Gradually fade into the past. Movies, photos or games - all this can be dropped on a compact but capacious flash drive. However, do not underestimate the importance of drives that make it much easier to install. operating system, play licensed games or watch movies in high resolution (Blu-ray discs). Also, some users use disks as additional storage for their files, especially when the memory on the HDD runs out. Therefore it is very important to choose optical drive, which can work properly with the formats you need.
The purpose of the optical drive
So, you have decided that your system needs an optical drive. If we are talking about buying a device for a personal computer, then you can not limit yourself to the choice. The market offers many similar devices with different prices and specifications. The lever that determines the bulk of the price of an optical drive has always been and remains a set of supported formats, as well as a factor for reading / writing disks. In addition, the interface for connecting an optical drive is important, but more on that later.
As for the laptop drive, there are no fundamental differences between them and their PC counterparts. All the same features, the same features and the same wide range of prices. Only if you need to choose a full-size optical drive for your computer (designed to be installed in the 5.25-inch drive bay and has an automatic drive tray), do you get more flat and compact optical drives with a semi-automatic tray marked “slim” for the laptop.
What type of optical drive to choose?
Choosing an optical drive, you need to immediately determine the range of formats with which you aim to work. So, DVD ± RW drives support writing and reading information to / from discs (s) of the most popular standards at the moment: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD + R and DVD + RW. Even the low-cost Samsung SH-224DB is able to work with this list of formats at decent speeds. But keep in mind that such a device is not able to read information from standard Blu-ray discs.
Budget drive
For such purposes, we recommend paying attention to devices marked Blu-ray ROM. They support the same standards, but also "know how" to play content from the notorious Blu-ray media. Well, if you suddenly need to record data (for example, a movie) on such a "blank", then Blu-ray RW optical drives are what you need. Here we advise you to pay attention to the available model called.
Connection interfaces
Before you deal with the interfaces for connecting an optical drive to a working machine, you need to understand one thing that you should start with when choosing this interface itself: there are external and internal drives.
An internal optical drive is a thing familiar to everyone, because it was she who became the progenitor of models with an external type of connection. Embedded drives are synchronized with a PC or laptop, either through an IDE or SATA. If your motherboard has 40 metal pins arranged in parallel rows, then you should buy a drive that has an IDE interface in the specifications. SATA is an enhanced version of the IDE and on motherboard pretends to be a red L-shaped connector, supplemented by a protruding plate with 7 contacts. Note that on the "motherboards", younger than 10 years old, the SATA interface is used.
If you are looking for a device that can be disconnected from the computer in a couple of seconds and taken with you, then external drives are there to help. They are no worse than built-in drives, on the contrary, they even beat them due to their mobility. Today, the vast majority of manufacturers of external optical drives have switched to USB, but some produce devices that connect via FireWire. For those who do not want unnecessary adventures, we recommend taking a USB drive: you will definitely find such a connector on the back / front of the system unit or on the side of the laptop.
The principle of operation of the optical drive
Additional features
When buying a new drive, consumers are most often interested in DVD-RAM support. This is a technology that makes it possible to record on one disc both information intended for viewing on a computer and video. And using the TimeSlip function, with DVD-RAM, you can simultaneously write and read data. We recommend that you look at this technology for owners of digital video cameras that work with discs of the appropriate format.
Among the useful features are LightScribe and a couple with LabelFlash. These technologies will come in handy if you are tired of signing each “blank” with a marker. Now you can put a color image on the appropriate disk - and you will know exactly what is located there: a movie, a game or music. Note that LightScribe applies graphics exclusively to the non-working side of the drive, and LabelFlash can color both sides of the media by reducing its volume.
IN lately optical drives supporting Wi-Fi data transmission began to be produced. Of course, they have an external form factor, but they lose to external models with USB or the same FireWire due to the low stability of operation.
LightScribe Work Example
Summary
Buying an optical drive today is an important business, a necessary business. With a drive, you can record video and graphic content or even an operating system onto a disc, so the need for such a device in a modern computer is obvious.
