External DVD-ROM drives are a convenient tool for computers that are not installed with a drive of their own. There are a few different product types offered by providers of external DVD-ROM drives. You can buy an external DVD-ROM drive that just lets you view DVDs, or you can get an external DVD ROM drive that can play and write media onto DVD discs.

Prices for external DVD-ROM drives can vary depending on the brand name and drive features. The pricing and costs external DVD ROM drives also depends on other factors, including:

1. The type of connection needed for an external DVD ROM drive.

2. System requirements for any software included with the product.

3. The drive's read speed.

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Choose low-priced products from suppliers of external DVD-ROM drives

Suppliers of external DVD-ROM drives provide cheap models for those who do not want to spend a lot of money on an external drive. These drives may read disks at a low speed and may not allow you to burn media onto blank DVDs, but the drives will still work for most computer systems. Cheaper external DVD ROM drives cost $78 to $150.

I recommend: PC Universe offers a few different types of external DVD ROM drives with limited features. EBay provides a buying guide for external DVD and CD ROM drives based on the type and amount of storage a user needs.

Explore mid-range products offered by manufacturers of external DVD-ROM drives

When you get to the mid-range prices for external DVD drives, you will find features you cannot get with the cheapest models. For the mid-price, the read speed for the discs ranges from 8x to 24x, a notation that refers to the number of sectors a drive can read per second. The drive may also offer a combination of DVD and CDRW capabilities. These drives cost $90 to $175.

I recommend: ComputerGeeks.com offers a mid-priced slimline external DVD ROM drive model that runs up to 24x and offers plug and play capabilities. ConsumerGuide Products offers expert reviews on many brands of external drives.

Buy a writable drive from external DVD-ROM drive suppliers

High-end external DVD ROM drives models let you write CDs and CD rewwritables, and write to DVDs. This can come in handy when you need to create videos or store large amounts of photos or data on a disc. DVD ROM drives that can write on DVDs cost $175 to $200 for external models.

I recommend: TigerDirect.com offers a wide range of DVD ROM models that let you burn DVDs. Many products are also multi-format, so they can burn different types of discs. Apple offers an overview of DVD technology that includes information on DVD-ROM drives.

When you're shopping for DVD ROM drives, external drives are a versatile option. External DVD-ROM drives are useful hardware for most businesses. DVD-ROM drives can store and read large amounts of information, including documents, photos, video, and music. External DVD-ROM drives can be attached to any computer and do not require a physical installation, offering an advantage over internal drives when you need to upgrade your hardware.

Suppliers of external DVD-ROM drives offer a number of options that can making your product selection process easier:

1. Find external DVD-ROM drive suppliers that let you easily compare prices and products.
2. Read through customer reviews before buying.
3. Save money when you buy used external DVD-ROM drives online.
   

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Compare prices for external DVD-ROM drives and product specifications

When you're looking for a new external DVD-ROM drive, it's a good idea to do a bit of shopping around to compare products before making a decision. Many suppliers of external DVD-ROM drives sell a variety of models, making it easy for you to compare product specifications and prices on a single website.

I recommend: NexTag allows you to compare models offered by different vendors, showing competing prices for the same drive from multiple sellers. TigerDirect.com sells external DVD-ROM drives from a number of name brand manufacturers and showcases customer ratings for each product.

Read customer reviews of products before making a decision

Another great way to research when looking to buy an external DVD-ROM drive is to find online customer reviews. Get a better idea of the pros and cons of certain models as experienced by other consumers before making a choice for your company.

I recommend: Newegg.com sells a variety of models from multiple manufacturers of external DVD-ROM drives. Read customer reviews on all products, find regular sales on selected items, and get deals on shipping for most items. Epinions.com is an external DVD-ROM drive supplier selling thousands of models. Find consumer reviews of many items and easily compare products side by side.

Buy used external DVD-ROM drives

Computer hardware can be expensive, especially when buying a range of equipment for a business setting. A great way to save money when furnishing your company's computing needs is by looking for online vendors of used external DVD-ROM drives. Refurbished drives offer the same functionality of new models at a greatly reduced price.

I recommend: PowerSource Online has an online market for users to buy or sell new, used, and refurbished computer equipment, including external DVD-ROM drives. Find models produced by a variety of manufacturers. iFixIt sells used DVD-ROM drives for Macintosh computers and offers warranties on all refurbished products they sell.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check your computer configuration before purchasing an external DVD-ROM drive. Be sure the DVD-ROM drive is compatible with your machine.

