Pioneer BDC-202

Like the Sony Blu-ray reader also reviewed today, the Pioneer BDC-202 can read but not write Blu-ray discs, so it's useful if you want to watch high-definition films on your computer.

It has an advantage over the Sony, though: it can read and write DVDs and CDs, so if you don't have a spare drive bay in your computer you could simply replace the existing drive with this one and continue to be able to write DVDs and CDs as before.

The one we looked at was the OEM version, so it was supplied without much packaging and only the screws to fix it, no software. For an extra £10 or so the BDC-S02 is the proper retail version which comes in a box and with the Cyberlink BD-suite software for reading Blu-ray discs.

Like the Sony drive it was easy to fit, although you'll need to supply your own cables if you go for the cheaper version of the kit. Again, a fairly powerful PC will be required in order to play Blu-ray movies, but the BDC-202 does the job well and it offers good value.