# Which incase Blu ray player/burner is bets for a HTPC



## rselby (Feb 8, 2012)

Want to add a blu ray player to my HTPC, what's every ones opinion on which one to get( seen some that required software) mostly for playing movies...but if its a burner also that's fine


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

My experience has been that most Blu-ray and DVD drives are not very reliable. After spending a lot of money on high priced drives that would only last 12 - 18 months I gave up. Now I just consider them a consumable item that'll need to be replace quite often and go with Lite-on or ASUS. 

You'll need some software to play. Sometimes the drives come with software but the easiest most trouble free way is bite the bullet and spend ~$80 on some good software. Personally I like CyberLink PowerDVD have also used Nero. I not tried ArcSoft Total Media Center but hear it is very good.


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## rselby (Feb 8, 2012)

Thanks...do you use your blu ray drive a lot?? is that why they only last that long?? on average how many times a week do you use it?


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

That is just what I found most disappointing about the expensive drives I've purchased in the past. I really didn't use them all that much (perhaps that why they didn't last long) maybe 5 - 6 times a month. Sometimes I'd go 3 - 4 months without using them only to place a disc in and find out they would no longer work.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129072

Ive been using this Pioneer for 9 months.... I burn plenty of bluray backups with it and its been very reliable...
As a rule all BD players in HTPC need a software player... After ripping to my HDD I use JRIVER to play all my media


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