Along with smaller cable size, one of the biggest benefits of Serial ATA is its ease of installation. Because it uses a point to point connection, setting jumpers has become a thing of the past. In most cases, installation is as simple as plugging in the SATA and power cables and turning the computer on. Needless to say, it took only a couple of minutes to install Lite-On's new BD-ROM drive in our test computer. After making sure that the iHOS104 was recognized by Windows, I was ready to start installing the software.
Software Installation:
As I mentioned earlier, the iHOS104 comes with a CD containing CyberLink PowerDVD 8.0 BD. If you have autorun enabled on your computer, the menu pictured below will automatically come up when you insert the disc.
As you can see, this menu is pretty straight forward. To start the setup process, simply select "Install PowerDVD 8.0 BD" from the menu. From there, it's as easy as choosing the location where you want to install the program and then waiting for the files to be copied over. Keep your serial number handy as you will need to activate PowerDVD the first time it is run.
The Documentation:
Most of the iHOS104's documentation is located in the "User's Manual." Similar to the ones included with Lite-On's other drives, this manual covers a number of topics. It starts out by getting the user familiarized with their new BD-ROM drive. The first section goes over the iHOS104's supported formats and system requirements. The manual also spends a few pages going over the locations and the functions of the buttons and connectors located on the front and back of the drive.
From here, the manual goes right into the physical installation of the iHOS104. With no jumpers to configure, this section is relatively brief. Nevertheless, it covers all of the basics including how to install it into an empty drive bay and hook up the cables. The manual finishes up with a few short sections on how to use and maintain the iHOS104 and troubleshoot any problems that might come up.
Lite-On's new BD-ROM drive also comes with a "Quick Installation Guide." While this small, fold out guide contains a set of instructions that take the user step by step through the installation process, it does not include any pictures or diagrams. With this in mind, you're probably going to be better off with the instructions in the manual than the ones in this guide.
Like Lite-On's previous Blu-ray drives, the iHOS104 was very easy to install. I had no problems getting the drive or the software installed and working correctly. Nevertheless, if you do run into trouble, the documentation Lite-On has provided is more than sufficient. With this in mind, the iHOS104 scores a 9 out of 10 for the installation portion of this review.
