Not only are Blu-ray drives necessary for copying BD-R media, but they are also the preferred choice for duplicating recordable CD and DVD media as well.

The general notion is one should use the tool specified for a given task. Take for instance; you would not use a hammer for a job requiring a screwdriver. However, there are occasions where a hybrid tool is better and more efficient to perform multiple tasks, such as a Swiss Army Knife, then multiple individual tools. The Blu-ray writer drive is much like a Swiss Army Knife where it has two separate OPU’s and can perform multiple tasks from a single device. One of the OPU’s is a blue laser for reading/writing Blu-ray media and the other is the standard red laser for reading/writing CD and DVD media.

Now many will ask, what makes the red laser in the Blu-ray drive better than the ones used in the regular DVD writer drives? The simple answer is, because they use better more, expensive parts, in the Blu-ray drives in comparison to the CD/DVD writer drives. Manufacturers of DVD drives are constantly looking for ways to cost down in order to allow consumers to purchase these drives and sub-$20 each. When you continue to cost down, there’s only so much that increased volume can offset, so the manufacturers also need to make or purchase lower cost components that have a much higher failure rate due to this.

Although Blu-ray writer drive prices have dropped significantly, making them a reasonable replacement for a DVD writer drive, they are still priced at a point where the manufacturers can use better and more reliable components within the drives. In fact, the red laser OPU used within the Blu-ray drives is often better than the ones used in most standard DVD drives.

So if you’re looking for a duplicator, either a new one or a replacement for an older system, you would be wise to explore purchasing a Blu-ray duplicator, even if you’re not yet copying Blu-ray discs. It will be money well spent!