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can someone recommend external CD/DVD/RW....
- Thread starter 4ik
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Been using a version of this one for a few years now. Works perfect. Can’t watch Blu-ray but you can rip them with MakeMKV.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X6JKWY6/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X6JKWY6/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp
Thank you, that drive looks very expensive, I should have specify the purpose:
I don’t really rip anything I need to be able to watch an old DVD once in a while, or a home movie recorded years ago, some pics or audio CD/DVD from the past.
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Yes I am looking for something like this but some of them say not comparable with OS version above 10.10.2....which made me wonder has anyone used their cheap drive with High Sierra yet??
For example after upgrading, I had to replace my pen teblet due to lack of drivers from the Wacom....so I leaned the hard way
I've been using an older generation Samsung TSST (like a $25 product that does everything except Blu Ray) with El Cap on a 2014 MacBook Pro, Sierra on a 2017 MacBook, and High Sierra on a 2010 MacBook Air. It looks like the specific model I have isn't sold anymore. (Other than on the MBP, I've literally only used it on the other machines to install two different Apps that I cannot find online installers for due to them being older and how they are licensed.)
It was always what I considered to be a temperamental drive, and it loved to make strange noises as if it had indigestion. Then (at the suggestion of someone much smarter than me) I purchased a Y-cable and provided the burner with an additional source of power (plugged the thin USB connector that does power-only into a charge-only port on one of my powered USB hubs). Strangely, it's worked pretty well since then and it now only makes noises that you would expect a burner to make.
It was always what I considered to be a temperamental drive, and it loved to make strange noises as if it had indigestion. Then (at the suggestion of someone much smarter than me) I purchased a Y-cable and provided the burner with an additional source of power (plugged the thin USB connector that does power-only into a charge-only port on one of my powered USB hubs). Strangely, it's worked pretty well since then and it now only makes noises that you would expect a burner to make.
You don't need anything special based on your stated usage case.
Just buy a generic DVD player from Amazon, something between $20-25 that has a decent rating (4-5 stars).
No drivers need to be installed, this is legacy commodity hardware that Apple hasn't included in their computers for years. The guts of these drives are made by a handful of companies, they are pretty much all the same.
I have an external USB DVD burner that I purchased about seven years ago. It might be a LaCie branded drive (I forget), but they no longer market these. The guts are likely Samsung. I used it a week ago to burn a DVD (my Mac is running High Sierra).
Whatever you do, do not buy the overpriced Apple SuperDrive. Apple modified it so it only works on Apple hardware.
If you need to read Blu-ray discs, you'll need to shell out about $60 for an external USB Blu-ray player. The devices at this price range won't burn Blu-ray discs. I have one of these for the sole purpose of reading and ripping Blu-ray discs (which happens once or twice a year nowadays).
If you want to watch Blu-rays with such a reader, you'll also need to shell out some bucks to buy Blu-ray playback software. This is the main reason why Steve Jobs nixed built-in Blu-ray players in Macs. He didn't want to increase costs from required licensing fees for a format that he thought was a dead-end: optical media.
Just buy a generic DVD player from Amazon, something between $20-25 that has a decent rating (4-5 stars).
No drivers need to be installed, this is legacy commodity hardware that Apple hasn't included in their computers for years. The guts of these drives are made by a handful of companies, they are pretty much all the same.
I have an external USB DVD burner that I purchased about seven years ago. It might be a LaCie branded drive (I forget), but they no longer market these. The guts are likely Samsung. I used it a week ago to burn a DVD (my Mac is running High Sierra).
Whatever you do, do not buy the overpriced Apple SuperDrive. Apple modified it so it only works on Apple hardware.
If you need to read Blu-ray discs, you'll need to shell out about $60 for an external USB Blu-ray player. The devices at this price range won't burn Blu-ray discs. I have one of these for the sole purpose of reading and ripping Blu-ray discs (which happens once or twice a year nowadays).
If you want to watch Blu-rays with such a reader, you'll also need to shell out some bucks to buy Blu-ray playback software. This is the main reason why Steve Jobs nixed built-in Blu-ray players in Macs. He didn't want to increase costs from required licensing fees for a format that he thought was a dead-end: optical media.
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Bart wrote:
"You don't need anything special. Just buy a generic DVD player from Amazon, something between $20-25 that has a decent rating (4-5 stars)."
OP:
If you're absolutely sure that you'll NEVER want BluRay or M-DISC, what Bart wrote above is probably the way to go.
IF you think at some point you might want to view BluRay, or that you want to "archive" to optical media, then spend a bit more for a drive (like the Pioneer above) that has both BD and M-DISC capabilities...
"You don't need anything special. Just buy a generic DVD player from Amazon, something between $20-25 that has a decent rating (4-5 stars)."
OP:
If you're absolutely sure that you'll NEVER want BluRay or M-DISC, what Bart wrote above is probably the way to go.
IF you think at some point you might want to view BluRay, or that you want to "archive" to optical media, then spend a bit more for a drive (like the Pioneer above) that has both BD and M-DISC capabilities...
Thank you Bart, for your detailed explanation. “Drivers” was my biggest concern - I will def get a cheap drive then!
Fishrrman, it’s good to know what a better expensive drive gives me in terms of options (which I realize I def don’t need)
This pretty much resolves my dilemma
I appreciate everyone’s input, thanks guys!!!
Fishrrman, it’s good to know what a better expensive drive gives me in terms of options (which I realize I def don’t need)
This pretty much resolves my dilemma
I appreciate everyone’s input, thanks guys!!!
I use this one:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...6266&cm_re=lg_slim_dvd-_-27-136-266-_-Product
It works. It isn't the cheapest. I like the silver color which matches the Mac.
True. But my SuperDrive failed. That was worse. It wouldn't eject or fully load a CD. At least the cheap external drives have a pin hole you can use to force eject a CD. And you can disconnect them. The constant loading sound from a Super Drive would drive you insane. The cost to remove or challenge of doing it yourself sucks. Luckily you can stick a business card in the drive just right and force an eject.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...6266&cm_re=lg_slim_dvd-_-27-136-266-_-Product
It works. It isn't the cheapest. I like the silver color which matches the Mac.
True. But my SuperDrive failed. That was worse. It wouldn't eject or fully load a CD. At least the cheap external drives have a pin hole you can use to force eject a CD. And you can disconnect them. The constant loading sound from a Super Drive would drive you insane. The cost to remove or challenge of doing it yourself sucks. Luckily you can stick a business card in the drive just right and force an eject.
I have my CD/DVD drive running off of an unpowered USB hub and it seems to work fine. It is the only thing drawing real power from the hub, but it works. I know powering some devices can definitely be a problem with some hubs.