As both a Mac user & a Blu-ray enthusiast, there comes a time when you need to play Blu-ray on Mac, back up your Blu-ray disc collection, or burn Blu-ray disc on Mac. For all this, you need a Blu-ray drive. The last Mac with a built-in optical drive was the MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012, MD101xx/A, MD102xx/A) with a CD/DVD drive, which was NOT upward compatible with Blu-ray. Since Mac has never come with a built-in Blu-ray drive, an external one is a must-have. Here are some excellent Mac compatible Blu-ray drives we like and recommend.
ASUS BW-16D1X-U
Heavy Blu-ray users are better to select a full-height drive than a less expensive slim drive because a full-height Blu-ray drive tends to wear out slower. For burning disc, the ASUS BW-16D1X-U has a super-fast 16X writing speed. Its USB 3.0 interface lets you write data faster than USB 2.0 – takes only 10 minutes to backup 25 GB of data.
The design is characteristic. This is a rock-solid drive with a diamond-shaped design and a big blue light on the top. Very cool looking and completely compatible with Mac.
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- Supported disc formats: Blu-ray, BDXL, DVD, CD
- Writing speed: 16X Blu-ray writing speed
- Interfaces: USB 3.0 (USB 3.1 Gen1)
- Size: 9.5 x 2.5 x 6.5 inches
Pioneer BDR-XD05B
Pioneer BDR-XD05B is one of the smallest & lightest Blu-ray drives with only 0.16 ounces. It is powered by a 3.0 USB connection, but if you don’t have a 3.0 USB connector you can use the 2.0 USB instead.
Many people would care about the noise while watching BD/DVD movies or listening to CD music on Mac, this Blu-ray drive has considered this for a better experience. PowerRead provides smoother playback when a movie disc has fingerprints or scratches. During music playback, the PureRead2+ addition adjusts the drive parameters to minimize sound glitches. Auto Quiet mode adjusts the disc rotation speed to reduce noise intelligently. Just make sure the drive is placed on a flat surface and then it will spin quietly. The purchase includes CyberLink Media Suite 10 and the Blu-ray drive case.
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- Supported disc formats: Blu-ray, BDXL, DVD, CD
- Writing speed: 6X BD-R
- Interfaces: USB 3.0 (USB 3.1 Gen1)
- Size: 5.2 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
MthsTec External Blu-ray Drive
USB Type-C (USB-C) is a trend. Mac computers might only have the type-c unified standard interface in the future. If you want to use the Mac external Blu-ray drive without an adapter, this one is good to go. This USB 3.0 & type-c Blu-ray drive works flawlessly on the macOS. The reading speed is decent fast and the noise is low. If you have problems after receiving the product, you can contact MthsTec@hotmail.com and ask for technical support.
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- Supported disc formats: Blu-ray, DVD, CD
- Writing speed: 6X BD-R SL/DL
- Interfaces: USB 3.0 & Type-C
- Size: 5.7 x 6.2 x 1 inches
If you are ready to enjoy or burn Blu-ray on Mac, choose one of the great Blu-ray drives listed above. They are good to buy.