6 Best External CD Drive For Ripping

1. Pioneer Electronics BDR-XD07B

This DVD player for laptops by Pioneer is one of the best options that let users burn their essential data to CD, Blu-ray, or DVD media. This drive assists users to write or read all Blu-ray Disc Extra Large (BDXL) discs at a quick speed without any trouble. The weight of this device is 230 gm and its size is 133 mm x 133 mm. These dimensions make the device easy to move and carry without any trouble.

The drive uses micro USB 3.0 to transmit data quicker to a CD or DVD from the laptop. The device provides long-term data protection using a Millennial Disc (M-DISC). It can be used on Mac OS and Windows. This external CD/DVD drive comes with free software for burning discs. It offers almost 6x writing speed on BD-R (Blu-ray recordable disc) and BD-R DL (Blu-ray dual-layer). The device creates very less noise when it is running. It is one of the best options for a laptop that has a slim and good design.

Pros

  • It is plug-and-play.
  • This external disk drive does not need any extra power source.
  • It is lightweight.
  • It offers supports for Blu ray.

Cons

  • DVD reads the data very slowly.

2. LG Electronics 8X USB 2.0 DVD Writer Drive

This LG external DVD player for laptops allows users to burn their important files without any trouble. It comes with a storage capacity of almost 27 DVDs and 5 Blu-ray discs. This device supports USB 2.0, but it is also well matched with USB 3.0. The device offers hassle-free connection with a Mini USB cable, hence users do not need any extra source of power. The device has a dimension of 14.22 cm x 13.72 cm x 1.52 cm. The design is only 0.55 inches indicating the device uses very less space as a slim Optical Pickup Unit (OPU) for installation.

This LG DVD drive uses silent play tech that assists users to lower noise during running. It adjusts the disc speed automatically for utmost performance. This is a good option that supports M-DISC for the safe storage of your files. The device has a good speed for disc writing of CD-R: 24X, DL: 6x, and DVD-RAM: 5x. It also has a good disc read speed DVD+R/-R/ DVD+R/-R DL/ DVD+RW/- RW/DVD-ROM: 8x, DVD-RAM: 6x, and CD-R/RW/ROM/CD-DA DAE: 24X, as well as CSS Compliant Disc (DVD-Video): 4X. This device is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems. The device comes with in-built software. Hence, you do not need to buy any extra tool to burn a disc. This is one of the best options as a CD DVD player.

external cd drive:2. LG Electronics 8X USB 2.0 DVD Writer Drive

Pros

  • It can be easily used with a laptop.
  • You can also connect it with a TV.

Cons

  • It does not provide support for Blu-ray discs.
  • This disc drive does not offer any color choice.

3. ASUS Powerful Blu-ray Drive

The ASUS USB CD drive is one of the best DVD Blu-ray and CD drives that provides 16 times faster speed for data writing. It offers Mac OS and Windows compatibility using USB 3.0. This is one of the best options for an external disc drive that has a diamond-like design for a luxurious look and clean aesthetics. The device burns DVD with an elective encryption feature for the protection of privacy. This is one of the best options that allow maximum data memory of 128 GB in one disc. It is packed with software that assists you to streamline the burning process. This device has a dimension of 9.5 x 2.5 x 6.5. inches, which is too huge, hence it might consume more space.

The device can be used easily with a laptop and computer. This device provides online backup solution for Android smartphones and tablets. It has a bulky weight of 2.60 lbs. This is one of the best options for Mac that shows support for M-DISC. It also allows you to protect your videos, data, and photos.

Pros

  • It provides USB 3 cable support.
  • It is faster compared to other DVD ROMS.

Cons

  • It makes noise when burning the disc.
  • Very heavy and space-consuming device.

4. External DVD Drive, Amicool USB 3.0 Type-C

This external optical drive by Amicool is one of the best disc writer and readers that can be used easily with a laptop or desktop. It is compatible with a wide range of operating systems such as Windows, Mac, and Linux. This external drive provides 24X CD and 8X DVD read speed, which is good to load a huge amount of info from the disc. The device is one of the best options that has a dimension of 6.19 x 6.11 x 1.06 inches.

The lightweight and slim design of this device allow you to move and carry it around easily. This external drive does not have burner software. Hence, users need to buy it separately. It is simple to use as users just need to plug it into a USB port of their laptop or computer. If your computer does not have an internal drive, then this device is a good option to consider.

Pros

  • You can transfer files faster.
  • It is portable.
  • It has a good aesthetic and slim design.

Cons

  • Do not support Blu ray/TV/ projector/car/ tablet / Chrome/ smartphone.
  • The cable is short.

5. Dell USB DVD Drive-DW316

This device by Dell is a plug-and-play drive that can be utilized using an USB port. It has just 200 gm of weight, which makes it simple to carry. This device has preloaded software for burning. The good thing about this device is that it does not need any batteries or power cords to work. This external drive for Windows and Mac operating systems can be used with a laptop easily. On the other hand, users need to note that this device does not offer Blu-ray support. It comes with software that allows you to burn audios, videos, and images easily to a disc. This is one of the best options for Mac that utilizes a USB 2.0 interface. It is of the biggest external DVDs with dimensions of 5.41 x 5.67 x 0.55 inches, so it is not simple to move and carry around in a pocket.