Before you buy an external DVD-ROM drive, you should learn the different features and capabilities that are available to you. External DVD-ROM drives are usually available with USB 2.0 or the faster FireWire capability. Some drives come with LightScribe technology, which allows you to burn a label on the surface of the DVD rather than sticking a label to it. Manufacturers of external DVD-ROM drives even make slim-line and full-size models.

The resources below will familiarize you with DVD ROM drives: external types and styles and help you make an informed purchasing decision:

1. Research the slim-line vs full-size external DVD ROM drive.
2. Decide whether or not you want a LightScribe external DVD-ROM drive.
3. Look into high-speed external DVD-ROM drives that offer IEEE 1394 FireWire connectivity.
   

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Learn about the available slim-line and full-size external DVD ROM drives

The choice between slim-line and full-size external DVD ROM drives is mostly a matter of aesthetics and space. You won't see price discounts for a smaller drive. Keep in mind that all drives aren't created equal. Some external DVD burners will only burn DVDs. Others are capable of burning CDs as well. Always make sure that you know what type of media a drive is capable of burning before you purchase. Some drives will burn exclusively DVD+R, while others can handle DVD-R, DVD+R DL, and the whole range in between. Know what you want and what you're getting.

I recommend: There are numerous suppliers of external DVD-ROM drives. You can find both types of drives on Newegg. Newegg makes it easy by listing the media supported and burn speed per media for each drive. TigerDirect also has a healthy selection available online.

Research whether or not you want an external DVD-ROM drive with LightScribe

LightScribe was invented by an HP Engineer. A LightScribe external DVD ROM drive will print a user-created label directly on the disc. You burn your data on one side of the disc, and then flip the disc over and put it back into the drive to burn the label. You need three things to make this work: a LightScribe-enabled DVD burner, LightScribe-compatible media and LightScribe-supported labeling software.

I recommend: Find out what LightScribe is at the Hewlett-Packard Development Company. HP is one of the providers of external DVD-ROM drives. Browse a selection of other manufacturer's external LightScribe DVD drives at Mwave.com.

Discover the benefits of high-speed external DVD-ROM drives

There are two bottle necks you run into when burning data with external DVD-ROM drives. The first is the actual burn speed of the device, and the second is the speed of the connection between the external drive and your computer. A high-speed drive will burn quickly, and utilize either a High Speed USB 2.0 connection or a IEEE1394 FireWire connection. FireWire is the faster of the two protocols.

I recommend: TopTenREVIEWS posts reviews of the best external DVD drives. Three out of the top four drives reviewed are FireWire capable. Compare the capabilities of the reviewed FireWire DVD drives to decide which one fulfil your needs. You can also check out prices for external DVD-ROM drives with FireWire at online retailers like Amazon.

When it comes to buying external DVD ROM drives for a business setup, purchasers will have to think about the goals for production of DVDs, as well as what style choices and labeling or use features need to be included. There's also the issue of how discs will be written or recorded on a DVD drive. Businesses will also want to make sure that an external drive is compatible with their existing IT setup. Knowing about some key terms used for DVD ROM drives will help business buyers with all of these issues.

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FireWire

FireWire is a specific type of high-tech connectivity that is commonly used in external data drives, including DVD ROM drives.

I recommend: Find out more about FireWire at the O'Reilly development center.

Slimline DVD-ROM drive

A slimline external DVD ROM drive is a smaller compact drive size for ultimate use in small space setups. Many companies are offering new slimline models to compete with traditional style drives.

I recommend: See details on some slimline DVD drive products at HP.com.

LightScribe

LightScribe is a new technology in CD and DVD drives for printing the front side of a disc for promotional and functional labeling. Some new drives include LightScribe technology that can be useful for a business looking to market or distribute DVD discs.

I recommend: See more on LightScribe at this info site.

DVD-R and DVD-RW

The difference between DVD-R and DVD-RW is a big one: these specifications indicate whether a DVD disc can be rewritten or not. This is a big issue when figuring out how a business will use the discs from an external DVD ROM drive.

I recommend: Learn more about DVD-R and DVD-RW at Ask Dave Taylor.

Burn speeds

Another aspect in buying external DVD ROM drives is the burn speed that they will support. If a business has a time frame for producing discs, the burn speed will be important.

I recommend: See more on comparing burn speeds for DVD ROM drives as well as a whole lot of other information on choosing drives at this detailed guide from the Super Media Store.

Capacity

The capacity is the size of information that will fit into an external DVD ROM drive. Capacity is also a key in selecting the right DVD ROM drives for a business setup.

I recommend: See more on capacity and connectivity, as well as other details for DVD ROM drives, at this MacWorld buying guide.