How Important Is DVD Drive For A Laptop?

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The need to find storage devices for recording and playing back content for home entertainment goes back decades. As people began driving towards a capitalist, money-driven economy, there was less time for going to cinemas and broadway for leisure purposes. While the radio and television did satisfy the cravings to some extent, the pre-decided schedule was inconvenient for many to follow. Also, it lacked the factor of convenience with no options to pause and replay media.

Fast forward to today, and storage mediums are continuously evolving. From vinyl records to VHS tapes, from floppy drives to compact discs. Over the years as the technology starting pacing ahead, the entertainment industry got a boost as well. Greater storage capacity meant more data transferring capabilities, ultimately leading to a better picture and sound quality. 

When the need for greater storage surpassed the limit that was available on compact discs, new formats were sought out. The Digital Video Disc, or DVD, became popular at the end of the 20^th century and since then it has become a part of everyday life.

Although DVD players were very popular in the early 2000s, further technological advancement has made the device quite uncommon today. Particularly with the ease of accessibility brought on by online streaming services and portable storage devices, the DVD hype has started to decline gradually.

Even DVD players aren’t that popular nowadays, portable DVD players still hold their place in the market. Specifically, because of the ease of use, they provide in terms of carrying them around. Moreover, they are affordable and most of them cost below $100, which is an appealing deal. 

What Is A DVD?

DVD short for Digital Video Disc is a storage disc that has the capability to store an ample amount of data, more than a compact disc to be specific. DVDs are universal in terms of watching movies or saving videos and other data. They are also sometimes used by technology giants to ship software and drivers to the consumer.

DVDs like any other storage device, come in various sizes. The most commonly used DVD is the single-layer disc. It’s a single-sided disc having the capacity to hold 4.7 GB of data. In comparison to the single-layer, a double-layer disc has the capacity of holding up to 8.7 GB of digital information. Mounting a bit, the double-sided, single-layer DVD is capable of holding 9.4 GB. The maximum storage limit is the double-side, double-layer disc, offering the storage capacity of 17.08 GB.

In case you’re wondering about the different types of DVD and how does a DVD differ from a CD? Well, both discs have the same design and outlook, which includes one side with a label and the other being readable by an optical laser. The major difference, therefore, comes from the differences in storage capacities. A DVD offers a lot more storage space than a CD, in a same-sized disc. 

Good thing is, DVD drives support both CDs and DVDs, so you don’t have to worry about the type of your disk, as long as it’s readable and writeable. Even portable DVD players have support for both CDs and DVDs.

However, recent technologies have overshadowed DVDs, taking DVD sales down the river. People now prefer more advanced technologies like Blu-Ray discs and online streaming services like YouTube and Netflix. Therefore, if the trend continues, there is a high chance that DVDs will cease to exist.

Are DVDs On The Path To Becoming Obsolete?

Less Space In Modern Laptop Designs

As technology advances, the size of technological devices is getting smaller by the day. At nearly five inches in diameter, you can’t expect laptops to fit in optical drives. In order to conserve space, laptop manufacturers have said goodbye to DVD players.

Besides, the portable drives have hit the market and taken over storage concerns like a boss. The ideology of having DVD players now seems impractical.

Also, people have started using tablets and other compact portable devices, more often. The thinner the laptop, the higher the demand. Thin laptops are not only considered practical in terms of portability ease, but they are also considered sleek and more aesthetically appealing. The trend is particularly prominent amongst tech-savvy consumers, as a thinner design translates to more features in lesser space, at least that’s the case with leading manufacturers.

When micro storage chips, USB ports, and other modern options are available to suit a thinner laptop design, there’s no motive for manufactures to stick to DVD players anymore. 

Minimal Capacity To Store Data

The DVD days are long gone. When CDs first hit the market, everyone thought of them as one of the greatest storage devices manufactured, with the capacity to hold up to 650 MB of data. At that time, this sort of storage capacity wasn’t available in other devices or forms so CDs easily took the market by the storm. Soon after that, DVDs emerged, they overshadowed CDs with the 7-fold increase in data storage capacity. Fast forward to today, Blu-Ray disc players offer 200 GB of data storage. Why would anyone still opt for DVD players? 

