8 best external cd players
External CD players, also known as external CD/DVD drives or optical drives, are peripheral devices that can be connected to a computer or other compatible devices to read and write data on optical discs, such as CDs and DVDs. These drives are commonly used to supplement or replace built-in optical drives in modern computers that may lack this feature due to their slim designs. Here's what you should know about external CD players:
Compatibility:
- External CD players are designed to be compatible with various types of computers, including laptops and desktops, as well as other devices like gaming consoles and smart TVs that support USB connectivity.
Functionality:
- They can read and write data on CDs and DVDs, making them useful for tasks such as installing software, playing audio or video CDs/DVDs, and creating backup discs.
- Some external CD players may also support Blu-ray discs for high-definition content.
Connection Options:
- Most external CD players connect to a computer or device via USB, with the USB cable providing both power and data transfer.
- Some models may offer additional connectivity options, such as eSATA or FireWire.
Portability:
- External CD players are generally compact and lightweight, making them easy to transport and use on the go.
- They are a handy accessory for laptops that lack built-in optical drives.
Power Source:
- These drives are typically powered through the USB connection, eliminating the need for an external power source in most cases.
Operating Systems:
- External CD players are usually plug-and-play devices and are compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Software:
- Many external CD players come with bundled software for tasks like disc burning, media playback, and disc authoring.
Read and Write Speeds:
- The read and write speeds of external CD players can vary depending on the model. Faster drives are more suitable for tasks like burning large files or creating multimedia discs.
Use Cases:
- Common use cases for external CD players include installing software from physical discs, creating audio CDs, archiving data, and playing legacy CD/DVD content.
Maintenance:
- Regular cleaning and maintenance are important to ensure the longevity and reliability of external CD players. Cleaning kits are available for this purpose.
External CD players are versatile peripherals that provide an easy solution for users who need access to CD and DVD functionality on devices that lack built-in optical drives.They are widely available from various manufacturers and come in different models with varying features and price points to suit different needs.
Below you can find our editor's choice of the best external cd players on the marketProduct description
About Our Product
Currently, it's the best way to get an external DVD RW Burner, if your slim laptop or desktop has no internal DVD drive. Not need any additional software and extra power supply, plug and play. High-speed USB 3.0 CD DVD RW Burner with low impedance and anti-interference ability, bringing you smooth and fast experience for watching movies, listening to music, installing softwares or system, burning discs. Portable Compact Design:Slim, lightweight, shock-resistant design, and just slips easily into your travel bag.
Emergency Eject Hole.
Powered by only one USB 3.0 connector, no need extra power cable, faster speed bring you better experience than old USB 2.0 drive. Just plug in computer, it will be recognized automatically within seconds, then you can press pop-up button, put in disc and enjoy movies, music, burn discs or install software/system, etc.
Tips
♦ This is a universal CD/DVD drive burner, not a Blu-ray drive, can not play Blu ray discs.
♦ Please connect the laptop external power supply when you use this external optical drive.
♦ Because of the limitations of the Chrome OS, this external optical drive can not work with Chrome OS and Chromebook.
♦ This protable CD/DVD drive can not work with TV, car, smartphone.
♦ Before you using the External CD/DVD Drive, please make sure your computer has a "Media Player''.
♦ If you find the External CD/DVD Drive start out a little slow, please wait for 5-10 seconds.
♦ Windows 10 system is advised to install VLC Media player to play DVD and CD. We suggested that you download the 3.0 drive for windows 10, then it will work. For the desktop, please connect the device to the USB port of the motherboard for normal use.
♦ If your windows 10 start up delay, please connect both USB 3.0 data cable and power supply cable to make sure it has enough power.