When purchasing an optical drive, do not forget to determine its purpose, type, connection interface and additional features, of which there are not so few. Good luck in choosing!
Faced with such a problem when the Internet is absent for any reason? In such a situation, it’s not possible to download any movie or computer game, and you won’t be able to pull important software from the vastness of the world’s network. What to do in this situation? There is, of course, a way out, you can always use the drive. But what if the device is broken or missing?
This article will help you find out which optical drive to choose for your computer and clearly demonstrate the main selection criteria.
Optical drive
First you need to figure out what is at stake. An optical drive is a device that allows you to read and write CDs and DVDs. Optical drives can be classified into two types: internal and external. Let's talk about each of them in more detail.
DVD-RW
Most modern models allow you to work with reading and writing to CDs and DVDs. There are options for devices that allow you to put on the body a variety of inscriptions and images.
Blu ray
The Blu-ray drive is the most popular and high-quality reader and writer. Playing a movie in FULL HD with such a drive will not be difficult for Blu-Ray. The technology of blues is a huge development and even now does not stand still. But progress will have to fork out, because the cost of such devices is almost twice as much as the previous ones.
External dvd drive
Such drives are very popular among laptop owners who do not have their own drive. Most often they are connected using a USB cable and are more expensive than internal ones. Such a device is not difficult to move, since the dimensions allow you to safely carry it with you. The case of such devices is usually made of plastic.
Interior
The talking name suggests that such devices are installed directly in the computer itself. Any basic assembly of a desktop computer implies the presence of this device. But everything has an expiration date, right? How to choose an optical drive for a computer? Now we will talk about the most important parameters of such devices, the characteristics of which are applicable to external drives.
Speed
Each drive has its own read and write speed. Obviously, large read and write speeds are an important selection criterion.
Important! If you are interested in the pursuit of speed, be prepared for the fact that the system will overheat. The most “powerful” devices should work together with good cooling.
The most optimal speed for reading CDs is 48x. Such speed will be quite enough. DVD-R and DVD + R can record only once and have standard speed limits: 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x.
Multifunctionality
Some devices, such as DVD-RAM, can both read and write information. If you still look for a new drive, choose one that can easily work with all types of drives.
Previously, the technology of manufacturing double-layer discs was considered the most advanced. This manufacturing method helped expand the marginal volumes.
Interface
Another important parameter is the interface. Through the interface, the device itself is connected to the computer. Two types of interface are mainly used:
- IDE standard. This technology has been going on for several decades and humanity has long passed to the use of the second type.
- SATA The data transfer rate is ten times faster than the IDE. Such drives are used by all computer owners and each manufacturer equips their product with this interface.
Workmanship
Let's step aside a little from the technical characteristics and talk about such a simple thing as the quality of assembly materials. When choosing a drive, you need to give preference to metal and durable materials that can save the device from mechanical damage of various kinds. European manufacturers have long gone ahead in this regard. You rarely find a European drive in which they stinted at the assembly stage.
Important! Material is not the main selection criterion, but treat the product with attention.
Dimensions
Where without compactness? Progress does not stand still and devices make everything smaller and smaller. But if you decide to buy a device, you should first familiarize yourself with the dimensions of the connector for the device in your system unit, if the choice, of course, did not fall on an external drive.
Laptop Drives
They differ only in size from those drives that are designed for stationary personal computers. They are relatively small, while having the same specifications. But what if there is no place for such a device in a laptop? How to choose an external drive for a laptop in this case? Everything is very simple. You can simply purchase an external optical drive. We repeat that the cost of such a device will be significantly higher, but this is an adequate payment for the comfort of operation.
M-disc
The developers of this technology claim that such discs can store information for up to a thousand years. Due to the properties of the material, such discs are resistant to temperature, moisture and light. The DVDs of this company have a capacity of five gigabytes, but the manufacturer promises to produce M-Disc Blu-Ray discs, the volume of which will reach thirty gigabytes.
