Are they all Black?

[RedDwarf]

Do any Blu Ray drive manufacturer's make white/beige internal drives?

All I can find are black drives except for an old Pioneer 202 drive. My main PC case is beige and I don't want to have to change it. I want something recent with high speed DL writing and reading.

Are there any options available?

[platinumsword]

[B]Liteon SH-16A7S DVD+RW 16X8X16 DVD-RW 16X6X16 SATA Black Beige

Here is an example of one that has black and beige bezels.

Link: http://forums.ncix.com/forums/index.php?mode=showthread&msg_id=1265551&threadid=1265551&forum=103&product_id=22148&msgcount=2&overclockid=0

[/B]

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=platinumsword;2531274][B]Liteon SH-16A7S DVD+RW 16X8X16 DVD-RW 16X6X16 SATA Black Beige

Here is an example of one that has black and beige bezels.

Link: http://forums.ncix.com/forums/index.php?mode=showthread&msg_id=1265551&threadid=1265551&forum=103&product_id=22148&msgcount=2&overclockid=0

[/B][/QUOTE]
Thanks but that is only a DVD reWriter, it doesn’t have any BluRay writing or even reading capability. It is a 2007 drive.

I can’t believe that companies only sell black bezel/faceplate drives. Many people have cases which are not black and white/beige drives can fairly easily be changed to other colours using a permanent marker, whereas black cannot. It wouldn’t take a lot to have changeable faceplates like they used to have.

[platinumsword]

My apologizes, I was posting from a I-Phone on the fly and I did not read all.

After looking around and bit I think pretty much everything is black at the moment. I know that earlier models use to come with white bezels. Like this

Philips SPD7000BD

[B]Link:[/B] http://www.myce.com/review/Philips-SPD7000BD-Blu-ray-TripleWriter-Review-12985/

This Samsung is black and silver.

[B]Link:[/B] http://barrys-reviewblog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5431%3A-samsung-sata-blu-ray-playerdvd-burner-combo-drive&catid=43%3Astorage&Itemid=77&showall=1

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=platinumsword;2531336]My apologizes, I was posting from a I-Phone on the fly and I did not read all.

After looking around and bit I think pretty much everything is black at the moment. I know that earlier models use to come with white bezels. Like this

Philips SPD7000BD

[B]Link:[/B] http://www.myce.com/review/Philips-SPD7000BD-Blu-ray-TripleWriter-Review-12985/[/quote]
Thanks, that one can write but at very slow speeds.

This Samsung is black and silver.

[B]Link:[/B] http://barrys-reviewblog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5431%3A-samsung-sata-blu-ray-playerdvd-burner-combo-drive&catid=43%3Astorage&Itemid=77&showall=1

This one is only a Blu Ray player, not a writer.

So it seems that I have a choice, either a very slow speed writer in beige/white or purchase a black drive which won’t match my case, will look terrible, but burn fast. Or change my case and have it stick out like a sore thumb in my lounge and not match the decor. It’s all well and good having black media components when they are sitting in a shelf but entirely different when it’s a PC standing in my lounge.

Unless a spray can or paint will work. lol

[platinumsword]

I was just pointing out that an earlier drive had bezel changing, not to be taking into consideration for purchase. As for the other drive again just pointing out that it had a different bezel.

I have read on some forums of people actually painting the bezel and then air brushing the logos back on.

[Some_Random_Guy]

You might want to keep your eyes peeled for a cheap, silver Pioneer DVR-116D/216D/117D/217D. The faceplate looks like it could be swapped with a BDR-205.

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=Some Random Guy;2532086]You might want to keep your eyes peeled for a cheap, silver Pioneer DVR-116D/216D/117D/217D. The faceplate looks like it could be swapped with a BDR-205.[/QUOTE]

I did think about the possibility of swapping the faceplates on compatible drives but didn’t know which drives might be compatible.

There was a beige version of the DVR-116D which might do what I need. Can you tell me whether the tray face plate on the BDR-205 looks like it could be removed easily without breaking anything? I see that you have a BDR-205.

The money they are charging for BluRay writers, they should offer alternative faceplates.

[negritude]

[QUOTE=RedDwarf;2531151]Do any Blu Ray drive manufacturer’s make white/beige internal drives?

All I can find are black drives…[/QUOTE]

What’s wrong with them being Black? What do you have against Black drives?

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=negritude;2534803]What’s wrong with them being Black? What do you have against Black drives? [/QUOTE]
Because not everyone has a black case, many people still use white/beige, silver aluminium Lian Li, blue and many other colours and black are the worst colour drives possible for those cases.

Think about having a black drive in a beige case and you might understand why I don’t want one.

Plus for the money they are charging for them they should be accommodating or at least providing for people who don’t want to fit in with the black crowd. Black isn’t every persons ideal. It’s downright objectionable or out of place in some cases.

I do have a midi black case for my 2nd PC which is an older single core PC and not my main Quad core which is beige and is in my lounge.

Most of my AV gear is black but that is stuck in a shelf.

[Some_Random_Guy]

[QUOTE=RedDwarf;2534762]I did think about the possibility of swapping the faceplates on compatible drives but didn’t know which drives might be compatible.

