I'm considering starting ripping blurays, and already read a fair bit on this forum before purchasing anything, including the ultimate guide. I think I'll go for the ASUS BW-16D1HT, as it seems to be warmly recommended around here. However, I'm having concerns about flashing, because I can't find any of the recommended SATA adapters in my area (french resident here). I also can't find any information on the forum about "what to look for" in an enclosure / adapter to ensure my drive will be fully supported.
I've been able to find some of the recommended enclosures, including the ICY BOX IB-550StU3S, but those are expensive, not necessarily my taste in terms of aesthetics, and require two purchases from different entities (so 2x shipping fees) for roughly the same price as ASUS's external version of the drive (which isn't my taste either). Add this to the fact that, although I don't have any desktop at the moment and probably won't for a while, I might put the drive in a desktop at some point, so I don't see the point of adding an extra 50 bucks for a plastic enclosure that will end up in a drawer down the line.
In the end, here's what I'd like to know :
- Can you recommend other SATA adapters that would support optical drives and flashing (ideally available in France) ?
- What do you guys recommend : SATA adapters or enclosures ?
- If you prefer enclosures over adapters, do you go for the "manufacturer's version" (e.g. : ASUS's external model) or for a third party one ?
- Can I "easily" take the drive off from ASUS's enclosure if I go for the external model and later want to make it an internal one ?