- 📀【High Writing and Reading Speed】 Max 8x DVDR Write Speed and Max 24x CD Write Speed provide high writing and reading speed
- 📀【Wide Compatible】This external dvd cd drive is compatible with Windows 98 / SE / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 10/8/7,Mac ios(ios 8.6 to 10.14). And perfect for PC, Laptop, Comprehensive Computer, Internal PC hard disk reader
- 📀【Plug and Play Technology】Powered by USB port so just plug it into your USB port and the DVD driver will be detected. Don’t need to install software to set up driver
- 📀【Advanced USB3.0 Technology】 USB 3.0 provides fast data transfer speed and stable performance to record CD/ music/ videos/ install software or create CD/DVD backup disc ( also compatible with USB2.0)
- 📀【Ingenious Design】 This ultra-slim CD/DVD player for laptops equipped with an eject button so that you needn't worry about your disc getting stuck inside this external CD/DVD drive. Besides, the copper mesh technology of this external component, you can be rest assured of stable data transmission
User questions & answers
Question: | will this play dvd's on a Dell i5 8gen touchscreen laptop |
Answer: | If your laptop has a USB port, yes. |
Question: | Can i use this on a acer chromebook laptop |
Answer: | I don't know, I use a Microsoft based system. My understanding is that Chromebook is a cloud based storage system, you'll have to do some research. |
Question: | Can I put my Hallmark card maker dvd in and then print from it |
Answer: | Yes , this neat little unit rips photo CD's like a champ , rips mucic cd's, and DVD's , plays movies , as well as yes , you can put your hallmark cd into it and it will work. |
Question: | If i hook this up in my vehicle can i use it like a cd player and listen to music |
Answer: | Product Description states: '♦ This protable CD/DVD drive can not work with TV, car, smartphone.' |
- Plug & play. Easy to use,powered by USB port. No external driver and Power needed. Just plug it into your USB port and the DVD driver will be detected
- High speed. Compatible with USB3. 0 and backwards compatible with USB2. 0 , bringing faster data transmission speed (up to a maximum of 5Gbps) and stable performance with strong fault tolerance
- Intelligent tech. Designed with eject button so that you never have to worry about your disc getting stuck inside this external CD/DVD drive. The copper mesh technology of this external component, you can be rest assured of stable data transmission
- Trendy design. Brushed texture shell brings trendy sight and touch enjoyment. Embedded cable design, worry- off cable missing any when and where
- Wide compatibility. Ideal for various devices. It supports Windows XP/2003/Vista/7/8. 1/10, Linux, all version Mac OS system. For the desktops, Please connect the device to the back USB port of the motherboard for normal use
User questions & answers
Question: | Does this work with windows |
Answer: | It should work with Windows 8 though I only used with Windows 10. If you insert a DVD and a video player does not start up, you may need a player that will recognize the drive. On a recommendation from a friend, I installed "VLC media player" and this app opens when I insert a DVD into the Riodadas player. VLC is a free and open source media player that works with all Windows versions. You can get the player here: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/ |
Question: | Can this be used to install windows 10 without the need to somehow install a driver first? it's rather tough to do that when trying to install an os |
Answer: | This is basically a laptop optical drive in an external case with USB connection. I would think so. If the installation disk contains the installation software and the computer can access a USB device then it should. Changes to the boot device may be required. |
Question: | Does this play games like sims |
Answer: | It's played all my games without so much of a skip. |
Question: | Does this work on macs |
Answer: | Won't work with Mac 10.15.7! It was working before; now it seems useless. I see someone else is having this issue. |
Product description
About Our Product
Currently, it's the best way to get an external dvd rw Burner, if your slim laptop or desktop has no internal dvd drive. Not need any additional software and extra power supply, plug and play. High-speed usb 3.0 cd dvd rw Burner with low impedance and anti-interference ability, bringing you smooth and fast experience for watching movies, listening to music, installing softwares or system, burning discs.
Portable Compact Design:Slim, lightweight, shock-resistant design, and just slips easily into your travel bag.
Emergency Eject Hole.
Powered by only one usb 3.0 connector, no need extra power cable, faster speed bring you better experience than old usb 2.0 drive.
Just plug in computer, it will be recognized automatically within seconds, then you can press pop-up button, put in disc and enjoy movies, music, burn discs or install software/system, etc.
Tips
♦ This is a universal cd/dvd drive burner, not a Blu-ray drive, can not play Blu ray discs.