Regrettably, in the world of technology marketing drives, so you need to pay attention to another important nuance - the manufacturer.
Manufacturers
It’s best to keep an eye on the optical drive that a reputable company produces. The years that companies occupy in this niche speak for themselves. It is advisable to give preference to such manufacturers as: Samsung, Lg, ASUS, etc. But everyone understands that such a purchase implies surcharges for the name of the company, for its brand. There are also budget options from no less well-known manufacturers: BENQ and SONY.
Important! Do not even consider devices that have just appeared on the market and have no reputation. You run the risk of giving an amount for a low-quality product.
That’s all, it seems. Remember that the quality of the technical parameters of a reader and writer directly proportionally affects its price. You can always “sacrifice” the quality of the material, but never forget about the risks. This article should help you consider the nuances from all sides.
How to choose an optical drive for your computer, and is it needed at all?
An optical drive (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD-RW, BD-ROM) is far from the main part of the computer, but rather necessary. Even despite the fact that in recent years, USB-Flash drives have become very widespread, a large number of programs, films, music and games are still sold on optical CDs and DVD discoh.
Therefore, the answer is unequivocal - needed.
Firstly, if you purchase in order to play games. After all, game distributions are mainly sold on discs. Of course, they can be downloaded from torrent services or from file hosting services on the Internet, but licensed games can only be purchased on CD or DVD discs. Not only that, some games will not even start without having the original CD in your computer’s drive.
Secondly, any person sooner or later has a need to watch, record, rewrite a movie, for example, borrowed from a friend, listen to music. Again, you need an optical drive. It happens that you need to install a program, and its distribution is sold only on disks.
Thirdly , free space there’s not much left on your computer, and so much more you need to save ... Again, you can burn some files (family photo albums, films, music collections) to discs, thereby freeing up space on the hard drive.
Fourth, install the operating system on a computer, restore it in the event of any crashes, errors or inept actions of a novice user, clean the system of viruses. Without an optical drive in the system, this can sometimes be problematic. And, although now more and more common are flash drives and external hard disksOptical drive is still an important integral part of any computer or laptop.
What are the optical drives and their parameters
Modern optical drives are trained to read and write all kinds of CD and DVD media. Most are even equipped with special technology for applying images to the back of the disc. There are two such technologies - LightScribe and LabelFlash, which are not very different from each other and both allow you to apply labels or images to the surface of special discs. 
Also, drives that are able to read and write Blu-ray discs are also gaining popularity. Although these disks have an impressive volume (25, 50, 100, 128 gigabytes, and there are more capacious copies - 320, 400 and 500 GB), they are not so in demand, because at the moment their price is quite high.
When choosing an optical drive, you should mainly pay attention to its speed characteristics. Higher read and write speeds various types media the faster the drive will perform operations. But chasing super-speeds also shouldn’t be very special, you won’t win much time, but it will not affect the drive, and the disks in the best way - they are provided with increased noise and premature wear.
Speeds are traditionally considered in the "X". For CDs, 1x is the reading speed of Audio CDs on the very first optical drives, equal to 150 Kb / s. For DVDs, 1x is 9 times higher than for CDs, and equal to 1385 Kb / s. And besides, the DVD rotation speed at 1x is 3 times higher than a CD. So it turns out that at a speed of 16x, the DVD rotates in the same way as a 48x CD.
Optimum read and write speed CD-R discs (discs for one-time recording with a capacity of 700 MB) is considered 40-48x, since with a further increase in speed, noise from a working drive increases significantly. Rewritable CD-RW discs (also with a capacity of 700 MB) read at speeds of 24x and 40x. The write speed of CD-RW discs depends on their type:
Type 1 - CD-RW (1-4x);
Type 2 - Hi-Speed \u200b\u200bCD-RW (HS, 4-12x);
Type 3 - Ultra Hi-Speed \u200b\u200b(UHS, 12-24x);
Type 4 - Ultra Hi-Speed \u200b\u200b+ (UHS +, 24-32x).
