Pioneer DVR-XD10

Change begets change, and with the rise of ultrabooks and tablets that ditch built-in optical drives in favor of maintaining portability, the once-ubiquitous optical drive has been on the wane. However, change isn't always so easy to embrace, and purchasers of these svelte gizmos may find themselves confronting the sight of suddenly obsolete DVDs and CDs. The Pioneer DVR-XD10 is a basic solution to this issue, offering a portable, frills-free manner of accessing optical discs for those who don't have the means to do so anymore.

Design and Features
At 0.55 by 5 by 5 inches (HWD), the DVR-XD10's dimensions are roughly on par with the svelte Samsung SE-218BB , making it about the size of a standard CD jewel case. Its plastic chassis weighs a scant half pound, so it doesn?t add any discernible weight or bulk to your laptop bag or backpack. Though its plastic housing is predominantly black, the DVR-XD10's lid sports a glossy pewter finish complete with a Pioneer logo in the center.

Like the Pioneer BDR-XD04, the DVR-XD10 utilizes a top-loading clamshell design. The drive must be powered on to open this lid, but a lever on its underside lets users manually open it without a power supply. Opening the DVR-XD10 reveals a layer of aluminum reinforcing on the lid's underside. Unlike the HP dvd560s, the DVR-XD10 can't be positioned vertically, so it will occupy slightly more desk space due to its necessarily horizontal orientation. That said, its top-loading body goes a long way to remedy this issue since the absence of a tray-loading design eliminates the need to clear out space directly in front of the drive, a helpful touch for folks with cluttered desks (myself included). For those who prefer a slot-loading drive, on the other hand, should check out the Lite-On eNAU708 .

The DVR-XD10 connects with an 18-inch USB 2.0 Y-cable through a micro USB port in the rear. Since it's bus-powered, there's no need to worry about AC adapters. Those who prefer the added security of a constant power supply, though, can utilize the drive's connection for an optional power adapter to reap the rewards of wall power. While the Y-cable's 18-inch length is fairly generous, the shorter strand is a paltry four inches long, making it problematic for those who need to utilize two USB ports on opposite ends of their system. Users looking to sidestep this issue altogether would be far better served by the Samsung SE-218BB, which utilizes a standard USB 2.0 cable.

The DVR-XD10 is compatible with Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7). It can also work on a Mac, though Pioneer doesn't guarantee full compatibility with OS X. In my testing, though, the DVR-XD10 was detected on an iMac using OSX 10.8, and performed perfectly fine. That said, Mac users looking for a degree of certainty should stick with the Samsung SE-218BB, which is fully compatible with both operating systems. Regardless of which drive you choose, however, Mac users will need to download additional burning software since the included Nero software only works with Windows (as is the case with the SE-218BB's preloaded software).

Lastly, it bears noting that users looking for something more future-proof should consider the Editors' Choice?winning Pioneer BDR-XD04 , which combines DVD and Blu-ray burning capability into a similarly slim drive.

Performance
During testing, the DVR-XD10 emitted a faint whisper as the disc spun, and its four rubber feet did an adequate job of absorbing the accompanying vibrations. Although writing media resulted in a slightly louder whirring sound, it never rose to the level of a nuisance and won't raise any eyebrows if used in a public setting. Pioneer advertises read and write speeds of 8x (DVD) and 24x (CD), and during both instances the DVR-XD10 maintained a cool temperature below 90 degrees Fahrenheit (as measured using a Fluke IR Thermometer).

Overall, installing and using the DVR-XD10 was a straightforward endeavor, and I encountered no hiccups when reading and writing DVDs or CDs. Although it's designed to be plugged into two USB ports in order to draw an optimal amount of power from your system, I was able to get by with just one USB port when reading and writing discs. This varies according to system, and for this reason Pioneer strongly recommends using both USB cables to "be safe and avoid write errors" on its site.

The Pioneer DVR-XD10 succeeds in doing exactly what it was designed to do, and it's accordingly a decent choice worth considering for users looking for a portable, frills-free device that allows them access or burn CDs and DVDs. That said, however, if I were pressed to choose an external CD/DVD burner, I'd lean heavily towards the Samsung SE-218BB since it doesn't require a cumbersome USB Y-cable. Those looking for a more future-proof optical drive, on the other hand, should opt for our current Editors' Choice, the Pioneer BDR-XD04, whose Blu-ray functionality ensures its usefulness for a while to come.

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