Asus BW-12D1S-U
The only single-interface drive in today’s roundup, Asus chooses the performance and simplicity of USB 3.0 while shifting some of its focus towards Blu-ray 3D. The retail box includes 3D glasses, in addition to a worldwide power adapter, USB 3.0 cable, and CyberLink software suite.
A standard two-pin cable end eases a traveler’s transition to international parts, while the inclusion of both playback and burning software simplifies the user’s transition from older, outdated formats. The PowerDVD portion even includes Magic Cinema for real-time 2D-to-3D conversion.
Asus partially conceals its eject button at the right edge of its drive. The diamond-shaped lens on its top glows blue when the unit is on.
The BW-12D1S-U’s power switch is also partly concealed by being nearly flush. Impossible to grasp, the button relies on the friction of a user’s fingers to slide. A 12 V power input is found beside the switch.