Lite-On SSM-85H5SX
Why do these devices have such ridiculous names? Lite-On's SSM-85H5SX is not a rare component from Radio Shack but a portable DVD drive, in case you were wondering. It’s a slim 8x external model that looks inconspicuously frumpy. And when it reads a DVD it sounds like a flying saucer at cruising speed.
Lite-On says it has been doing portable DVD drives longer than anyone and this model has been around a year or so. It was relaunched last Autumn, under the still-not-that-catchy-a-name DX8A1H. That was down to the fact that Lite-On has started making its DVD drives in a joint venture with Philips called PLDS. Yes, PLDS – it's short for Philips Lite-on Digital Storage.
A brand new model is expected by the spring, when they'll tart up the design, which is no great shakes at the moment. More welcome developments in the pipeline are perhaps a smaller chassis, a little more speed and a USB power cable so you don't have to plug it into a wall to operate it. However, the drive worked well enough in its current format. As it stands, the device weighs 362.8g and it could slip into a satchel easily enough if it wasn’t for that power adapter.
Our tests had the SSM-85H5SX writing to DVD at about four and a half minutes per GB. It also comes with Lightscribe, which burns images onto the faces of the discs, so you can make nice pressies of them. If you can’t wait for the upgraded model this one will set you back £70, which isn’t that competitive given the other units on test here.

Rating: 5/10