Lite-On Europe has announced an external Blu-ray Disc writer, the LX-2B1U. Based on the LH-2B1S, the LX-2B1U supports both single and dual layer BD media and is capable of 12x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 4x DVD±R DL writing speeds.
Besides the previously announced LH-2B1S, Lite-On IT will also launch an external version of their external drive, the LX-2B1U. Both are triple writers and therefore backwards compatible with DVD and CD formats as well.
The new drives use the revolutionary blue laser technology instead of red laser existing in today's optical drives. The new technology provides much precise laser focus and greatly increases storage capacity. LH-2B1S and LX-2B1U can store up to 50GB of data on a double-layer BD disc, equivalent to 9 hours High-Definition (HD) video, 23 hours of standard definition content or 72 CDs on a single disc.
No word on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, more information, including a list of specs, can be found here.