Not to mention the storage capacity of hard drives has risen exponentially over the last few years, people don’t bat an eye to any storage device lower than 25 GB. Forget GB, the capacity of hard drives including thumb drives has hit the TB standard. Storage issues are long gone. In fact, many people don’t even need the kind of large storage capacity which most devices are offering nowadays. 

Blu-Ray disc players are ideal, considering 200 GB is an abundant capacity for a user. Not too little, neither too much. Additionally, SSD technology has also set a high bar over the years. Thanks to its flash memory, thy have made floppy technology obsolete. 

With the rise in storage options, the prices of many have become quite pocket-friendly. You can find a 16 GB flash drive below $10, why would you still use DVD technology? SSD’s, however, will soon replace other storage devices as they offer larger storage capacities, and with further technological advancement, they are becoming more and more practical. 

Declining Demand For Physical Media

As the world shifts into a mobile realm, portable devices with cloud storage are becoming more mainstream. With smartphones, MP3 players, iPods, and other digital media devices, the need to carry physical media is decreasing drastically. Everything is now available online, from movies to musical playlists, you can download it onto your computer through a click of a single button. The ease and independence that these online platforms offers have drastically decreased the demand for in DVD and its sales. 

Although portable DVD players also made their entrance into the market, they still can’t offer the storage space and compact structure thumb drives and other modern storage devices do.

No doubt, before these options started becoming available, DVDs were the go-to option for the majority of people. Be it to watch a movie, record a soap-opera or groove to a new playlist. 

Another reason DVDs have become a thing of the past is that there are many platforms offering a wide range of movies, shows, music playlists online without the hurdle of having to manage storage. For instance, Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify provide unlimited streaming without the need to ever download anything. The internet has made life easier for people, but tougher for DVD manufacturers.

Lastly, there’s the issue of applications. With app-stores on digital devices, it has become easier for you to download games and other applications with ease. Guess it’s time to wave DVDs goodbye.

Blu-Ray’s Leading The Game

Even though there are many options for those wanting to watch movies, video’s or even TV-shows, there are only a few that give away the ultimate cinematic experience. Blu-Ray Players have started to lose their limelight with multiple devices and advanced technologies entering the market, but nothing can replace the user experience they provide, especially in terms of home-theatres. 

It’s no secret that technological advancement has over-shadowed disc players but not all of these can offer you 4K sharp display with strikingly beautiful colors. The audio of Blu-Ray players offers immersive surround-sound that was previously reserved for a cinema alone. Moreover, they deliver crisp, clear, and high definition video quality. 

You can’t fit all of that in a tiny device, which makes Blu-Ray disc players the most underrated disc players of the decade. Creating a home-theatre requires a player that can offer high-quality visuals and audio along with reliability and user ease.  

You have the option to go to the cinema to watch a movie if you want the perfect visuals and sound effects. But ever wondered how comfy and awesome it would be to bring the cinematic experience home? You’ll bypass all the hassle of driving to the cinema, standing in a line, and getting yourself a ticket. 

Oppo’s Blu-Ray Player

Although, there are way too many Blu-Ray devices in the market right now and not all are capable of exceeding user expectations. It’s essential to choose a reliable one, in order to enhance the experience. Oppo offers an amazing deal with its UDP-203. The Oppo UDP-203 is famous for its sharp 4K visuals, support for Dolby Vision, enhanced audio with surround sound support, easy connectivity, and sleek design. There’s a lot to the device that doesn’t meet the eye, but it’s definitely worth buying, as it packs away plenty of features in its beautiful exterior. That too at a price that won’t burn holes in your wallet.

Oppo, being one of the leading tech manufacturers, has never ceased to amaze its users. The Oppo UDP Ultra HD Blu-ray disc player is ideal for anyone looking to view their watch-list the extravagant way. 

