Buffalo Unleashes USB 3.0 Blu-ray Burner

Buffalo's 12X external Blu-ray burner uses a USB 3.0 connection.

On Turkey Day (last Thursday), Buffalo revealed the BR-X126U3, an external Blu-ray burner that can cram data on both single and dual layer Blu-ray disks at 12x write speeds. While the new external burner certainly makes a tasty alternative to shoving an internal drive into an open bay (or chucking out the current lame DVD burner), the USB 3.0 connection should make it even that more appealing.

That is, of course, if consumers have swapped out current motherboards for newer ones with USB 3.0 support. Those who want the SuperSpeed love without having to tear apart the desktop could always resort to various PCI-e cards just hitting the market, providing USB 3.0 without all the fuss.

But don't fret: consumers who want Buffalo's self-touted "fastest Blu-ray burner ever" can still plug the external drive into a USB 2.0 port. The drawback is that Buffalo's burner throttles the burn speed down to 7X, making it a slow burn compared to the speedier option of 25 GB in 11 minutes.

According to Akihabara, the new Blu-ray burner is expected to hit Japan by the end of December for a whopping $453 USD (39100 Yen). Currently there's no word of when the external drive will appear in the States, so stay tuned for more.

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