Still, remember those physical media you used to have? When the physical discs started to dwindle in the digital age, you might rarely encounter a laptop with DVD drive being marketed as it reduces device weight and makes it sleeker. However, getting yourself an external DVD drive eases the pain of throwing your stored memories on DVD or Blu-ray discs as it allows you to rip and read these files or do the other way through DVD authoring. In this guidepost, we will walk you through the efficient tools and ways you can do with your physical discs and still realize their relevance to this day.
Part 1. External DVD Drive for Laptop & Desktop
External optical drives are one of the tools that can help you maximize your device's functions and features. These tools are best when you wish to retrieve files from a disc and bypass home theatre and DVD players. On top of that, there are cases when your files are better off saved on a DVD over cloud storage of flash drives. In this part, we have curated a list of reliable and efficient DVD external drives for Mac and Windows if you opt to have one.
1. Apple USB SuperDrive: A DVD external drive for Mac that allows you to watch, burn and rip files on a disc. Its slim structure allows it to be easily plunged into your laptop case and brought anywhere. Moreover, this tool utilizes a USB-A cable connector.
2. Dell USB Slim DVD+ - RW Drive: An external CD/DVD drive for Windows 11 laptops and a tool for DVD ripping or writing. This tool offers 8x ripping speed, which makes operation hassle-free. It also supports multiple optical media types like CD-DA, CD-R, CD-ROM, DVD_RAM, DVD-ROM and more.
3. Archgon MD-8107 External UHD Blu-ray Optical Drive: One of the best picks and tried and tested external DVD drives for PC is the Archgon MD-8107. This tool ranks best when ripping files from device to disc. On top of that, it is capable of playing videos up to 4K playback. However, Archgon MD-8107 is also one of the expensive external optical drives but offers exquisite performance.
Part 2. What Should I Consider When Getting an External DVD Drive
Most of the standard laptops produced by different companies today have significantly ditched laptops with a DVD drive on their products. However, if you still desire to work with your DVDs stacked in the rack, getting an external DVD drive is the best way to consider. But before you spend bucks and realize that what you purchased is less impressive than expected, here is what you need to know when choosing the best external CD DVD drive.
1. Design and Build - This factor makes it essential to choose the external DVD drive that matches your preferences when it comes to design and aesthetics. Choosing lightweight products to quickly bring them with you can also be one. However, this factor is essential, but the following few considerations weigh more.
2. Reading/burning speed - As for quality, an incredible external drive is determined by how it reads the DVD or CD upon insertion. On the other hand, how fast you can burn files to DVD depends on the external drive you are using.
3. Standard Cable - Get an external drive that supports the USB DVD drive cable connector. Older equipment comes with a Y cable, but it may not be compatible with the latest devices today compared to external drives that run on a 2.0 USB connector.
Part 3. Is There Any Laptop with a DVD Drive?
If external drives still serve their function today, why have modern devices opted to be without them? One probable reason is to make laptops lighter and ultra-thin and to extend battery life. However, if having a device with an external drive is still a big deal, here are some modern laptops with DVD drive features available today.
1. Dell Inspiron 15 5000 - If you want an optimal device with a built-in optical drive, Dell devices like this one are worth your bucks. This device is 15.6 inches long and weighs about 4.9 pounds. Moreover, it has 8GB RAM and 1 TB of storage.
2. Lenovo ThinkPad E570 - This surefire laptop with a DVD drive has an Intel Core i5 8GB RAM and a 56 GB SSD. The display is 15.6 inches and weighs 5 pounds.
3. HP Envy 17 - The HP Envy 17 is another device with an integrated optical drive. It has a 17.3-inch screen and a 4GB Nvidia GeForce graphics card. With its 16GB RAM, loading your disc with this laptop is seamless and faster than other devices.
Bonus: I Got a DVD Drive, Then What?
One of the primary reasons to keep a laptop with a DVD drive is to access files that are still not readily available in digital format. If you have a DVD drive and discs that contain important memories like a video taken in the past, getting a DVD player is a must-have. AVAide Blu-ray Player is an all-in-one solution that can help you seamlessly preview videos up to 4K resolution.
On top of that, this tool is highly compatible with Windows and Mac devices, ensuring that you can play your files on the discs at any cost. Moreover, AVAide Blu-ray Player boasts a simple and user-friendly interface, making the playback experience painless and undemanding for new users.
Therefore, you can follow the guide below if you have the best external CD DVD drive and wish to pair it with a superior player like the AVAide Blu-ray Player.
Step 1Install the DVD Player
Begin by launching the software on your device. Go to the official webpage of AVAide Blu-ray Player and click the compatible Download button on your computer.
TRY IT FREE For Windows 7 or later
Secure Download
TRY IT FREE For Mac OS X 10.12 or later
Secure DownloadStep 2Add Disc to the Drive
Once the software is launched on your screen, you can play files from an ISO folder or DVD/CD. If you have discs, insert them on the external DVD Drive and click Open Disc on the software. On the other hand, select the Open File function for ISO files.
Step 3Control Playback Keys
The playback interface will automatically open after the software reads your files in the folder or disc. The playback buttons, such as the Stop, Play, Volume, and Next buttons, are located below the tool's corner.
You have a separate DVD drive for your laptop, but having this tool will help you with your authoring and ripping activities. While a physical disc may still pose disadvantages when used to save files, being able to play your videos on the home theatre brings back old memories.
Full-featured multimedia player to play Blu-rays, DVDs, 4K UHDs, and other video/audio files.
