Are DVD Drives Still the Talk? Answers Here!
Summary: What types of DVD drives do you know? Do you still use one for movies? Prefer a built-in or external laptop DVD drive? Need to copy DVDs before your drive fails? This post has the answers.
Table of Contents
Many people think having a DVD drive is too old-fashioned for today's world. However, DVD drives are still pretty popular and readily available. Nowadays, people are also going for virtual DVD drives, so that's an update.
1. DVD Drives: Everything You Need to Know
In today's fast-moving world, DVD drives are still considered a priority when people go out buying their laptops and PCs. A DVD drive for PC is necessary for seamless streaming of DVDs. Virtual DVD drives are also an option in today's world, and people find them pretty useful.
How does a DVD drive work?
All optical drives are built around the same basic technology. An optical drive comprises a laser that reads and writes data recorded in a plastic disc that spins on a platter. The laser wavelength varies depending on the type of optical drive — CD, DVD, or Blu-ray — as does the rotational speed of the disc. External CD/DVD drives and internal DVD drives both use this phenomenon.
What are the common types of DVD drives?
When it comes to choosing a DVD drive for PC, or a DVD drive for laptop, you need to first know about the types of DVD drives out there. There are three types of DVD drives:
External DVD Drives
External DVD drives are recommended if you have some extra space beside your desktop. The best external DVD drive you can go for is LG Electronics 8X USB 2.0 DVD Writer Drive; its users highly recommend this. This is the best external DVD drive and offers an 8x reading speed. Of course, you can also use a USB 3.0 external DVD drive for a speedy experience.
- Easy to install and use.
- You get extra storage.
- Can be switched between multiple devices anytime and anywhere.
- It takes physical space.
- Can easily overheat during heavy use.
- Connection can become unstable due to loose ports or power supply.
Internal DVD Drives
Internal DVD Drives become a part of your system after installation. When choosing an internal DVD drive for yourself, it is recommended that you go for ASUS DRW-24B1ST; it has many positive reviews of its performance on Amazon.
- Don't take up additional desk space.
- Provides stable read speeds and better overall performance.
- Comparatively harder to install
- Cannot be easily switched between multiple computers.
- Limited to desktop PCs or some older laptops
DVD Virtual Drives
A virtual disc and a virtual DVD drive are software components that simulate a disc storage device. A virtual drive is a software component that emulates a physical disc drive, such as an optical disc drive, floppy disc drive, or hard disc drive. A virtual drive appears and functions like an actual device to other components in your system.
If you're considering purchasing this drive, you should go for DVDFab Virtual Drive. It is a virtual Blu-ray/DVD emulator that can emulate up to 18 drives and functions flawlessly with DVD and Blu-ray images. With this Virtual Drive, you can copy DVD and Blu-ray files to your storage by saving these files as an ISO disc image.
Instead of inserting discs, you can mount and un-mount DVD/Blu-ray disc images through this virtual drive and save time and money.
- Don't take up additional desk space.
- No risk of DVD physical damage.
- Simulates multiple DVD drives on a single computer to suit specific scenarios.
- Reading speed is much faster than physical drives.
- Unable to read physical discs.
- Need time to get familiar with operation process.
2. What to do with DVD drive not working?
Hardware that doesn't seem to work can be a worrisome ordeal. However, it can always be fixed. So you don't need to throw it just yet. Instead, follow these steps to troubleshoot. You can also have a technician look at your external CD/DVD drive or your laptop with DVD drive if the problem seems physical.
Reasons for Your DVD Drive Not Working
There can be many reasons behind your DVD drive not being able to read discs. Let's look at the possible issues from three key perspectives. If your computer cannot read the disc, follow this list to find out which part is going wrong.
- DVD Drive Issues: hardware failure, outdated firmware, laser lens accumulating dust, connection problems, etc.
- DVD Disc Issues: scratched or damaged disc; compatibility issues (e.g. play or burn a Blu-ray disc in a standard DVD drive); discs with encryption or copy protection mechanisms, etc.
