We at CDFreaks would like to present a review of Plextor's first drive that supports the Blu-ray technology - the Plextor PX-B900A Blu-Ray writer.

The Plextor PX-B900A supports 2x BD-R/BD-RE (single & dual layer), 8x DVD±R, 8x/6x DVD+RW/-RW, and 4x DVD+R DL/-R DL writing technology, allowing Double/Dual Layer discs of 8.5Gb to be written. In addition this drive also supports DVD-RAM at 5x.

Company Information:

Plextor is a leading international manufacturer of extremely reliable, high quality recording equipment and is also one of the pioneers in the field of CD technology. From its parent company, Shinano Kenshi Co. Japan, Plextor has a built up tradition in the development and manufacture of advanced hardware and electronic precision equipment going back to 1918. With head offices in Japan, Europe and the United States the company mainly sells its products through a network of specialised computer dealers. Plextor Europe, established in Brussels, takes responsibility for sales, marketing and technical support in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Since opening its Brussels office in 1994, Plextor has introduced a number of award winning products, including CD/DVD-ROM drives, CD/DVD recordable drives, CD/DVD media and USB Flash Memory Drives (PlexFlash) and digital video converters.
 

Drive Specifications:

The specifications of the Plextor PX-B900A were found at the Plextor Belgium website:

What’s inside the box?

On this page, we will take a look at what the drive came shipped with, a look at the drive and its technology. (Please notice we have only included pictures of the box where the sides had any printing).

Front

Below you will see the contents:

• The internal drive
• Software Disc
• Beige Bezel
• Extra jumper
• Mounting screws
• Emergency eject tool
• Brochure containing:
  • Installation
  • Fast Warranty Service
  • Support
  • Caution
• Front Bezel Replacement Guide
• WEEE/RoHS Info
• BD-MV playback info

Now it's time to take a look at the drive itself:

Black Bezel

Beige Bezel

The bezel is cleanly styled. On the tray we can see Plextor Logo, the Blu-Ray logo, an emergency eject hole, a single coloured blue LED for read and write, an eject button and the Plextor model number.

Top

Label

On the top of the drive we found one label, and we can see that the drive was made in Japan, dated September 2006.

Bottom

Side

Rear

On the rear of the drive starting from the left, we can see a digital audio connector, analogue audio connector, jumpers for cable select, slave, and master; IDE connector, and finally the power connector.

 Also supplied with the drive, was the PX-B900A Software Disc. (We did not however use this software in this review.)

Now let’s take a look at the drive installation and features on the next page…

Conclusion

Features