High-end external optical drives can include software that improves reliability when reading discs that have fingerprints or minor scratches. As there’s no sign that built-in internal optical drives will be making a comeback anytime soon, especially in laptops and notebooks, and as tablets and tablet convertibles become more popular and more compatible with external USB accessories, there’s never been a better time to buy an external DVD drive. Many people have years of backups on DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs, not to mention pictures, media, and older application installers. DVDs are still one of the most popular formats for watching movies. The fact that they’re no longer a popular option in today’s computers doesn’t mean external DVD drives, external CD drives, and other optical drives don’t have a place. Compare that to the present, when everything from shareware programs to OS releases can be downloaded to your computer’s SSD drive, while many programs are web- or cloud-based. Buying guide for best external DVD drivesīefore broadband internet became widespread, optical discs like CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs were the best way to install large programs, software packages, and operating systems onto your computer’s hard drive.

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