♦ Please connect the laptop external power supply when you use this external optical drive.
♦ Because of the limitations of the Chrome os, this external optical drive can not work with Chrome os and Chromebook.
♦ This protable cd/dvd drive can not work with tv, car, smartphone.
♦ Before you using the External cd/dvd Drive, please make sure your computer has a "Media Player.
♦ If you find the External cd/dvd Drive start out a little slow, please wait for 5-10 seconds.
♦ Windows 10 system is advised to install vlc Media player to play dvd and cd. We suggested that you download the 3.0 drive for windows 10, then it will work. For the desktop, please connect the device to the usb port of the motherboard for normal use.
♦ If your windows 10 start up delay, please connect both usb 3.0 data cable and power supply cable to make sure it has enough power.
- 【High Writing & Reading Speed】 Max 8x DVDR Write Speed and Max 24x CD Write Speed provide high writing and reading speed
- 【Wide Compatible】Compatible with Windows 98 / SE / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 10/8/7,Mac ios(ios 8.6-10.14). And perfect for PC, Laptop, Comprehensive Computer, Internal PC hard disk reader
- 【Plug & Play Technology】Powered by USB port so just plug it into your USB port and the DVD driver will be detected. Don’t need to install software to set up driver
- 【Advanced USB3.0 Technology】 USB 3.0 provides fast data transfer speed and stable performance to record CD/ music/ videos/ install software or create CD/DVD backup disc ( also compatible with USB2.0)
- 【Ingenious Design】 This ultra-slim CD/DVD player for laptops equipped with an eject button so that you needn't worry about your disc getting stuck inside this external CD/DVD drive. Besides, the copper mesh technology of this external component, you can be rest assured of stable data transmission
User questions & answers
Question: | Is this product compatible with newest mac os 10.15 catalina? or only up to older mac os 10.14 mojave |
Answer: | Manual that came with the product lists mac 10.0S as compatable. |
Question: | Sive para Windows |
Answer: | Si |
Question: | does this item play dvds or do i have to buy a program, one rev. states that it plays another says windows media player no longer supports |
Answer: | Yes. It plays DVD. All you have to do is connect to your computer and hit play. I just bought a laptop that has windows 10. No problem |
Question: | Can it play music from CD |
Answer: | Yes for sure, i just bought it, plugged it in, ripped music and played Cd's-no problems! |
Product description
DVD duplicator developed by Copystars for professionals and home users. This compact size duplicator work well in US as well as oversea due to it's auto voltage 115v/230v feature. Power supply is UL, FCC and TUV certified duplicator Power supply which ensure high standard of safety and reliability This CD DVD duplicator burner can compile multiple tracks of audio onto a single disc from multiple sources.
Support DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD+R Double Layer, DVD-R Dual Layer, Mini DVD-R, CD-DA, Video CD, Photo CD (Single & Multi-session), CD-TEXT, DC-Extra, CD-R, CD-RW, Business Card CD-R, 3"" Mini CD-R.
The duplicator burning speed for full 700MB CD is less than 3 minutes and it takes about 6 minutes to copy full 4.7GB DVD disc. This duplicator is also capable of duplicating Dual Layer (DL) DVD media discs.
Fast DDR2 Buffer Memory-Memory speed 4X faster than competing models using SDRAM Other features such as:Multi-Language Support-Language is displayed in: English, Spanish, Portuguese or Japanese ;Dual-level Security-Separate Startup & Setup passwords to prevent unauthorized usage.; Advance function included :Prescan,Compare,Test(simulation of copy),Track edit,CD over burn ,Firmware update and many more.
Maximum DVD burner Writing Speed
DVD+/-R: 24X;DVD+/-RW: 8X;DVD+/-DL: 8X;CD-R: 52X;CD-RW: 32X
Supported Disc Formats
DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-Video, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD+R9, CD-DA, CD-ROM Mode 1, CD-ROM XA Mode 2, Multi-session Photo CD , CD-I, Video CD, CD Extra (CD Plus)
Supported Recording Discs
12cm 4.7GB DVD-R/RW;12cm 4.7GB DVD+R/RW;12cm 8.5GB DL DVD;12cm 80min/700MB CD-R;12cm 74min/650MB CD-RW;8cm 1.47GB mini DVD-R;8cm 24min/210MB mini CD-R;8cm 50MB Business CD-R. All Copystars CD DVD duplicator carry 3 years labor and 1 year parts warranty,Unlimited 1800 toll free support.