DVD-R and DVD + R - discs used for one-time recording (4.7 GB capacity). The maximum speed for reading and writing these discs is limited to 16x. For recording, speed 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x is also used. For rewritable DVD-RW and DVD + RW discs, the read and write speeds are usually 6x-8x.
There are also discs that can be written and read at the same time, these are 4.7 GB rewritable DVD-RAM discs. Structurally, they can be made in two forms - with a protective cartridge, significantly increasing the resource of use of the disk, or without it. These wheels are relatively expensive in price, and therefore have not been widely used.
The latest advancement in the production of optical discs for storing data until recently was the invention of two-layer dVD-R DL and DVD + R DL one-time recording. Their capacity is 8.5 GB. The speed of reading and writing dual-layer discs is not more than 8x.
The next huge step forward is the transition to Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats. Choosing a quality Blu-ray drive is a topic for a separate article, and we will definitely return to it in future blog posts.
What other nuances should be considered when choosing an optical drive for a home computer?
It is also important that the drives differ in interfaces, but here things are much simpler. Today, the market has drives with two interfaces - IDE (PATA) and SATA. The IDE (parallel port) is already obsolete, but it is still rarely found on store shelves. SATA (serial port) is the successor to the IDE, faster and more convenient due to the size of the connection cable, and this is the interface that is currently used in 99% of computers. In short, the choice is obvious. But if nevertheless your choice fell on the IDE interface, make sure that this connector is also present on your choice. Now SATA connectors are present on almost 100% of the motherboards produced.
Just as are the place to be external hard drives, there are external optical drives that use USB and eSATA interfaces. The latter is extremely rare, although external drives with this interface are faster than their USB counterparts.
Perhaps there is nothing more to add about choosing optical disc readers. In terms of internal arrangement, they are almost identical, therefore quality can be called the last “authority", that is, the manufacturer. 
Here you can only recommend manufacturers of optimal and high-quality drives, which really deserve their fame and trust among users. And here, without a doubt, without any competition Plextor - as a guarantee of high quality, reliability and durability when operating at maximum speeds. Quite a bit inferior to him in popularity is NEC - a company whose main goal is also reliability and quality. Not far behind is Pioneer, a “veteran” in the optical drive industry, who are famous, like Plextor products, for recording optical media with the least amount of error.
Good products are also produced by ASUS, BenQ, LG, MSI, Sony, Teac, TSST, Toshiba, and in a fairly affordable price range.
When choosing an optical drive for a computer, you also need to pay attention to the type of packaging: OEM and Retail. Retail is not only a beautiful box, in which, in addition to the drive itself, there may be: a cable for connecting to the motherboard, screws for attaching to, a poker for quickly opening the tray, as well as disks with software. OEM, on the contrary, means that the drive is packaged in a bag, and it is likely that there will be nothing more in the kit except the drive. Accordingly, the price of the Retail option is slightly higher than the OEM.
Let's try to decipher the marking of the optical drive in some price list:
SATA DVD ± RW Plextor (PX-L890SA) Black DVD-24x / 8x / 24x, DL-12x, RAM-12x, CD-48x / 32x / 48x
connection type - SATA
device type - DVD ± RW (DVD writer)
manufacturer - Plextor
Model - PX-L890SA
color - Black (black)
write / rewrite / read speeds - DVD-24x / 8x / 24x, DL-12x, RAM-12x, CD-48x / 32x / 48x
Well, in conclusion, a little about the disks.
First of all, I would like to mention optical disc manufacturers such as TDK, which produce their products at high-tech factories in Europe, and Verbatim, because their discs are of very high quality, as well as everything that is made in Japan. Products from SONY and PHILIPS can also be trusted with the safety of their data on long time. But Mirex, SmartTrack, VS is better to bypass and not take risks.