Don’t let increasing technology trick you into skipping the ultimate theatrical experience. There are few people who still admire Blu-Ray players, but the world needs them and so do you. 

Reasons Why You Still Might Need An Optical Drive

Even though the need for optical drives has drastically decreased over the past few years, there are a few factors you can’t replace. To begin with, optical drives have been a part of the PC for as long as you can imagine. People have used disks as the primary storage option for quite a while, yet if disk players ceased to exist, reading older data will become a troublesome, if not impossible.

Another fact is that some programs rely on the support of optical drives in order to run. Such as VeraCrypt, you need it for emergency boot tools yet it requires an optical drive.

There are plenty of movies as well, that aren’t easily downloadable online yet easily available on DVD. Also, releasing a DVD allows people to watch movies in HD with the Blu-Ray players. Similarly, the Avengers Endgame DVD Release Date was August 13, 2019. If you’re a fan, you’d want the DVD experience for films such as these. 

Movies Like Avengers Endgame Are Still Released In DVD Format

Avengers Endgame DVD release date also depicts the fact that DVDs are still very much in use. People still continue to rave about the film, long after the Avengers Endgame DVD came out. Not to mention if you’re a movie fan and rave about Redbox new releases, you need an optical drive to play the DVDs movies. Redbox new releases including Little Women, Dolittle, The Night Escape, and many more all offer a unique experience that becomes even better by DVDs. Currently, they are selling DVDs right, left, and center. Movie producers want people to watch their works of art the majestic way. There are way too many films, still releasing on DVDs, and now you know why.  

Lastly, something you can probably relate most to is that when you go to a concert or music show, the host of celebrities usually give away signed CDs as a memoir. How do you expect to play that CD without a CD player? 

Even though the need for optical drives is diminishing in today’s world, it has played way too huge of a part to disappear completely. It has certainly created its mark in people’s lives, and nobody is ready to completely give them up. It’s best to have the option to play discs, they’re not disappearing from the face of the earth anytime soon even if disc players do.

What To Do If Your Laptop Doesn’t Have A DVD? 

The latest laptops on the market don’t have a DVD outlet. Modern designs such as the one’s found in Apple’s MacBook Pro series or HP’s ultrabooks come without a DVD slot. The reason for this is primarily to increase portability. Moreover, these days DVD’s are not as popular as they once used to be. Therefore, the lack of demand is another factor that has caused companies to design slimmer and smarter devices that lack a DVD slot. 

While this is fine for most people, others like musicians who want to burn their music on CD’s and people who want to run their old DVD’s and CD’s might see this as a major problem. If your laptop does not have a DVD, don’t worry! There are a few things you can solve this problem. 

1. Invest In An External DVD Drive

There are plenty of external DVD drives that can solve your problem instantly. While Apple does offer its own external DVD drive that you can purchase, options available on Amazon are a better investment. 

Top 7 External DVD Drive 

This particular DVD drive is compatible with both Windows and Apple so you can easily use the drive for both. Moreover, it has a DVDR write speed of 8x Max. A USB 3.0 outlet makes it easier to connect to your PC with a fast transfer speed and stable transfer. Additionally, the design is remarkable. The DVD is super thin and comes in a white color that is elegant. 

You’ll need no fancy software or extra power supply to start using this external DVD. This external DVD comes with a 3.0 and USB Type C port to allow for stable and fast transfers. Moreover, the external DVD is designed to be super shock-proof so it can easily sustain rough usage. 

With compatibility with all kinds of devices and operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, this external DVD drive is a great investment. It has a very trendy design and offers high-speed transfers. It is super easy to use with a plug-and-play feature. Moreover, the maximum transfer speed on this external DVD is 5 Gbps, a remarkably fast transfer speed, if you ask us. 

Dell’s external DVD drive comes with a plug-and-play feature. Simply plug your DVD drive to your ultrabook and the DVD will take of the rest. Play movies, films and burn CD’s as you please, this external DVD will handle the job perfectly. 

