Laptop Help

[weewuvvdisney]

My dd recently pyrchased a HP laptop. It doesn't have a tray for DVD's. We wanted to find an external DVD player that plugs in using a USB port. There was one on sale and when I got it home, I realized it is a DVD burner by Asus. No where does it say that you can play DVD's or CD's with it.

I tried looking for something like this on the internet and am thinking I am not using the right terminology.

Does this exist and what are they called?

TIA,



Janna

 

[Agri]

Can you post the actual name of the product you bought?

I have never heard of not being able to play regular dvds or cds with a dvd burner.

 

[vicki_c]

Can you post the actual name of the product you bought?

I have never heard of not being able to play regular dvds or cds with a dvd burner.

They are made just for copying DVDs. Companies use them when they need multiple copies of a DVD for marketing and things. Not sure if that's what the OP has but they do exist.

OP you just need to search on external DVD drive if what you have won't work.

 

[Agri]

They are made just for copying DVDs. Companies use them when they need multiple copies of a DVD for marketing and things. Not sure if that's what the OP has but they do exist.

I know dvd copiers exist, but they've got at least two bays - one for the dvd to be copied and the other for the blank disc. They're also pretty expensive so I was trying to rule out that the OP didn't buy a dvd burner that does actually fulfill the requirements even though it doesn't explicitly state that you can also use it to read dvds and cds. My last dvd burner did not explicitly state that you can use it to read dvds and cds but it can.

 

[vicki_c]

I know dvd copiers exist, but they've got at least two bays - one for the dvd to be copied and the other for the blank disc. They're also pretty expensive so I was trying to rule out that the OP didn't buy a dvd burner that does actually fulfill the requirements even though it doesn't explicitly state that you can also use it to read dvds and cds. My last dvd burner did not explicitly state that you can use it to read dvds and cds but it can.

Gotcha. And of course, you're right on the two bays. Didn't even think of that.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Thanks for your replys so far.

It is an ASUS External Slim DVD-RW (M0del # SDRW-08D2S-U).

I have read the phamplet inside (is written in 35 languages) and doesn't say anywhere that you can play the DVD's or CD's.

I haven't been able to find a model (on line at Future Shop, Best Buy or Staples) that would just be an external "player". We don't need a Writer but if it does both, that would be great.

This is so not my line of expertise......nor my dh's or dd's..... WE really need to start learning more about computers.

Thanks again!



Janna

 

[vicki_c]

Thanks for your replys so far.

It is an ASUS External Slim DVD-RW (M0del # SDRW-08D2S-U).

I have read the phamplet inside (is written in 35 languages) and doesn't say anywhere that you can play the DVD's or CD's.

I haven't been able to find a model (on line at Future Shop, Best Buy or Staples) that would just be an external "player". We don't need a Writer but if it does both, that would be great.

This is so not my line of expertise......nor my dh's or dd's..... WE really need to start learning more about computers.

Thanks again!



Janna

Well RW means "read" and "write". I just looked it up on Amazon and the description describes the playback right in it, so it seems okay to me. Perhaps Agri will return and give you more help if you need it.

Technical Details
Drive Type: External DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Slim Drive
Data Transfer Rate:WriteVD+R/-R: 8X DVD+RW/-RW: 8X/6X DVD+R/-R DL: 6X DVD-RAM: 5X CD-R: 24X CD-RW: 16X
ReadVD+R/-R: 8X DVD+R/-R DL: 8X DVD+RW/-RW: 8X DVD-ROM (Single/Dual): 8X DVD-RAM: 5X CD-ROM: 24X CD-R: 24X
Writing ModeVD-R & DVD-R(DL): DAO/Incremental Recording DVD+R & DVD+R(DL): Sequential Write DVD+RW: Random Write
Disc Formats: Audio CD, Video CD, CD-I, CD-Extra, Photo CD, CD-Text, CD-ROM/XA, Multi-session CD, DVD Video Disc Diameters: 8cm Interface: USB 2.0
Buffer Memory: 1 MB Random Access Time: DVD - 160ms; CD - 140ms
CD-RW: 24X DVD video playback: 4X VCD playback: 10X Audio CD Playback: 10X
DVD-RW: DAO/Restricted Overwrite/Incremental Recording DVD-RAM: Random Write CD-R/RW: DAO/TAO/SAO/Packet Write

 

[HoosierDaddy71]

Thanks for your replys so far.

It is an ASUS External Slim DVD-RW (M0del # SDRW-08D2S-U).

I have read the phamplet inside (is written in 35 languages) and doesn't say anywhere that you can play the DVD's or CD's.

I haven't been able to find a model (on line at Future Shop, Best Buy or Staples) that would just be an external "player". We don't need a Writer but if it does both, that would be great.

This is so not my line of expertise......nor my dh's or dd's..... WE really need to start learning more about computers.

Thanks again!



Janna

Yes, it will play CDs and DVDs. Pretty much any DVD drive is a burner these days. The savings from getting just a reader is miniimal and sometimes hard to find.

From the Asus specs page:

DVD Video Playback : 4X
VCD Playback : 10X
Audio CD Playback : 10X

 

[HoosierDaddy71]

Well RW means "read" and "write". I just looked it up on Amazon and the description describes the playback right in it, so it seems okay to me. Perhaps Agri will return and give you more help if you need it.

Technical Details
Drive Type: External DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Slim Drive
Data Transfer Rate:WriteVD+R/-R: 8X DVD+RW/-RW: 8X/6X DVD+R/-R DL: 6X DVD-RAM: 5X CD-R: 24X CD-RW: 16X
ReadVD+R/-R: 8X DVD+R/-R DL: 8X DVD+RW/-RW: 8X DVD-ROM (Single/Dual): 8X DVD-RAM: 5X CD-ROM: 24X CD-R: 24X
Writing ModeVD-R & DVD-R(DL): DAO/Incremental Recording DVD+R & DVD+R(DL): Sequential Write DVD+RW: Random Write
Disc Formats: Audio CD, Video CD, CD-I, CD-Extra, Photo CD, CD-Text, CD-ROM/XA, Multi-session CD, DVD Video Disc Diameters: 8cm Interface: USB 2.0
Buffer Memory: 1 MB Random Access Time: DVD - 160ms; CD - 140ms
CD-RW: 24X DVD video playback: 4X VCD playback: 10X Audio CD Playback: 10X
DVD-RW: DAO/Restricted Overwrite/Incremental Recording DVD-RAM: Random Write CD-R/RW: DAO/TAO/SAO/Packet Write

Just to correct a little bit of misinformation, RW stands for RE-Writable not read/write. IOW, it can be written, erased, and written again. DVD+/-R is write once.

 

[vicki_c]

Just to correct a little bit of misinformation, RW stands for RE-Writable not read/write. IOW, it can be written, erased, and written again. DVD+/-R is write once.

LOL - I should just stay out this thread, shouldn't I?

 

[bdoyledimou]

Yes it will work -- yes it will play cds and dvds.

 

[weewuvvdisney]

Thank so much everyone....

I bought it for a Christmas gift but was thinking that perhaps I should return it and look for one closer to the holidays (just in case it didn't work as a player).
Now I don't have to...

Thanks again,


Janna