There was a beige version of the DVR-116D which might do what I need. Can you tell me whether the tray face plate on the BDR-205 looks like it could be removed easily without breaking anything? I see that you have a BDR-205.[/QUOTE]

I actually have the BDR-205 and the DVR-116D, but they’re both black. Just pulled the BDR-205 out of the case and was easily able to swap the faceplates on both of them. You just need a paperclip to unfold to get the two off.

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=Some Random Guy;2535012]I actually have the BDR-205 and the DVR-116D, but they’re both black. Just pulled the BDR-205 out of the case and was easily able to swap the faceplates on both of them. You just need a paperclip to unfold to get the two off.[/QUOTE]
Thanks, it was the tray section which was the most concern. I have looked at the DVD drives I have and an NEC drive looks the clearest to find out what is holding it. To me it looks like the front section needs to move up with 2 plastic clips underneath the bottom that look like they hold it in place, so they must need to be pulled forward while lifting the front section.

It’s doing it without breaking anything. I don’t want to spend that type of money on a drive to break it before using it.

Google might hold more answers on doing it.

[RedDwarf]

I have got back to this because I want to order now the prices are lower. I did need a beige faceplate which would cost extra.

I phoned Pioneer UK who told me that they have stopped selling/supporting optical drives and was told that they are now only supported by Pioneer EU support. So I phoned Pioneer Belgium to ask whether they had any faceplate spare parts for their older DVD rewriters, as mentioned earlier in this thread. They told me they didn’t, they have no spare parts for optical drives at all!

So I had to find an older beige burner which I could use the faceplate and there were two DVR-116D’s for sale on fle.eBay and I won one of them for just under £12.

When I receive that, the auction was yesterday, I will order a Pioneer BluRay rewriter.

Is it worth me getting the BDR-205 or the BDR-206? Will the firmware updates stop for the 205 fairly soon as it’s a fairly old drive now?

[chef]

I would get the BDR-206.

Do you re-sell that DVR-116D by chance?
What’s the exact model number??

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=chef;2561852]I would get the BDR-206.

Do you re-sell that DVR-116D by chance?
What’s the exact model number??[/QUOTE]
The problem with the BDR-206’s is that ATM they are not yet available in Europe. A newer drive would mean longer firmware updates though. I’m not sure how they compare to the 205’s as I haven’t seen any comparisons.

I didn’t intend selling the 116, although it was really only the faceplate that I bought it for. I don’t know how well they work for burning DVD-DL disks. My current burners are getting quite old and don’t support current media too well so having a newer burner might of helped but I would be stuck with a black faceplate on it which I didn’t want.

I have had to patch my current BenQ firmware to burn some cheap DL disks at their rated speed of x8 and have been testing the quality with different write strategies. The best so far managed 94% but that could just be down to different DVD’s as some write strategies went down to 37%. Probably due to the disk more than the strategy.
http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/products/archive/DVR-116D/index.html

[chef]

OK, just fair.

You could order an BDR-206 online from Canada (they ship worldwide).

[cvs]

[QUOTE=chef;2562080]
You could order an BDR-206 online from Canada (they ship worldwide).[/QUOTE]

Have you got any particular Canadian retailer in mind? If I could order one at a decent price I would definitely be interested in getting one … Thanks!

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=cvs;2562126]Have you got any particular Canadian retailer in mind? If I could order one at a decent price I would definitely be interested in getting one … Thanks! [/QUOTE]

I don’t think there is any benefit from ordering from Canada rather than the USA. There is a store in the US that ships worldwide and has the drive. But it looks like they charge sales tax on exported orders which I don’t think they should be doing. Ordering from outside the EU means paying VAT on the whole order and duty on the item which could raise the price quite significantly, certainly higher than the current price of 205’s which are about £100.

These want $122.57 + $40.20 delivery = $162.77 (£102.82). Then add VAT (£17.89) and it might be duty free if it is classed as a Disk Drive. Total £120.13. So just over £20 more than the 205 in the UK.

http://www.dutycalculator.com

[cvs]

[QUOTE=RedDwarf;2562147]
These want $122.57 + $40.20 delivery = $162.77 (£102.82). Then add VAT (£17.89) and it might be duty free if it is classed as a Disk Drive.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I’ve had a look at Provantage, but besides the sales tax issue, the biggest problem is that you can only pay either via international bank transfer (and there’s absolutely no way I’m going to do that) or by using an American Express card which I don’t have (nor am I interested in getting one) …

In other words, its a dead end for me …

[RedDwarf]

[QUOTE=cvs;2562243]Yes, I’ve had a look at Provantage, but besides the sales tax issue, the biggest problem is that you can only pay either via international bank transfer (and there’s absolutely no way I’m going to do that) or by using an American Express card which I don’t have (nor am I interested in getting one) …

In other words, its a dead end for me …[/QUOTE]

I can understand your point.

I received the 116 on friday…finally. It only burns the cheap DVD+DL disks at x4 speed. Burn quality was 90% when burnt at x4, whereas my BenQ with a patched firmware managed 94% @ x8. Probably disk specific though, these poor quality disks do seem to have a few good and many bad disks.

I will have to try it on better quality disks to see how it performs.