What is a DVD Drive? Definition, Functions and Types Explained

What is a DVD drive? Have you ever wondered about the technology behind it? This comprehensive guide will answer all your questions, providing a clear DVD drive definition of the technology, explaining the various types of DVD optical drives, and assessing their continued relevance in a modern, cloud-centric world.

What is a DVD Drive?

A DVD (Optical) drive, short for Digital Versatile Disc Drive, is a hardware component that can be installed either inside a computer or other electronic device or used as an external unit to read and write discs. In a broad sense, it is a type of optical disc drive.

From a technical point of view, a DVD drive is a device that uses laser beams and electromagnetic wave technology to read or write data to DVD discs. It acts as a bridge between physical optical discs and a computer’s digital system.

A DVD drive can function as an input device for reading discs, and also as an output device for burning discs. When used as an input device, it reads the pits and lands on the disc and converts them into digital signals that the computer can understand. When used as an output device, it uses a high-power laser to change the chemical properties of the disc's dye layer, thereby permanently recording digital files onto the disc.

Therefore, even though modern computers are gradually phasing out built-in optical drives, DVD drives are still an essential tool for playing physical movies, installing traditional software, and accessing cold data backups.

How Does a DVD Drive Work?

In simple terms, the workflow of an optical drive is: emit the laser, focus it on the disc, receive the reflected light, decode the data.

Laser Beam Technology

A DVD drive is a type of optical disc drive. Different types of optical disc drives use lasers with different wavelengths; the shorter the wavelength, the narrower the beam and the higher the data density that can be read. In terms of performance, the DVD drive sits in the middle.

How, then, is the data actually "seen"?

The surface of a DVD is covered with tiny irregular bumps and flats, known as pits and lands. When the DVD drive's laser hits a land, the light is strongly reflected back to the sensor (representing binary 1 or a specific signal state). When the laser hits a pit, the light is scattered or undergoes destructive interference, so the reflected light becomes weaker (representing binary 0). The sensor inside the DVD drive captures these changes and converts them into electrical signals, which are ultimately reconstructed by the computer into movies or files.

DVD Drive Reading Speed

When you buy a DVD drive, what does the prominent 8x, 16x, or 24x on the box actually mean? They indicate the maximum data transfer rate of the drive.

In the DVD standard, 1x (single speed) is defined as 1.385 MB/s, which is roughly the minimum speed required to play a standard DVD movie.

• 8x = 11.08 MB/s
• 16x = 22.16 MB/s (the current maximum speed for most mainstream DVD burners)
• 24x = 33.24 MB/s

For common users, a 16x drive is already sufficient to burn a full 4.7 GB DVD disc in about 5 to 6 minutes.

Different Types of DVD Drives

Not all DVD drives are the same. When choosing or using a drive, we usually classify them from two perspectives: connection type (physical form) and supported formats (functionality).

Internal DVD Drives

Internal DVD drives are installed directly inside the computer case and connected directly to the motherboard. They are usually more stable and offer slightly faster data transfer speeds than external drives, but they are not portable. 

Desktop Internal Drives:

• This is the most traditional form of optical drive, installed in the 5.25-inch drive bay at the front of a desktop case. They connect to the motherboard via a SATA interface. Due to their larger size, they have a more robust mechanical structure and better heat dissipation, and they typically support the highest read/write speeds (such as 16x or 24x).

Laptop Internal Drives:

• Also known as slimline drives. These are ultra-thin drives designed to fit into the limited space of a laptop (usually only 9.5 mm or 12.7 mm thick). As modern laptops increasingly pursue ultra-thin designs, such drives are now only found in certain rugged laptops or older models.

External DVD Drives

With the rise of MacBook Air and Ultrabooks, computers no longer reserve space for internal optical drives, so external DVD drives have become the mainstream option. 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. 

External DVD drives usually offer USB connectivity with USB Type-A or USB Type-C ports, and you should choose based on the ports your computer supports.

• USB Connectivity: An external DVD drive is essentially a slim internal drive enclosed in a case and connected via a USB cable.
• USB Type-A: The traditional rectangular connector, compatible with most desktop PCs and older laptops.
• USB Type-C: More and more modern external drives use a Type-C connector, which can typically be connected directly to a MacBook or newer ultrabooks.

Supported Formats (ROM vs. RW vs. RAM)

Aside from the physical form, the logos printed on the front panel of an optical drive determine what it can do. Typically, you will see labels such as DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, and DVD-RW/+RW, each indicating slightly different capabilities.

• DVD-ROM Drive (DVD Reader): As mentioned earlier, this type of drive can only read data from DVDs and CDs; it cannot burn discs. It is mainly used for installing software, watching movies, or playing older disc-based games.
• DVD-RW/DVD+RW (DVD Writer/Burner): This is currently the most common type. It can not only read data, but also write data to DVD-R or DVD+R blank discs (write-once) as well as DVD-RW or DVD+RW discs (which can be erased and rewritten multiple times). Most modern drives are labeled "DVD Multi Recorder" and support both DVD- and DVD+ formats.
• DVD-RAM: This is an older format, but excellent in terms of data reliability. A DVD-RAM disc can access data randomly like a hard drive, and it has a very long lifespan, making it suitable for long-term archiving. Although it is not very common today, higher-end drives still support reading this format.

DVD Virtual Drives

When you search for "DVD drive" or "What Is A DVD Drive", you may come across something that looks like a drive but cannot be touched in the real world: the virtual drive.

A virtual DVD drive is not physical hardware; it is a drive simulated by software. In the "This PC" folder on your computer, it looks exactly like a real DVD drive icon and even has a drive letter (such as G:). It uses special software algorithms to trick the operating system into believing that a physical drive is connected.

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.

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.

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.

DVDFab DVD Copy

A feature-rich software specialized in DVD copying and backup. With six copy modes (full disc, main movie, merge, clone/burn, split, and customize), you can easily back up your entire DVD collection, ensuring your content remains safe even if your DVD drive stops working.

Features:

• 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

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.