- Dvd Duplicator tower Is Fully Stand-Alone(No Pc Required), No Software Is needed
- Dvd Burner Drives are all Sata type,heavy duty dvd Duplicator Grade only
- Disc Duplication tower Is masterminded by Copystars Smart Cd/Dvd Duplicator Controller
- UL and TUV certified duplicator Power supply ensure high standard of safety and reliability
- Backed by Copystars 3 years labor and 1 year parts warranty,Unlimited toll free support
- Compatible devices: Desktop
User questions & answers
Question: | Can Music Tracks Be Selected TO Burn Onto Blank Disc Without USE OF COMPUTER |
Answer: | Yes, it works with all the disc formats. Add, beds, blue ray discs,etc. |
Question: | Is this burner zone free? i want to burn french dvds and cds |
Answer: | works fine with windows 10 |
Question: | Can I copy my Randy Travis store bought cds |
Answer: | Thank you for your interest in our products. Yes this will burn 3D movies as long as you use a special software because the Nero we provide will not work for 3D. |
Question: | Does this duplicator come with instruction booklet |
Answer: | Thank you for your interest in our products. This will burn and read Bluray Mdisc. |
Product description
Portable USB 3.0/USB-C DVD reader-writer with protective storage carrying bag allows you to enjoy movies, music, burn discs, install software and create backup discs on most different computers with Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / XP, Linux and all versions of Mac OS, anytime, anywhere.
Specifications
* Power consumption 3-5W
* Loading Type: Tray
* Buffery Memory: 2MB
* Interface: USB 3.0 / USB Type-C
* Power Consumption: 3~5W
* Compatibility: WindowsXP / 2003 / 8 / Vista / 7, Linux, all version of Mac OS.
* Max Read / Write Speed: CD-R= 24X / DVD+R=8X / DVD-R=8X
* No extra drive and paid software required, support plug and play.
Attention
* This is a universal CD/DVD drive burner, can not play Blu ray discs.
* Please connect the laptop external power supply when you use this external optical drive.
* Please use a self-powered hub, or try our this external DVD drive with extra power cord (Search " B07FD4YCV2 " on Amazon) if you can not make sure your laptop (such as Surface, Yoga, etc.) can supply enough power for the external optical drive before purchasing.
* Data transfer speed is also affected by the computer and system environment.
* If your Windows Media Player can not play discs, recommend trying a free 5K player or VLC media player.
* Because of the limitations of the Chrome OS, this external optical drive can not work with Chrome OS and Chromebook.
* This portable CD/DVD drive can not work with TV, car, smartphone.
What is Included
1* USB 3.0/USB-C External CD/DVD Drive
1 * Manual
1* protective storage carrying case bag
- 【Easy to Use】No extra driver required, just plug external CD/DVD player into the USB-A or USB-C port on your PC, it will be recognized by your computer automatically, then you can use it to enjoy movie DVDs, music CDs, burn/rip discs, install software/system through media player software or burning software.
- 【Designed for Most Computers】Upgraded USB 3.0 and USB-C 2-in-1 connectors and an extra power supply cable make it easier to use this device on most laptops and desktop computers. Compatible with Apple MacBook Pro/Air, iMac, and all Windows 10/ 8.1/ 7/ XP computers from different brands like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Thinkpad, Sony, Samsung, Asus, Acer. etc. (NOTE: Do not support Chromebook, TV, iPad, Truck, Car!)
- 【No Power Shortage Issues Anymore】Come with an extra power supply cable. Some 13" and below ultra-thin notebooks (such as Microsoft Surface Pro, Yoga, HP Envy) may not supply sufficient power for this CD/DVD player, so we prepare this power cord, you can connect it to a USB power adapter or another USB port to get extra power.
