Sony - 8x Internal Blu-ray Disc/DVD-ROM/CD-ROM Drive

Okay, make sure you read the minimum requirements before buying!!! Needs a PCI Express video card with HDCP Capability! This means your integrated video probably will NOT handle this playing Blu-Ray discs - the exception to this video would be the ATi Radeon 3200HD integrated video or better, or the nVidia 8800 integrated video or better!! Also the minimum listed requirements are the BARE MINIMUMS needed for it to work at all! The RECOMMENDED MINIMUM for generally satisfactory performance is probably more like a 2.8Ghz Dual Core CPU or 2.4Ghz Quad Core CPU; 1Gb of DDR2 RAM with XP or 2Gb of DDR2 RAM with Vista; PCI Express x16 Video card with 512Mb (768Mb preferred) dedicated, onboard Video Memory; and onboard SATA, not through some PCI add-in card. The product works well, however the bundled software is definitely a bit disappointing. I'd upgrade the Cyberlink PowerDVD software to something more like the "retail" level rather than the "freebie" level it comes with. The hardware is normal Sony quality. Quiet, reliable operation; perhaps without a lot of the frills or add-ons offered by some of the competition but it works reliably. I do wish it was a CD/DVD burner as well as a Blu-Ray reader for the price. Other brands offer CD & DVD authoring as well as Blu-Ray playback at this price level; but if you are looking for Sony quality and reliability and could care less about burning CD or DVD media then this is a very nice add-on for your system.

I really like it. My LCD is 1920x1200 24" so it's "True 1080P HD... well 1200P HD". I already had it, and I already had all of the other junk you need, like a dual-core CPU and most importantly a current HDCP complaint video card. Works best with the latest ATI or NVIDIA cards, they don't have to be the expensive models, just current. Like the Nvidia 8300 will decode the video alright, or the Radeon 2400XT as well. I have the ATI Radeon 3870, but the cheaper Radeons have the same exact video decoder as this high end card (so long as they are current). I think one of these cards (they start around $40.00) may actually make a fast single processor Pentium play Blu-ray without any problems. I wouldn't go out and buy all of the equipment I have just to play Blu-ray... but since I already have it, it's worth more to me to be able to play from my computer than to have a standalone player. I also bought this for only $130.00 on sale, and that really makes a difference to me over the normal price. You gotta figure this format is going to be around for a super long time, I still remember paying $150.00 for a DVD-ROM drive that I still use on one of my computers.

Easy easy install. Just plug it in, load cyberlink software, then download update from cyberlink, and go to sony website to upgrade the firmware. However, system bios will sometimes not recognize the drive. I've tried everything, including using a different sata cable, plugging into different sata port, etc. So would have to reboot machine until system recognizes drive. System: XFX 8600GT (w/512 MB DDR3); eVGA 680i mobo; 4GB DDR2, Intel E6320, Soundblaster xi-fi gamer

Replaced a dead HD DVD for Blu-Ray. Was excited to use and right out of the box had lots of stuttering video. After overclocking my CPU and disabling Aero, Screen Savers, Antivirus, Zune, HP Printer Utilities, & MS Media Center Software Drive works like a champ. Also had to modify the power settings for Vista. Very happy with the product. Overall setup time 2.5 Hrs System Specs. Intel Core2Duo 2.13Ghz O.C. 2.2 Ghz 275Mhz Bus SPD Corsair XMS2 2Gig 667mhz Nvidia Geforce 8800 GTS O.C. Fatailty F-i90HD Most Current Bios MS Vista Home Premium w/SP1 Note: For whatever reason O.C. my system was required but for someone elses may not be.

I bought this to make a my computer a blu-ray player for my tv and it works fine, It does what its suppose to do. The blu-ray start up time is a bit longer then my ps3's start up time, but half as long as sonys $500 stand alone player. I would recommend this to someone who is looking to get into blu-ray, but if you have the extra money i would go for a ps3 or a faster drive.

Installed in 20 minutes and was up and running. Movies load fast and play excellent. No jumps, lags, shutters etc. Do not install this if you do not have a new good computer with a lot of RAM and a graphics card that supports it. A lot of the complaints that I have seen have less to do with the Sony Blue Ray player and more with the junk computers people are trying to install it in. Included software is not the best but it works. It is a little higher priced than other brands but it is an excellent drive.

On the whole I am pleased with the drive, but the bundled software isn't very good, also, when I tried playing a blu-ray, it showed me that my system needs an upgrade. My video card isn't capable of HDCP (both your video card and your monitor need to support in order to play HD content).

Just installed and used this new BD player. I upgraded a Gateway 5478 desktop with a Core 2 quad, 4 mb RAM, 8800 GT Nvidia card and Vista Premium. Installation took about thirty minutes but had to remove previous stock Gateway faceplate. Worked great out of the box. I like the Power DVD 7.3 software that came with it. Played my first two Blu-ray movies without problems. Would recommend it highly.