Asus seems to continue its market lead in the high performance optical storage devices, along with a full range of claimed top quality products, from the DVD-RW drives to Blu-ray Disc combos, that have started to become the standard for high-end professional storage (unless the Cranberry DiamonDisc takes over soon) environments. USB 2.0 enabled, the new ASUS SBC-06D1S-U and ASUS SDR-08D1-U slim-size external optical drives have been developed to ensure both optimized reading and writing capabilities for the on-the-go or netbook users.

Both are forged with precise craftmanship, extended multimedia capabilities and the now-trendy environmental-friendly operation. Speaking of the design, Asus prides on combining technology with aesthetics in a single product that sports a sturdy construction, with diamond-cut shapes, taking advantage of the modern manufacture technology, while for the technical specification requests, I would really like it if Asus (or any other manufacturer) featured audio playback controls on this type of external drives.

Enough with the design and all that jazz, let's get to the core, starting with the ASUS SBC-06D1S-U that is capable of performing at six times the standard Blu-ray reading speed. The drive features True Theater High Definition (TTHD) technology, which is a suite of video enhancements that ensure unmatched HD quality for DVD playback on PC-based home theater systems claimed to result in a sharper video, significant decrease in background noise and a better aliasing for smoother imagery. Another highlight is the drag and burn interface that the SBC-06D1S-U sports, allowing users to backup their media a lot easier.

Getting to the SDR-08D1-U, this is claimed to have an industry-leading slim design, and like any slim design, it ensures advanced portability for customers. The versatile top-loading design makes sure that you don't have to necessarily clean the desk but just put it atop of all, and still be able to use it. Pricing yet to be announced.


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