- 【Portable & Reliable Assistant】Come with a thicker protective storage carrying case, we can carry and use this slim multifunctional CD/DVD RW drive for entertainment, study, work at home, school, in home or during a trip, bringing us rich audio-visual entertainment, efficient office and learning at any time anywhere.
- 【Worry-free Shopping】Every player is equipped with a high-performance loader, features strong error-correcting, low impedance, and anti-interference, perfectly running CD-ROM, CD-R, CD +/-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+/-RW, DVD-R DL, VCD-ROM discs. 6 years of product manufacturing experience makes us confident to provide you with the best quality external optical drive products and professional services. If you have any questions, please contact us for a satisfactory solution.
Product description
The Dell DW316 allows you to enjoy clear color picture & sound clarity of CD's & DVD's Ability to read/write CDs & read DVDs. This product is compatible with the following systems Latitude 5285 2-in-1.
- Dvdrw (R DL)/ DVD-RAM
- 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVD) read speed
- 24x (CD)/ 8x (DVDR)/ 6x (DVDR DL) write speed
User questions & answers
Question: | Anyone noticed the usb cable provided seems like usb 2 instead usb |
Answer: | Indeed, the cable is USB 2, not 3. This shouldn't be an issue, though, because the drive speed is the limiting factor. Reading & writing CDs & DVDs (not Blu-Ray disks) is slow enough that USB 3's high data rates are wasted. |
Question: | Will it play bluray disk also |
Answer: | Im sorry, the product will not play blue ray |
Question: | can it be used with a mac? I have a new macbook pro running yosemite |
Answer: | Yes it does work on Mac, BUT the drive will not mount until you insert a disc into the drive. I tested this on both Yosemite and Sierra. On Sierra, I tested it against USB-c, which is the smaller port found on newer (2017 and forward) Macbook Pros. I used a USB-c to USB-a adapter to do so. It worked fine. |
Question: | Will this play on Windows |
Answer: | will this work on a lenovo ideapad with windows 10 |
Product features
Dell DW316 External USB Slim DVD R/W Optical Drive 429-AAUX
- Plug and play
The Dell External USB Slim DVD +/– RW Optical Drive is a plug and play disc burning and disc playing solution that you can use with a USB port.
- At home or on the go
Simply plug the low profile (14mm), lightweight (200g) drive into your Ultrabook or notebook's USB port and you'll be ready to play or burn your favorite DVD or CD at home in even a small workspace. Or, place the drive in your bag to take this functionality with you.
- [Plug & Play Device with Multifunctions]:For most laptop,no extra software needed.Just plug the usb cd drive in the USB port and start to enjoy yourself.It is not just a External USB CD/DVD drive with single function,also a CD/DVD burner,rewriter,video and music palyer…If you also want to back up your important data or install the legitimate games and software,that is exactly what it can do.Download link for drive for windows 10:http://static.yunbaoit.net/download01.html
- [Broad Compatibility]:Two kinds of interface -Type C and USB 3.0 are used for this external dvd drive to provide more compatibility for laptops/desktop/MAC/iMac.It supports Windows,OS system,and Linux,but not with Chromebook and Windows Surface.
- [High Speed with Advanced Burning Techonology]:It supports DVD+R, DVD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM,DVD-R, CD-R, CD-RW,DVD+RW,DVD+R DL,DVD-R DL,DVD RAM.Max DVD read and Burn speed 8x; Max CD read and Burn speed 24x.It could bring you faster data transmission speed (max 5Gbps)and no lag or distortion when play games,listen to music and watch movies
- [Portable and Convenient]:a good partner for your laptop or computers,light-weight and slim,you could bring it to anywhere with you.
- [The Newest CD Drive with an Extra Power Cable]:Most devices can work well without the extra power supply.But the extra power supply can make it work perfect .With the extra power supply cable,no worries for insufficient power supply anymore.More durable and stable.
