External DVD Drive CD/DVD +/-RW Drive USB 3.0 Portable CD
External DVD Drive CD/DVD +/-RW Drive USB 3.0 Portable CD DVD Player Burner Reader Writer, Slim Optical CD ROM Drive for Laptop PC Desktop Linux Mac OS Macbook Air Pro Windows 11/10/8.1/7
Some things to note about this USB 3.0 external CD DVD drive
1.The dvd drive should be connected with USB port on laptop rather than connect with USB HUB. In addition, please connect the item with USB port behind of computer host if you use a desktop.
2.Ensure CDs is placed well and not scratched. The raised fixing post in the middle of the CD drive tray has three spring buckles. You need to gently press the CD disc into the spring buckles to secure the disc.
3.Make sure your computer’s CD/DVD driver is intact before using an external optical drive. The computer operating system comes with a CD/DVD driver. If the program is damaged or removed, the CD/DVD driver needs to be updated or reinstalled.
4.Once you plug this external dvd player for laptop into your computer, it will bring up your downloaded Media Player, select it, and from that point forward whatever disc you put in will automatically open through it. You download a Media Player program onto your computer if don’t already have one before you hook it up.
5.Remember to set the DVD Region to United States on the player – Windows :This PC– dvd drive- Properties – Hardware Tab – Properties button – Choose Region (US is 1) -Apply. Mac：Menu-System Preference-Language & Region – Region – Select Country – Apply Remember you can only reset the country 5 times.
6.Mac OS computers do not display the device icon before placing a disc into disc tray & drive reads successfully the disc. For Mac OS, use the mac command to eject disc. If eject button/computer command not working, stick emergency hole to force eject a disc.
7.Computers often do not natively support DVD movie playing, so a third-party media player (such as VLC) must be downloaded and installed to watch DVDs using this CD/DVD player. You can download and install a playing/burning software you like. You can also refer to the following software:
No fee playing software: Any Media Player, Any DVD
No fee burning software for Windows OS: InfraRecorder, Ones, Express Disc Burner
No fee burning software for mac OS: Burn for mac
No fee burning software for Linux OS/Unix OS: K3b (KDE Burn Baby Burn)
8.Because the video formats of most computers and mobile phones are not compatible with DVD, you need third-party software to convert the file format to a format that can be displayed on the disc, otherwise, even if you burn the file to a disc, it will not work.
| Weight: | 390 g |
| Dimensions: | 14 x 14 x 1.8 cm; 390 g |
| Brand: | BENEWY |
| Colour: | White |
| Manufacture: | BENEWY |
| Dimensions: | 14 x 14 x 1.8 cm; 390 g |
| Reference: | SY879 |
Good service
I was intitially pleased with this item, but it ceased working after 5 months. I contacted the manufacturers (Benewy) who promptly, and efficiently replaced it under the guarantee. Very impressed with this good service. Thank you.
Don't need to be techy
I wasn’t sure how easy this was going to be to use so asked a knowledgeable friend before first use but it is actually quite easy one I was shows basically plug it in and use don’t think he had to install anything just found it in my computer settings. Only been using it to watch dvds on as don’t have a dvd player. Been handy to have works as I needed it to. Great for any novice.
Works like a charm
I run a Windows laptop and a Linux desktop, I was pretty sure it would work straight out of the box with Windows but this device also worked on Linux, simply plugged it in and mounted it. I can play CDs, DVDs or rip CDs I’ve bought from Amazon or elsewhere. it’s always nice when a manufacturer actually takes Linux users into account as well.
Great for laptops without a a cd/dvd drive
So as thius is tech is old hat, and new laptops and even pc’s dont actually tend to come with cd/dvd drives anymore i thought this was a great addition to my techie items….
