Lite-On DH-4O1S 4x BD-ROM

Model: Lite-On DH-4O1S 4x BD-ROM
Manufacturer: Lite-On IT
Provided By: Lite-On IT America

In 1995, Lite-On Technology gathered a group of scientists and engineers to help jumpstart their optical storage research and manufacturing business. Lite-On Technology quickly established themselves as Taiwan’s leading CD-ROM drive manufacturer and by 1999 the business had been spun off into a separate company, Lite-On IT. Since then, Lite-On IT has continued to grow. By working closely with companies like BenQ and Philips, they've expanded into the consumer and automotive electronics' markets, becoming the world's second largest ODD manufacturer.

With the format war coming to an end, Lite-On has begun to focus on the emerging Blu-ray Disc market. Through their partnership with Philips, the company has been given access to numerous patents, allowing them to produce their own line of Blu-ray drives. Lite-On recently introduced one of the industry's first BD-ROM drives, the DH-4O1S. While lacking the writing capabilities found on more expensive units, this read-only drive offers cost-conscious consumers the ability to watch Blu-ray movies on their computers. Along with 4x BD read speeds, the DH-4O1S is capable of reading DVD's at 12x and CD's at 32x. The drive also features an 8MB buffer and CyberLink's popular PowerDVD software.

We've had Lite-On's new BD-ROM in the 'Labs for a few weeks now and have had the time to put it through its paces. To give you an idea of what to expect from the DH-4O1S, we'll take a look at its features and then see how it compares to some of the Blu-ray drives from LG and ASUS. Does the DH-4O1S have what it takes? More importantly, is it the best bang for your buck? Keep reading to find out.