Lite-On's new portable BD combo drive was very easy to install. Thanks to its USB 2.0 interface, the entire installation process took only a matter of minutes. With no jumpers to worry about, it was as simple as connecting the USB cable. Once connected to our test computer, it took only a matter of seconds for plug and play to install the necessary drivers. After making sure that the drive was recognized correctly in the Device Manager, I was ready to start installing the software.
Software Installation:
As I mentioned earlier, the eSEU206 comes with a CD full of software from CyberLink. If you have autorun enabled, 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 click on the "Install CyberLink BD Suite" button. After selecting your preferred language and entering your customer information, you'll be presented with a list of components to choose from.
From here you can choose to install the LabelPrint, Power2Go, PowerBackup, PowerDirector, PowerDVD or PowerProducer . To complete the installation, select the components you want and click next a few more times. Once the files are copied over, you can start burning your own discs.
The Documentation:
The bulk of the eSEU206's documentation is located on the software CD in electronic format. Similar to the ones included with Lite-On's other drives, the "User's Manual" covers a number of topics. It starts out by getting the user familiarized with their new portable BD combo drive. The first section goes over the eSEU206's supported formats, recording modes, 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 jumps right into the physical installation of the eSEU206. The instructions are pretty brief since there really isn't much to do other than plug in the USB cable and turn the computer on. Nevertheless, Lite-On has provided a few diagrams showing how the drive should be hooked up. The manual continues on by going over the basic operation of the eSEU206. Along with information on how to use and maintain the drive, it includes instructions to create and burn your own LightScribe labeled discs. Last but not least, there is a short troubleshooting section containing a list of common problems as well as their solutions.
Lite-On's portable BD combo drive also comes with a "Quick Installation Guide." This fold out guide takes the user step by step through the installation process. While a little short on words, there are plenty of diagrams showing what to do. For most people, the "Quick Installation Guide" will be all they'll need to get the eSEU206 up and running.
For ease of installation, the eSEU206 is hard to beat. Thanks to its bus-powered, USB 2.0 interface, it's as simple as plugging in a single cable. If you do run into trouble, the documentation Lite-On has provided is more than sufficient. With this in mind, the eSEU206 scores a solid 9 out of 10 for the installation portion of this review.