Cable is stored away nicely, and uses a traditional USB connector, Plug and playt nas stated and my only gripe iss that as its lightweight it is a little flimsyn on the acutal try load. Otherwise very happy and can re plough thro those older dvd’s i have that havent been watched in a while
Basic but works well
This is basic but works well simple plug and play and good for anyone still use discs or dvd’s as so many laptops come without disk drive now.Reasonably priced and simple to use
Works with Mac
I’m running the latest Mac OS Sonoma and this drive appears to work fine on that. I don’t have any writable media at the moment to be able to test the writing functionality but I was certainly able to use it to rip a CD or two and also to play CDs and DVDs with no issues.
It would be nice if the cable was a bit longer and even nicer if there was an option to provide external power. I’ll get to that. The fact it has both USB A and USB-C connectors on the same cable is a nice touch. All in all it’s a reasonable, lightweight drive for machines that no longer ship with one which is most of them these days. This isn’t the first of these drives that I’ve had and they don’t generally last for years and years but this doesn’t really seem any better or worse than any other. It’s essentially a laptop CD drive in an external case.
So, why did I dock it a star? It’s possibly a bit unfair to have done, but ideally I really would like to use this with my Amiga One X5000. But I can’t. The machine just shuts down the internal USB ports because it can’t supply enough current for the drive which then means I have to hard reset the power since the keyboard and mouse are also both on the internal “hub”. It looks like if I want to use it with the Amiga I’ll have to invest in a powered hub and go via that which is why it would have been nice if it was possible to supply this drive with external power for those times that the intended host can’t provide enough.
Additional dvd playe
My new laptop does not come with a cd drive included. This helps to keep the laptop light but sometimes I need to use a disc.
This External DVD Drive connects to a computer via usb. It is super easy to set up and connect to my computer straight away with no problem. My computer recognised the drive and I was able to watch a dvd on my laptop.
Efficient External DVD Drive
I’ve been using this external DVD drive to watch my favorite DVDs on my laptop. It’s incredibly easy to connect, and the slim, portable design makes it convenient for on-the-go use.
Pros:
*Effortless connection for DVDs.
*Slim and portable design adds convenience.
Cons:
*Lacks support for ChromeOS on chromebooks
No compatibility with phones.
In conclusion, this external DVD drive is a straightforward and practical solution for DVD playback on the go. Keep in mind the limitations regarding ChromeOS and phone compatibility.
So far, so good
Laptops don’t include CDs/ DVDs anymore (old tech, I guess) , so this is a great option if you still have CDs or DVDs to play. The drive is slim and lightweight, and I do like how the USB cable is stored underneath, so you can’t lose it, but it does mean it’s not too long either, something to bear in mind if you can’t position the drive next to your USB.
I’m not techie so I was delighted to find it was plug and play, no drivers to load it, making it almost fool-proof. My only recommendation is that you support the drawer whilst inserting the disc, as it’s designed to be lightweight which means it’s less solid that built-in DVD drawers, so be gentle with it!
I used the USB-A connector with Windows 11 and was happy with its performance. I think it’s a good price and as it works as I needed, I’m happy to recommend.
OK, but they don't make these drives like they used to
This external USB3.0 CD/DVD drive is ok for basic use but won’t replace my 15-year old USB2.0 model.
The drive is automatically recognised in Windows 11 and if you install a decent freeware app like ImgBurn it’s reported as follows:
ImgBurn v2.5.8.0 (Install as Administrator on Windows 11)
Drive 1 – Info: Slimtype DVD A DS8A5SH XL63 (E:) (USB 2.0)
Clearly the USB3.0 connection is just for extra power, data is still at USB2.0 speeds (No point being faster for CDs/DVDs in any case)
The main issue with the older USB2.0 models was that they needed TWO cables, since one cable couldn’t provide enough power for the laser and motor, so I was really hoping this would be a good single cable replacement, but the very first thing you’ll notice (see photos) is that the USB3.0 Type-A/USB-C connector is very short, barely 20cm! And of course you can’t use the commonly available USB2.0 extension cables to fix this (since USB3.0 power is required). Also this short cable doesn’t look very high quality, I suspect it will fail with constant bending to put it back in place after each use.
