The Primera family of DVD/CD duplicators has long been recognized as disc production workhorses, but the end of the high-definition optical disc format war has given that family a newly important mission: Blu-ray video disc production. (Note that we’re not talking about Blu-ray data discs for storage.)

One member in particular, the Primera Bravo SE Blu, is the perfect choice for Blu-ray video disc (BD) authors who have been looking for an affordable tool to add to their BD authoring system. With the Bravo, creating multiple Blu-ray video discs is easy and fast on the PC, and as of April 1, it is finally on the Mac as well. 

Like its DVD/CD sibling, the Bravo SE Blu is a self-contained, single-drive duplicator with an integral high-quality inkjet printer.

The unit I reviewed came with the Panasonic SW-5582 Blu-ray/DVD/CD burner, and it interfaced easily with my MacBook Pro. I had been looking for a BD burner for Adobe Encore CS3, and this unit was just the ticket.

The Bravo SE Blu can handle batches of up to 20 discs of any format at one time. It comes with PTPublisher software and SureThing CD Label Software Primera Edition for Windows XP. As of April 1, it also now comes with Charismac Engineering’s Discribe v6.0 for Mac OS X v10.5, as well as disc templates for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

The Bravo SE Blu uses the supplied Mac or PC software to automate the robotics workflow for either platform. But if you bought this unit before April 1, when updated Mac software was added to the system, you couldn’t automatically batch-burn Blu-ray discs on the Mac. That feature wasn’t supported by the earlier version of the Charismac Discribe software for Mac OS X that came with the system shipping since September 2006 (the version I review here). Now part of all new Bravo SE Blu systems, the updated software is also available as a $149 upgrade if you purchased your system before September 1, 2007; it’s absolutely free if you purchased your system after September 1, 2007.

I created a small Blu-ray video project with Adobe Encore CS3 (Mac) as a test, and I used the Bravo SE Blu to burn the finished project to BD-R disc. The interface was painless and the drive instantly was recognized by Encore. Building and burning to the Bravo went quickly and without any hiccups or burps.

As I have experienced before, printing with Bravo SE systems really delivers great results. With 4800 dpi print resolution and 16.7 million colors, the Bravo SE Blu delivers impressive high-quality disc graphics. Currently, only matte finish printable BD-R media is available, and they’re a bit pricey ($240 for 10 Tuffcoat discs). When waterproof glossy finish BD-R media becomes available, the finished discs will be even more beautiful (although likely still somewhat pricey). That said, even matte finish discs will look good with the Bravo SE’s color inkjet printing.

Cartridges for the Bravo SE Blu are still currently $37.95, yielding 100 to 130 finished discs, with per-disc costs averaging from $.029 to $0.37. There is also a high-yield cartridge available, at $47.95, which I didn’t get a chance to test. If you print full-coverage, four-color discs, expect your per-cartridge yield to decrease.

Getting the Bravo SE Blu set up is thoroughly described in the Quick Start Guide and the User’s Manual. It’s literally unwrap, plug in, align the print unit and go. (The software should prompt you to align the print head when needed.)

Mac or PC connectivity is a snap— one USB cable to connect to the host computer’s USB 2 port, one power cord to install for the PSU, and you’re done. You can monitor the disc robotics while you work and remove finished discs without interrupting the workflow, or even opening the cover.

The Bravo SE Blu shares many specs with its DVD/CD counterpart: weighing in at 11.5 pounds, and taking up the same modest 15-inch x 15-inch desktop footprint, it makes for an easy drop-in for most computer work areas.

Windows PTPublisher software awaits files dragged into a data DVD. Be careful to use the proper setting for creating DVD-video and Blu-ray discs.

Continuing in the Bravo SE’s affordable mold, the Bravo SE Blu is a natural choice if you want to start publishing to BD on the PC or Mac.

Just like the DVD version, the Bravo SE Blu is a well-behaved and cost-effective tool for modest disc duplication jobs. It’s affordable yet yields discs that give no evidence of having been produced on such a modest budget.

Considering the current expense of providing multiple Blu-ray discs by replication, this little unit might just be the ticket for small-volume content creators who need BD video right away!