External Drive Recommendation

Discussion of LibreDrive mode, compatible drives and firmwares
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mkvNoob
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2016 7:31 pm

External Drive Recommendation

Post by mkvNoob »

So I have been reading up through this forum and I think I got the gist of LibreDrive....

But now I need a drive upgrade... what's the best external drive drive out there? USB3 or USBC works for me... just want to get the most compatible for future features and speed, who doesn't like speed... :-)

Thanks!
SamuriHL
Posts: 2322
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 5:32 pm

Re: External Drive Recommendation

Post by SamuriHL »

Make one. :) Personally I'd get an LG NS60 official drive or ASUS BW-16D1HT, throw it in a Vantec external USB case, flash it with an MK firmware, and call it a day.
flashback8
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2017 7:20 pm

Re: External Drive Recommendation

Post by flashback8 »

^ This. I have a BE16NU50, which is a dedicated external drive. The unfortunate thing is that I can't cross-flash it with any other FW. If I try, it fails. So, I can't switch over to Asus's (arguably) superior BW-16D1HT 3.10 FW. Meanwhile, you can take an internal drive and put it in a $40 Vantec enclosure. Voila! You have a perfectly functional external drive, and one that should be cross-flashable if it's a recent LG.

(Do your research before cross-flashing, kids. If it's an LG that can't read BDXL discs, you'll probably break it if you try to cross-flash it! Even if it can read them, I won't guarantee that all models will work. LG's "UHD friendly" drives should be safe, though.)
jerryfudd81
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2019 10:04 pm

Re: External Drive Recommendation

Post by jerryfudd81 »

I bought ASUS BW-16D1HT - always found external caddy's too bulky so bought a Inateck USB 3.0 to SATA converter and just popped it in the back. It was allot cheaper than a caddy (£17), just make sure you get one that is compatible with optical drives.

(oh, I flashed it on the SATA bus not USB - thought it would be better to minimise risk)
Woodstock
Posts: 10293
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 11:21 pm

Re: External Drive Recommendation

Post by Woodstock »

Not as a "toaster", because there are too many variations in power connectors on IDE/PATA drives.

Several manufactures make "dongles" that have both SATA and IDE/PATA; I have a couple that also do 2.5" PATA. Power has to be supplied separately, though.

Alternatively, you can get a SATA toaster, and a SATA->PATA cable to plug into it when you need to deal with older drives.
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