- Software Issues: No suitable playback software is installed.
For playback software issues, we here offer you the best solution: PlayerFab.
PlayerFab can not only support physical DVD/Blu-ray/UHD disc, but also ISO image files or DVD folders. Whether your DVD drive is external, internal or just a virtual one, whether your DVD is encrypted in region code or not, PlayerFab can be used to smoothly play back your content without hassle.
- Supports playback of DVD/Blu-ray/UHD disc, ISO image and DVD folders.
- Utilizes AMD, Intel and NVIDIA technology to ensure fluent playback.
- Plays DVD/Blu-ray/UHD disc from all countries and regions.
- Provides full navigation menu playback.
Tip: Copy Data before Your DVD Drives Stop Working
It's always a sensible choice to lay up against a rainy day. You might as well copy your DVD content in advance before your DVD drive stops working due to personal or mechanical reasons. DVDFab DVD Copy can be your best DVD backup tool.
The final backup with DVDFab DVD Copy is lossless, you can easily convert DVD disc to ISO image or folder and store them on your hard drive for later play. You can even use it to save it on another disc. This DVD copy protection removal software also allows you to remove DVD copy protection before copying the original data. With this tool, you no longer need to worry about your DVD drive crashing.
- Allows 1:1 lossless DVD copying.
- Provides six DVD copying modes.
- Compresses DVD-9 to DVD-5 with high quality.
- Processes multiple tasks quickly and simultaneously.
- Allows you to set subtitles, audio tracks, and volume labels.
How to keep a lossless backup with DVDFab DVD Copy?
Step 1: Download and launch DVDFab DVD Copy
Step 2: Load the DVD Source
Click on the "Copy" button. Then, insert the DVD you want to backup into your computer's optical drive. Click on the "Add" button to load the DVD source. If the source is in an ISO file, you can easily load it by drag & drop.
Step 3: Choosing a Copy Mode and Customizing the Output DVD
Now, you need to select a copy mode from the six available modes. Once you've selected the copy mode, you can customize the output DVD further. For instance, you can select the audio tracks, subtitles, and chapters you want to include in the output DVD.
Step 4: Click on the "Start" Button to Start Copying your DVD
FAQs about DVD Drive
The short answer to this question is – NO. DVD drives are not very common nowadays, but they are not obsolete. There has been a decrease in their popularity since the introduction of USB flash drives. However, a DVD drive is still the favorite of many people out there. Features such as cloud storage and online streaming have reduced the need for DVD drives, but these drives are still in the picture. A DVD drive for PC is still the best thing for playing DVD movies.
A DVD drive and an optical drive are essentially the same things. The term 'optical' signifies that light is used to read data from a DVD drive. Laser light is used as a part of the reading mechanism when you use a DVD drive. PCs and laptops with DVD drives that support the reading of Blu-ray can read smaller wavelengths of data.
Yes, external DVD drives can be handy. They are like a USB DVD drive. First, you need to select the best external DVD drive. USB DVD drives are convenient, portable DVD drives that can be carried anywhere with you. External DVD drives are much faster as compared to internal DVD drives. The external DVD drives coming nowadays can read your DVDs up to a speed of 8x. You'll need an outlet connection, and you can plug these drives anywhere.
To put it simply out there – you can easily find a laptop with DVD drive installed in it. It is an easy find, and many laptop manufacturers are still manufacturing such laptops. There's still high demand for laptops with DVD drives, and these laptops come with technologically advanced hardware installed in them. If it’s getting hard to find, you can always find a DVD drive for laptop and install it externally.
Conclusion
While some may think that virtual DVD drives have replaced the traditional DVD drive, this is not the case. External, internal, and virtual DVD drives are all still popular on the market, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Also, to avoid potential issues with physical DVD drives, it's a good idea to back up your data with DVD copy software such as DVDFab DVD Copy.
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