An optical drive is a device for reading and writing CD / DVD / BD discs. Optical drives come in a variety of designs, sizes, and can support different types of drives, which must be considered when choosing.
Of the usual drives, I recommend LG or ASUS, they have proven themselves well, they have the least problems and are not expensive. Any model with support for recording dual-layer discs (DVD-RW DL) is suitable.
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Well, if you need support for burning Blu-ray discs, then you need BD-RE. The favorites are the same - LG and ASUS.
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2. DVD drive for computer
Internal DVD drives for the computer are designed to be installed in the case and have a metal frame.
Such drives can be of different lengths and for small cases it is better to take a shorter drive and / or a narrower motherboard so that the drive does not run into the motherboard.
In this case, it will bulge out of the case.
3. DVD drive for laptop
The internal DVD drive for the laptop is smaller and more expensive than the drive for a desktop computer.
Drives for laptops come in different thicknesses - from 10 to 15 mm. To replace the drive in a laptop, it is better to contact a service center. But, if you do not want to overpay, then take out the drive and measure its dimensions in order to choose the right replacement.
4. External DVD drive
An external DVD drive can come in handy for a laptop without an optical drive. Usually they connect via USB and have a plastic case, but they cost more than internal ones.
External drives can vary greatly in size. Compact external drive will good choice for a laptop and it is easy to carry.
5. Types of optical drives
DVD-RW (DVD Super Multi) is a regular optical recording drive suitable for most computers.
Blu-ray is a more expensive drive for reading and writing Blu-ray discs, you only need it if you plan to watch video from licensed Blu-ray discs or use such discs to record a huge amount of data.
6. Marking of optical drives
DVD ± RW - read and write all CD and DVD discs.
DVD ± RW DL - sometimes the letters DL are added to the marking, which means that the drive supports dual-layer discs, which is typical of most modern drives.
DVD ± RW / BD-ROM - read and write all formats of CDs, DVDs and read Blu-ray discs, but cannot write them.
DVD ± RW / BD-RE - read and write all formats of CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs.
7. Types of supported disks
Modern DVD-RW drives support all formats of modern CDs and DVDs. But still, pay attention that the drive supports dual-layer (DL) disks, this is a necessary standard for today.
There are also drives with support for DVD discs of the M-DISC format, which, according to developers, guarantee the safety of data for 100 years. Moreover, such drives are like regular DVD ± RW.
Blu-ray drives, in addition to this, support Blu-ray Disc (BD) disc types. If you are interested in supporting specific formats, for example, 128 GB BDXL, then check with the seller or the manufacturer’s website for the drive model number.
If you are interested, then below you can familiarize yourself with the main types of disks.
The following types of drives are available:
- CD-R, CD + R, CD-RW, CD + RW - 700 MB (outdated CD formats)
- DVD-R, DVD + R, DVD-RW, DVD + RW - 4.7 GB (modern DVD formats)
- M-DISC - 4.7 GB (DVD discs with data retention up to 100 years)
- DVD-R DL, DVD + R DL, DVD-RW DL, DVD + RW DL - 8.5 GB (dual-layer DVD)
- BD-R, BD-RE - 25 GB (modern Blu-ray formats)
- BD-R DL, BD-RE DL - 50 GB (dual-layer Blu-ray)
- BDXL - 100/128 GB (four-layer Blu-Ray)
Disks with the signs “-” and “+” practically do not differ in anything and you can not pay attention to this.
The letter “R” (Record) means that these discs are not rewritable, that is, after recording, they can no longer be erased and recorded again.
The letters "RW" (Rewritable) or "RE" (on Blu-ray discs) mean that these discs are rewritable, that is, after recording, they can be erased and recorded again.
M-DISC discs are high-reliability DVD discs that are several times more expensive than regular DVDs and require drive support for M-DISC technology. They are perfect for recording wedding videos, but you should not store especially important information on them in a single copy.
