 3, many people see Blu-ray as a dead cert to win the HD war against HD DVD. The argument is that millions of PS2 fans are so enamoured with the PlayStation brand that they'll upgrade without even considering an alternative, giving an immediate large installed base.

Back in the PC arena, this Lite-On drive is the cheapest currently available. It isn't as versatile as the Sony BWU-100A, as it can't handle 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray discs, but every other media except DVD-RAM is supported. Quoted speeds aren't bad either, with Blu-ray discs being read at the same 2x speed as the Sony drive, and DVDs being read at 12x speed to the Sony's 8x. If it weren't for the lack of dual-layer Blu-ray disc support, the Lite-On would be better for your media centre as it would be that bit quicker at fast-forwarding DVDs, and is about £60 cheaper. But it rules out dual-layer discs, making the Sony drive the safer bet.

Using the Lite-On drive as a data storage device isn't out of the question, though, with both it and the Sony quoting 2x BD-R and BD-RE speeds - 25GB discs are filled in about 45 minutes. Speeds are equally pedestrian with the more established formats: both drives burn DVDDLs at 4x, DVD-RWs at 6x and DVD+RWs at 8x. The Lite-On is faster with DVDRs at 12x rather the 8x of the Sony, but this equates to 2mins 30secs saved when filling a whole disc.

If you're only after a backup medium, though, consider that this drive costs £380 and its 25GB discs cost around £10 a go. Our testing wasn't glitch-free either, producing a number of expensive coasters. A 500GB external hard disk will set you back around £100, with storage working out at 22p per GB (with only usable storage considered). Roughly the same amount of storage from this drive (450GB) works out an extortionate 124p per GB, including the drive. If you're determined to pre-empt the HD market and want to jump on the Blu-ray boat, the Sony BWU-100A has the flexibility of reading and writing dual-layer discs too for the sake of £60 more, making it the better buy for a media centre PC. That's if you don't fancy the £396 PlayStation 3, of course.

Author: Clive Webster