This particular external DVD comes in several different colors including black, gold, silver, and white. You can pair it up with your PC and see which color fits your needs best. Moreover, LG’s external DVD has a write speed of a 8x Max. The slim design and structure of the DVD make it ideal for those who need an external DVD on the go. 

This DVD drive comes with a remarkable write-speed of 8x Max for DVD and Max 24x for CD. Moreover, with a wide compatibility option, it can run easily with all devices and operating systems. The external DVD drive is ultra-slim and has a plug-and-play functionality which makes it super easy to use. 

This is a noiseless external DVD drive that is perfect for those of you who have an issue with noisy DVD external drive. Like several modern external DVD drives, this one too comes with a plug-and-play functionality with compatibility across all devices. Overall, it’s a great buy with a fashionable exterior and a portable design. 

2. Use A Flash Drive

This one’s a no-brainer. Investing in a flash drive is never a bad option. A flash drive is a great storage device that can easily save all your movies and film data. This particular one can be plugged into Apple’s Mac and iPhone. Overall, a flash drive is a great alternative if you don’t want to invest in an external DVD drive. 

3. Rip Your DVD’s 

This might be more of a technical solution that will require some extra work on your part. However, a DVD ripping software is another option you can go for if you don’t have a DVD on your laptop. This way you can save the movie and film files by ripping them and saving them on your PC’s hard drive. 

How To Play DVD On Laptop?

Most laptops that run Windows are able to play DVD’s pretty easily. However, some older versions of the operating system do not allow DVDs to be played. While later versions and updates had the compatibility, such as Windows 7 and onwards, some of the older versions simply do not support DVDs. So how do you get your laptop to play DVD? Well, there are a number of ways you can make this happen. 

DVD Optical Drive

If your laptop has a built-in DVD player or you are using an external DVD player, be sure to upgrade your Media Centre Pack on Windows 8. Once upgraded, you’ll be able to use the DVD playback option. However, do note that once you plug in the DVD, your laptop will only be able to play the DVD through the Media Centre window. You will not be able to play it using Windows Media Player.

Third-Party VLC Media Player

You can use the open-source VLC media player in order to play the DVD. You can easily download the setup online and install the player on your laptop. Once installed, you’ll be able to play your DVD using the “Open Disk” option on the VLC media player. This option is super easy and can allow you to watch your DVDs easily on your laptop. 

GOM-Player

Yet another third-party media player that you can use. Much like the VLC option, you can download and install GOM-player. It comes with support for various audio and video formats and can easily play your DVD on your laptop. 

Final Thoughts

Bottom line is that DVD players are not really the tool for our current generation, as there are way too many alternative options, thanks to technological advancement. But, we can’t completely erase optical drives, as discs are still widely used by people universally. 

Another undeniable fact is that as technology progresses, laptops and computers are becoming smaller than ever. The small design is preferred by the majority, and it’s tailored for the modern consumer crazy for on-the-go technology. This means they no longer need disc players, and considering the better options available online, the majority of people don’t even care. 

Not to mention, storage issues are long gone by now. You can buy a 16 GB portable thumb drive for less than 10 USD, what else do you need? 

However, Blu-Ray disc players are still a thing, and they offer something other devices may lack. Even though DVDs and portable DVD players are extremely old school by now, we can’t move ahead of a high-quality cinematic effect so Blu-Ray players are still going strong. And while having a DVD for your laptop might not be necessary anymore, DVDs are here to stay, even for just a little while longer. 

We also need something to read and write data from old discs, it would be absurd to not be able to do so anymore. Technology will continue to grow, but some things can’t be replaced. Blu-Ray players are still the best tool for home-theatres to create rich visual and audios. Therefore, know more about  14 super sleek DVD players for Windows 10 in the market NOW! Their features are specifically designed to enhance the overall video and picture viewing experiences and they’re definitely worth the investment.