The letters “DL” (Double Layer) mean that these discs are two-layer and you can record almost 2 times more data on them.
There are also “DS” (Double Sides) - double-sided discs that can be recorded not on one side, like all the others, but on two. That is, having recorded one side, the disc is flipped and the second side is recorded, which allows you to record 2 times more data on it.
If the disc is a double-layer “DL” and double-sided “DS”, then you can write to it 4 times more data than a regular DVD disc. But this type of media and the method of data storage is not very reliable and is mainly suitable for recording feature films, which can be downloaded from the Internet at any time. Pirated movie collections are often sold on such discs. You probably met such discs on which 12 films were immediately recorded.
In fact, a maximum of 4.37 GB can be written to a DVD disc, 7.96 GB to a DVD-DL, 23.3 GB to a BD disc, and 46.6 GB of data to a BD DL disc. This should be taken into account when planning recordings and it is desirable that the file size be slightly less than the maximum value. For example, 4.3 GB for DVD and 7.9 GB for DVD-DL disc.
8. Read / write speed of disks
All modern DVD-RW and Blu-ray drives support a fairly high write speed for all types of discs (CD, DVD, BD), so you can ignore these parameters.
If you are interested, then below you can familiarize yourself with the speed parameters of reading / writing different types of disks.
- CD ± R - 48x
- CD ± RW - 24x
- DVD ± R - 16x
- DVD ± RW - 8x
- DVD ± R DL - 8x
- BD-R - 16x
- BD-R DL - 6x
- BD-RE - 2x
- BD-RE DL - 2x
9. Interface connector
All modern optical drives have a SATA connector and connect to motherboard using the appropriate loop.
SATA connectors come in different versions - 1, 2, 3 and they are compatible with each other. The speed of any of them is enough for an optical drive. So it doesn’t matter which version is the connector on the motherboard and which is on the drive.
If you choose an optical drive for an old computer, and there are no SATA connectors on its motherboard, then there are two options.
- You can search for a drive with an old IDE connector, but they are no longer on sale, except in China, and they cost more.
- Buy an optical drive with a SATA connector and a PCI-SATA controller, which is not at all expensive.
The latter option is preferable, as it will come out at a price as well, and buying a drive with a SATA connector is easier and more modern. In addition, you can also connect to the SATA controller modern tough wheels.
10. Power Connector
Modern optical SATA drives have a 15-pin power connector. Your computer's power supply must have the same connector. If not, you can use the M0lex-SATA power adapter.
Older optical IDE drives with a 4-pin Molex power connector do not need such an adapter.
11. Manufacturers of optical drives
I recommend purchasing an optical drive from one of the popular manufacturers: LG or ASUS. I prefer LG drives because they are developed jointly with Hitachi and have consistent quality. Many computer experts prefer ASUS drives, which I buy if there is no LG.
Drives from manufacturers such as: BENQ, HP, Lite-On, Pioneer are less popular and are sometimes purchased by disc burners, as some models from these manufacturers have special recording modes and proprietary utilities. Ordinary users I do not recommend drives from these manufacturers, as problems or delays in their warranty service may occur.
12. Front color
The color of the front panel of the drive is: black, silver and white. If the computer case is black or black and silver, then a drive with a black plastic panel is more suitable. The silver drive should be taken only for a completely silver case. In this case, the plastic panel will be painted silver and the paint may wear off over time. White drives are almost no longer on sale and they are only suitable for old white cases. In the white case, instead of white, you can install a silver drive.
Actuators of the brands BENQ, Plextor and some others may sometimes have a glossy plastic panel. Such a solution can only be justified for installation in the same glossy case. Since the glossy surface easily scratches, collects dust and fingerprints, I recommend avoiding glossy plastic.
The color of the drive can be found by its marking, as sometimes it does not match the photograph on the seller’s website. Black drives have the word “Black” at the end of the marking, silver - the word “Silver”, white - the word “White”.
