Optical Drives

Overview

Common optical drives include compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and Blu-ray readers and burners. These devices use lasers or electromagnetic waves to scan and write data on the disc. Using this technology, business and home consumers can read and write all kinds of media and data files.

Optical discs drives provide inexpensive and convenient storage and entertainment options. Using CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays discs, software developers and entertainment companies can easily distribute their products to consumers.

Uses

You can use your CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives to read data that includes audio, video, images, and other data. Play music, watch movies, or transport documents between computers.

Larger data files require additional storage space. In general, DVDs have more storage space than CDs, and Blu-ray discs can store even more data. Typically, CDs hold about 800 MB, DVDs hold a maximum of 15 GB, and Blu-ray discs hold around 50 GB of data.

CD, DVD, and Blu-ray burners are available to write data. These tools allow users to create movie discs, audio disks, and data discs that can play in a variety of devices from computers to stereos to DVD and Blu-ray players on the television.

Built-in or External?

Many desktop and laptop computers come with built-in CD, DVD, and Blu-ray drives. Consumers can choose to upgrade these drives to burners. For many computers, multimedia burners are standard.

Some desktops and laptops do not come equipped with the combination of features that users need. One CD drive may burn CDs and not DVDs, another CD drive may burn DVDs and only read Blu-ray discs.

If you are looking to upgrade or install new equipment, you may want to consider an external optical drive. Many new ultraportable computers are manufactured without optical drives in order to conserve energy and prolong battery life.

An external drive may benefit users who rarely use an optical drive. If you use an optical burner or drive regularly, then you may want to install an optical drive or burner by taking apart your computer and connecting the new hardware to the motherboard. External optical drives connect to your computer using a USB port.

Both external and built-in optical drives fall within a similar price range for basic models. For advanced burners that write at faster speeds, external drives tend to be more expensive. Prices range from $20 to hundreds of dollars for sophisticated devices that read and write all kinds of media storage.

Make sure that your optical drive or burner is compatible with your motherboard and other hardware. Otherwise, the device will not function properly or at all.

Read & Write Speeds

Most optical drives and burners indicate speed in terms of numbers and the letter "X." The letter X corresponds to the speed at which original optical drives read data, which is 150 KB per second. Consequently, 12x means 12 times that speed, which is 144 KB per second. On a DVD drive, the letter X corresponds with 1.35 MB per second. A DVD burner that writes at 3x writes at 4.05 MB per second.