User questions & answers
Question: | I would like to burn a dvd. the video is 1 hour. how long will it take roughly |
Answer: | yes.But only if the end from the ant. is compatible with the 'IN' ant.i have coaxial and standard red,white,and yellow plugs andboth work |
Question: | Can a dvd burned on this unit be viewed with a player connected to a tv |
Answer: | With RCA and coaxial inputs so you can record from other sources |
Question: | Is it comptaible with windows |
Answer: | What is available is what is for sale. There are over 25 listings to choose from, some with remotes and some without. More for sale won't give much more variety, they are all the same players |
Question: | Can this device be used with a desktop PC?. It seems to be laptop specific |
Answer: | Sorry, no. The unit DOES NOT have a digital/HD tuner. Broadcast TV that you receive via antenna is now all HD. I made the mistake of not asking about that before I bought the unit myself and found out the hard way. It may work with a digital TV converter box. Good luck. |
Product features
Broad Compatiblity
This external CD/DVD Drive is compatible with most systems:
Windows XP/Vista/7/8.1/10
all versions of Mac OS
Linux
It could be used on laptop,Mac,iMac,desktop.
NOTE: for the desktops, this USB CD drive must be connected to the back end USB interface for normal use
Why you need an extra power supply cable?
Come with high-speed USB 3.0 and Type C interface,suitable for more laptops.
Also come with a USB power supply cable, which not only ensures a faster running speed and more stable performace.
If the laptop can't provide sufficient power,please use the extra power supply cable.
You could plug the power supply cable to a USB power supply adapter or another USB port for more power supply.
How to burn?
Quite easy to use.
Just plug the cd drive in the computer and start to use it.
Normally no extra drive or software needed.
- Windows 10 may need to install a drive.Please download the drive with the link in the PDF file.
- For Mac OS, use the mac command to eject disc.
100% new core for stable performace
100% brand-new upgraded DVD Core to ensure premium quality and stable performace with faster speed, low impedance & anti-interference ability.
It will bring you a faster and more smooth experience,playing music and movies with No lag or distortion.
Product description
External CD DVD drive, Blanco USB 2.0 Slim portable external CD-RW drive DVD-RW Burner Writer player for laptop notebook PC desktop computer, Black The external cd/dvd drive for Laptop Works compatible with windowsXP/2003/Vista/7/8.1/10, Linux and all version Mac OS systems, supports any PC, Ultrabook and Netbook.
- Easy to Use - Plug and Play, No external drive needed. This CD DVD - RW burner allows you to watch DVD/CD movies with no lag and burn music, movies to CD or DVD
- Universal Compatibility - WindowsXP / 2003 / Wind8 / Vita / 7 , Linux, Mac 10 OS system
- High speed - It is compatible with USB2.0 and backwards compatible with USB1.0, efficiency more stable, applies more widely.
- Well Design - It is portable for traveling with your laptop thanks to its small size. It will be specially handy for your work if you want to give presentations to the business. Just burn the DVD to suffice everything and do not need to carry laptops everywhere.
- 2 Cables - Come with 2 cables, one is data cable and the other is power cable that can supply power to get rid of the trouble of shortage power. When connect it to the desktop, please connect both cables or connect it with the computer's mortherboard.
User questions & answers
Question: | can this item be used as a portable dvd player?: My tv has a usb port and hdmi port ,Will this work through my tv |
Answer: | Yes, indeed!! |
Question: | I simply want to transfer music CDs onto a thumb drive will this do that |
Answer: | I collected this device to my computer, my computer can't recognize it and nowhere to find it. I returned it. Not suggest to buy this device. |
Question: | will the cd drive work with a micosoft surface laptop?? (Not a surface tablet but a surface laptop |
Answer: | Is it has a USB input, then it should work. |
Question: | How do you get this to work with a mac book air? It's not pulling up anything when I plug both in and try to play a movie |
Answer: | Dear friend : ) Thanks for your question! Before you use it, make sure your computer has a media player, if not, you can try downloading the VLC media player : ) If you have problems using this external optical drive, you can contact us at any time and we will try our best to help you solve the problem. Thank you very much :) |
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