Pros

  • It provides a good CD and DVD writing speed.
  • This device helps with the easy transfer of your large data without any hassle.
  • You can play both CDs and DVDs.

Cons

  • Sometimes the drive stops spinning without any error message.
  • Users cannot carry this drive with ease.
  • Does not support Blu-ray

6. ASUS ZenDrive

The ASUS external drive has a 13mm thickness, which makes it a very portable disk storage device. This device provides 24x CD and 8x DVD write speeds. It provides Mac and Windows compatibility using a USB 2.0 connection. The dimension of this device is 7.1 x 7 x 2.4 inches. Hence, it is easy and lightweight to carry from one place to other. This is one of the best devices that offers support for M-DISC which is good storage that defends your photos, videos, and data for almost 1000 years.

This device comes with built-in software for burning. It can be used easily with any laptop. The device provides powerful features to burn your essential data. On the other hand, this device does not provide support for Blu-rays.

Pros

  • It offers plug-and-play solution.
  • Easy to carry.
  • It is a value-for-money external DVD drive.

Cons

  • It does not compatible with the USB 3.0 port.
  • It does not provide support for Blu-ray.

Bonus: Use DVDFab DVD Ripper for Ripping DVDs

Not every external DVD drive comes with an in-built ripping and burning tool. Also, not every tool is good at burning and ripping your data. Hence, you need a software that can be reliable and able to perform good. The tool must support almost all formats and must be compatible with all types of devices. One such tool that can fulfill all your needs is DVDFab DVD Ripper. The tool helps in converting videos to more than 1000 video and audio formats supported by popular devices. To customize the output video, you can use the Profile Filter and Advanced Settings . Follow the below steps to know how to use this tool.

Step 1: Download and install DVDFab 12. Click the Ripper module on the main screen.

external cd drive:Bonus: Use DVDFab DVD Ripper for Ripping DVDs

Step 2: Click the + button on the main screen to upload the source file. You can also drag and drop the file to upload it. You can also insert the DVD you wish to rip into the drive. In addition to this, you can also navigate by using the Add option.

Step 3: Tap Choose Other Profile and click on the Format option.

Step 4: Next, click the Video option to convert videos to different formats. Users can also extract subtitles from DVD to SRT format, select audio tracks/language, or add external subtitles.

Step 5: In addition to this, users can also set audio and video parameters as per their requirements using the Advanced Settings section and Video Edit section. 

external cd drive:Bonus: Use DVDFab DVD Ripper for Ripping DVDs

Step 6: After adjusting the parameter, click the Start option to digitize DVD collection.

external cd drive:Bonus: Use DVDFab DVD Ripper for Ripping DVDs

Tip: Use PlayerFab DVD Player To Play Your Burned Discs

If you do not find your choice of external DVD drive, users can also use a media player that can be able to play their favorite movies and TV shows. An ideal player is needed that can be able to play TV shows and movies from ISO/ folders and DVD discs. One such player is PlayerFab DVD Player. The tool comes with different features. Below are some features that make it worthy to try. Have a look:

external cd drive:Tip: Use PlayerFab DVD Player To Play Your Burned Discs

Features

  • The tool can play DVD discs regardless of the region code
  • The tool can play back DVDs in Main Movie Mode
  • The tool can apply Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA technology to ensure fluent playback
  • It can organize & manage the local media library by poster wall
  • It provides navigation Menu for all kinds of DVD formats
  • It supports playback of DVD ISO files or folders
  • It supports and plays diverse video and audio formats
  • It supports all audio and video formats
  • It collects series into one file
  • It is able to auto-download metadata
  • It supports multilingual metadata
  • Users can manually edit metadata with this tool

FAQs

Can external DVD drives burn CDs?

The external disc drive connects to your USB port directly so users can access their DVDs and CDs again. Most of the device comes with a high reading speed so users can watch movies. These devices can also burn CDs onto users' computers with no issue.

Why are optical drives not used anymore?

Optical drives tend to consume much space, therefore making computers heavy, which is not attractive anymore. In addition to this, discs do not have the same storage ability as external hard drives or USB flash drives. There are also security problems with the Blu- Ray format that stops some users from buying it.

What is the fastest DVD Ripping tool?

DVDFab DVD Ripper software is the high-speed ripper program that is available for windows and Mac devices. This tool allows users to burn DVD, CD, and Blu-Ray disks very easily even the newbies can also use the tool due to the simple UI it offers.

Conclusion

Having said that, we just had a look at the top 6 external DVD drive devices that you can use for your Windows laptop. In addition to this, we also saw that users can use DVDFab DVD Ripper software to rip or burn any discs. The tool helps in converting videos to more than 1000 video and audio formats supported by popular devices. Also, users can use PlayerFab DVD Player to play TV shows and movies from ISO/folders and DVD discs.