We purchased the Pioneer BDR-XD05B Blu-ray Burner so that our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and review it. Read on for our full product review.

Rewritable storage has come a long way since the first CD-R drives came out all those years ago, and a number of small, portable Blu-ray drives, such as the Pioneer BDR-XD05B Blu-ray Burner, make it easier to burn Blu-rays on the go. A small Blu-ray drive needs to be both light and portable, and sturdy enough to withstand the sort of jolts you might encounter if you were to lug it around with you. We put the Pioneer BDR-XD05B to the test to see if this Blu-ray burner can deliver performance and portability for the right price.

For more information on what to look for when choosing an optical drive, check out our buying guide.

The Pioneer BDR-XD05B Blu-ray Burner is a sleek little black drive. It's a diminutive 5.12" square by .5" tall with a black cover and a metal base. The clamshell enclosure opens to a full 65 degrees, so it's easy to slide a disc onto the spindle. The clamshell release button is located on the front left of the drive, and there's a blue LED indicator that lights up when the drive is connected to a power source. The drive comes with an unusually shaped USB cable, with a USB 3.0 micro-B male on one end and two USB-A male ends on the other. One is designed to power the drive and one is for data transfer. The back of the drive has both a USB 3.0 micro-B port and a DC power port as a secondary option for powering it. The Pioneer BDR-XD05B Blu-ray Burner has a minimalistic look, black with only a small gray Blu-ray logo on top.