Furthermore, it’s not really “Ultra-Slim”, in fact it is a mm or so thicker than my old USB2.0 model due to an unnecessary decorative white plate on top (see photos)
But the big issue for me is that this drive can not read the second layer on my old dual layer DVD backups. These were made with various burners over the years and I can only assume that the quality of these devices was better back in the days when CD/DVD burners were very popular. My old USB2.0 model can read the discs fine mostly, so it just seems the modern devices are not made to the same quality and performance standards. I guess that’s because there is not so much demand for these drives anymore (similar to how you can’t find a decent cassette tape player anymore)
I’ll still use this drive for basic disc reading, but I will use a cheap 2-port USB splitter to enable my old drive to connect to a single USB3.0 port for more demanding tasks.
Fairly small, lightweight and easy to use
I have had smaller external drives than this which had the slide in rather than the drawer, but this is still a good compact size and lightweight enough to carry about if needed. I’ll be using it to write backups of my photos every so often but now I have it will probably revive a few old DVDs that I haven’t watched in ages.
It worked first time for me – quickly recognised in the USB port but I’ve also tried in the USB-C port which was also successful. I was prompted by Windows 11 to download something to play DVDs and found plenty to choose from. I was then prompted to set the region and after that it played my DVD well. It’s a decent laptop so sound and picture are OK. Swapping a DVD is as easy as you’d expect with an eject button on the front and the centre spindle to pull off and push on to. Listening to CDs is the same simple process.
I haven’t pushed it hard on writing; just a quick copy of some Christmas photos I’ve agreed to send to someone. The speed was adequate and the DVD was playable. I won;t use it a lot but it’ll definitely stay close by as now I have an optical drive again I’d forgotten how handy it can be. I do sometimes want to actually own a film or album!
Works OK as CD/DVD writer and reader, not as robust as built in ones, potential W11 issues
This item is a CD/DVD writer.
It announces itself as Slimtype DVD A DS8A55H to Windows, although I’m struggling to find any specs on it, and there is little in the way of specs on the description or in the supplied instructions.
Very handily, it has a (non detachable) USB cable that stows itself in the base of the unit, so will never be lost – a great idea for a portable device like this. The downside of such a setup is if the cable does get damaged, you have to buy a complete new unit. The cable has a USB-A and USB-C plug, for maximum flexibility. The seller states it will fall back to USB2 if you plug it into an older USB port, although this could impact performance, obviously.
Testing under Windows 11 led to a fair amount of frustration trying to get either the built in apps or the apps suggested in the description to be able to write to this drive – none of them would. I don’t think its the fault of the product, as none of this software could write to my main DVD writer in the PC. Eventually I stumbled upon StarBurn, a piece of freeware that worked reasonably well under Windows 11.
Potential Windows 11 software issues aside, the unit worked on all my test burns, and play data, music and video CDs and DVDs.
The price seems to be around what I would expect for this type of device.
Simple to use DVD and CD reader and burne
The drive is slimline which makes it easy to transport. The attached daisy chained USB cable is neatly stored in a cable guide in the base. Just pull out the cable and plug it in to start using it. There’s no need for drivers as it’s plug and play. As is common with similar slimline devices the drawer is thin and the disk must be firmly loaded onto the spindle which allows the drive to be used in any orientation. Given that locating the disk takes a wee bit of force I suggest you hold the drawer firmly with one hand while locating the disc with the other to make sure you don’t damage anything.
The cable has both a USB-A and USB-C connector so the drive can easily be connected to a range of machines. Power for the drive comes from the USB so you don’t need to connect and external power supply to use the drive. You won’t be able to use the drive with an unpowered USB port (this probably isn’t a problem for you as they’re pretty rare) as there’s no port to connect a power supply.
My only real criticism is that the cable is a pretty short 20cm. This isn’t likely to be a problem if you’re using it with a laptop but if you’re using a desktop with USB ports half way up the cabinet, then this could be an issue.