pre-sales question about Vision HT 420D optical disk drive selection

[asrockuser]

Dear forum-members (and hopefully ASRock staff?)

I really would like to buy a Haswell Vision HT 420D ....

However, despite the "product feature" website advertising "Entertainment -Experience the absolutely realistic Blu-ray 3D display", the product specification only lists a "DVD Super Multi" optical disk drive.

And although among the older Ivy Bridge Vision-PCs there were (and are) versions with Bly Ray combo drives available, the new Haswell Visions only seem to come with DVD drives - and seem to not feature Blu Ray drives at all!

Yet, I really would like to buy a Haswell Vision HT with a Blu Ray disk drive ...

So, ASRock, please answer those question:

- Why are there no Haswell Visions with Blu Ray disk drives available? Or when will they become available?

- Or alternatively: are there any third party Blu Ray slot-in drives available that could be exchanged for the standard DVD drives in your Vision HT chassis? (Your closed-front chassis doesn't seem to be easily compatible with any slot-in disk drive that could be bought through normal distributors and which do require a squared front panel cutout.)

And just as a feedback for the product portfolio decision makers: If I cannot get an internal Blu Ray drive to work with a Haswell Vision HT, then I will probably NOT buy an ASRock Vision system at all - although its specifications otherwise very much match the things I'm looking for: mobile Intel CPU, Toslink, eSata, and HDMI and DVI connectivity).

Therefore I really would be grateful for any advice on how to circumvent this seemingly inappropriately contorted optical disk drive policy for the new Haswell Vision product range or how and when I will be ably to buy one with a Bluy Ray disk drive.

best regards

Christian

[- wardog -]

Re: pre-sales question about Vision HT 420D optical disk drive selection

Vision HT Series (Haswell)

Under "CPU Support List" is found the link "AVL" which is a pdf listing of known ODD's that fit.

ODD list
Device Type---------ODD Vender Model--------------- F/W
BD Combo------------Philips-Liteon PLDS/4ETS
(Slot-in)-----------Philips-Liteon PLDS/DC-6E2SH

[asrockuser]

Re: pre-sales question about Vision HT 420D optical disk drive selection

Hi Wardog,

thanks for your reply. Searching for "PLDS/DC-6E2SH" also showed me that this question was already asked in the forum before, but although I did searche before, it seemed to have skipped my search terms or I didn't notice it buried among all the other threads.

So a special thanks for reposting your reply to my request as well again.

I didn't specifically look for notebook replacement drives yet, but so your hint gave me a good idea for what to look now.

Hence I will probably buy a vision HT anyway and try to replace it's DVD drive with a BD drive if I can get my hands on one.

Btw: Asrock also replied with a private message, explaining that they currently just can't order the required amounts of BD drives on the market because of supply shortages and therefore can't offer a BD version right now.

So I hope I nevertheless will still manage to get some compatible single BD drive somewhere on the (notebook spare parts) market.

best wishes and thanks again!

Christian