13. Packing
Most optical drives are sold in conventional plastic bags, as indicated by the word “Bulk”, “OEM” or lack thereof at the end of the drive label. If the word “BOX”, “Retail” or “RTL” is present at the end of the drive label, this means that it is packed in a cardboard box. Drives in this package are one and a half times more expensive and may have a SATA cable and screws in the kit. But personally, I do not think such an overpayment is advisable. Of course, if we are talking about an expensive external or Blu-ray drive, then you can pay extra for additional safety.
14. The price of an optical drive
DVD-RW drive costs $ 15-20.
The cheapest Blu-ray drive costs about $ 60.
I recommend choosing the cheapest model of one of the popular manufacturers (LG, Asus), since there is practically no difference between them. If you like to play it safe, you can buy the most expensive model, the difference in price will be scanty (about $ 5).
15. Configuring filters in the online store
- Go to the section “Optical drives” on the seller’s website.
- Choose recommended manufacturers (LG, Asus).
- Consistently view all positions, starting with cheaper ones.
- Buy the first model that matches your type and color (DVD ± RW DL, M-DISC).
Thus, you will get an optical drive that is optimal in terms of price / quality, satisfying your requirements at the lowest possible cost.
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We also recommend our articles on choosing others and.
Optical drive - an electrical device for reading and writing information from optical media (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.).
The following types of optical drives are available: CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD / CD-RW, DVD RW, DVD RW DL, BD-RE, HD DVD-ROM, HD DVD / DVD RW, HD DVD-R , HD DVD-RW.
- CD-ROM is the easiest optical drive for reading CDs.
- CD-RW - In addition to reading CDs, they are capable of writing to CD-R (RW) media.
- DVD-ROM is a read-only CD and DVD drive.
- DVD / CD-RW - a combo drive, in addition to reading CDs and DVDs, it is able to write to CD-R (RW).
- DVD RW - optical drive, designed for both reading compact and DVD-ROM discs, and for recording on media CD-R (RW) and DVD R (RW). By the type of reflective layer, DVD R (RW) media is divided into DVD + R (RW) and DVD-R (RW). DVD + R (RW) discs support higher write speeds than negative ones. However, DVD-R (RW) discs have higher compatibility with household DVD players.
- DVD RW DL - a drive, unlike a DVD RW, capable of also recording on two-layer DVD discs (DL). Double-layer discs differ from the usual larger capacity.
- BD-RE is a drive capable of reading and writing to BD (Blu-ray) discs. The BD-RE drive supports all possible varieties of BD disks: BD-ROM (read-only), BD-R (write once), BD-RE (rewritable).
- HD DVD-ROM can read HD DVD discs.
- HD DVD is a new generation of optical discs that are primarily intended for storing high-definition movies (HDTV). The new media format allows you to record three times more data than DVDs. Single-layer HD DVDs have a capacity of 15 GB, double-layer - 30 GB. Typically, an HD DVD drive can read all DVD and CD formats.
- HD DVD / DVD RW can read HD DVD discs, as well as write to discs of such formats as DVD-R, DVD + R, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, CD-R, CD-RW.
- The HD DVD-R drive is used to record HD DVD-R discs for single recording. In addition, he can usually record and read CD / DVDs.
- HD DVD-RW is used to burn multi-disc HD DVD-RW discs. In addition, he can usually record and read HD DVD-R and CD / DVD discs.
Disc loading methods
Semi-automatic tray - after pressing the "Eject" button, the disk tray lock is released, it is clicked by a spring, further extension and subsequent loading are carried out manually. Auto tray is found on desktop drives. Loading and unloading the disc tray is done automatically using the built-in micromotor. With the slot mechanism, the tray is missing, the disk is inserted up to about half into the slot on the front panel, then it loads automatically.
Types of drive placement
- internal drives are mounted inside the system unit. Usually, they are full-sized (for 5.25 "system unit bays) and slim (for laptops).
- external drives are located outside the system bolok, and are intended mainly for laptops, connected to USB connectors.
