Sep 29, 2010 11:47 GMT  ·  By

Setting aside Blu-ray for a time, Buffalo has come up with its latest external DVD burner, a device called DVSM-24U2 and which can write both CDs and DVDs, at a variety of speeds depending on the format.

Internal optical disk drives don't exactly leave much room for variety, since the front bezel is, more or less, the only differing feature between the various models on sale.

As such, there is no heated competition to speak of on the ODD market and prices, besides minor design elements, are the main determining feature in such a product's appeal, besides writing speeds of course.

When it comes to external storage devices, however, the various hardware makers can work on not just the design, but also select between several interfaces and, thus, speed ratings.

The new ODD from Buffalo carries the name of DVSM-24U2 and connects to host computers via the USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 port.

The transfer speed of up to 480 Mbps of this standard allows it to burn DVD-R and DVD+R disks at up to 24x.

Of course, the drive can also handle DVD-RAM disks, at 12x speeds to be precise, as well as DVD-R/+R DL and DVD+RW at 8x.

Buffalo's creation also scribes DVD-RW disks at rates of 6x, leaving speeds of 48x and 32x for CD-R and CD-RW, respectively.

As for the overall design, the DVSM-24U2 external DVD burner measures 160 x 50 x 220 mm and boasts a black color.

Finally, to ensure the maximum level of functionality, Buffalo threw in a number of software utilities developed by CyberLink.

The list includes PowerProducer 5, Power2Go 6, InstantBurn 5, PowerDVD 9, PowerDirector 8 HE and PowerBackup 2.

Buffalo intends to start shipping this device, in Japan, sometime during the middle of October, at a price of roughly $137.