LG CD/DVD writer optical drive for Mac and Windows - REVIEWED!
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- Опубликовано: 3 апр 2017
- Need an optical drive for your Mac or Windows system so you can read Audio CDs, watch DVD movies or just read and write data disks? How about a $22.99 LG Electronics unit that works just great with even the latest MacBook Pro with TouchBar?
Tech expert Dave Taylor of www.AskDaveTaylor.com/ puts the LG 8x USB 2.0 External Optical Drive through its paces on his Mac and finds it does just fine with everything. It's not super fast, but no optical drives are very fast. And $22.99 instead of $79.00 for an Apple SuperDrive? A definite win!
Pay close attention and you might even catch a demo of "Thunderbirds Are Go!" from the 1960's!
Learn more on Amazon: amzn.to/2n7LSck 
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It does flawlessly exactly as you have recommended. Cheap and efficient. Thank you.
Just bought one of these on-line here in Greece. Went looking for a vid about using it and found yours. Excellent! Thx. proves I've made a good decision! Thought I may need to install some software, but you confirmed that on a MacBook Pro it's ready to roll.
This is a well explained video and it answered all of my questions. I plan on purchasing this very soon.
Thanks Dave, I'm still trying to return another drive that is not working. I found one of the LG drives for only $15. Can't wait to see if it works. Thanks Again!!!
Thanks Dave. Useful even 5 years later 😁
thanks this is exactly what I was looking for!
june 11, 2019 just got one at walmart, saw a bunch of terrible reviews online after i got home,before i unboxed it, so i dug a little deeper into researching it in case i need to return it (different model number than yours, but same features $24. watched your video,immediatly oped mine and plugged it in, it's as you said. THANKS ......AND THATS A BADASS FLANNEL/PLAID SHIRT. never heard of your thunderbirds movie, but I have an Iron Eagle dubbed 10+ times on VHS ,looks like a winter snowstorm.
I payed $22 as well. Best money ever spent. Have a huge catalog of CDs I wanted to put on my mac and phone. The TV function is dated but still cool. The PS4 doesn’t play CDs so it’s a neat feature.
Excellent review, truly appreciate your help! They got a gold one too, epic!
You've very kind. Thanks. And always, of course, go for the gold :-)
What is the name of the USB adapter again? The little white cord that you have hooked up from the burner to computer? Thanks!!
What is the model number? Is there a new model of this DVD drive (or other drive) that you recommend for a macbook pro (2014)
i need the driver download Mr Dave
I have a Super Multi LG CD rewritable/ DVD MULTI RECORDER. How can I play and load music off of a CD or DVD onto my HD on my PC Laptop (Lenovo)?
does it support burning with any software like NERO?
dave, I have a LG AP70NS50. I used it to watch movie. but now it doesn't work, I tried with different DVD disc, and the movie or DVD won't play, why?
I think I have the same device (different model # GP60NS50) yet it is not recognized by my 2019 MacBook pro. It says that it is a 'Slim Portable DVD Writer' by LG. Is a DVD writer the same as an optical drive (not a techie)? My goal is to watch DVDs and play CDs. Thank you!
Can someone help me pls? When I insert a dvd it says ' change your drive's region' I changed but nothing happened
thank u
LG makes a slot loading usb external dvd drive
I just received mine today I am using mine with a Microsoft go tablet 128 gb.i works flawlessly.with the burner. Go buy it it works with both the laptop and tablet Microsoft.
Great Video-thank you. I'm wondering if this unit will allow me to upload a dvd onto my Mac? I have hoe movies on DVD's that I'd like to have on my computer. thank you!
Sure, but if it's a commercial DVD you'll still need software to crack the DRM content protection. Google "handbrake" to learn more and check out one possibility...
Love your vid!!!! I have no clue what I am doing :( I have a ton of old pics stored on cds and was hoping to pull them up on my mac laptop with the external optical drive that I purchased from amazon for $26. It is a Foxnovo Model:BT520. A box pops up that says this computer cannot read the cd. I tried using a dvd movie, it worked fine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
yeah, old CDs are probably in a data format, not music format, so the Mac doesn't know what to do. Hmm... try to see if Disk Utility on your Mac can see it and know what it is?
Dave, I've got it plugged in to my 2013 15" MBP, and it powers up; the tray comes out. But it doesn't show up on my desktop.
Is this a bad thing?
Not to state the obvious, but it won't show up until you actually insert a disc. :-)
What is m suport
Now that we're in 2019 (25 years in tech years) is the AP70NS50 now the newest version of this? $40... but possibly the same? And do we still get the DVD burning cap and I assume double layer as well?
Please check with the manufacturer for those specs! :-)
@@AskDaveTaylor Thanks for your quick response. I went with the 65ns... has a drawer. I'm thinking I should have gotten the slot but I had points, so it was $11. If I have to replace, I'll go with the slot the next time. :-)
Hi Dave. Great video - very informative but I have a quick question that I cannot find an answer to and was hoping you could help? I have a 2019 MBP and I have many many embroidery files on CD's that I would like to load onto my laptop then transfer to a flash drive which I will then insert into my embroidery machine. Will this little LG driver work for doing that? Thank you for any help!!
Yes, that should work fine, so long as you get that flash drive properly formatted for your embroidery machine. It might want the drive to be in FAT or FAT32 format, common PC disk formats. You can format a drive in those formats w/ a Mac but the default is a Mac file system.
@@AskDaveTaylor thank you for your quick reply. I'll give it a try. I found one of these at my local WM for $24 yesterday.
I bought this for my macbook pro and it works perfectly with audio CD but it didn’t on DVD. Maybe ill try another dvd disc or external usb connector i guess.
That's strange. I would definitely try a different cable. Let us know if that fixes things!
You probably won't believe this but I'm looking for an optical drive to specifically watch my classic Thunderbirds dvds. No joke!
Must be a sign so gonna order this one.
Great video thanks man F.A.B!
That's fantastic! Lady Penelopy would be proud!
@@AskDaveTaylor It just arrived and is just as good as you said. Thanks again man.
F.A.B.
Dave, I enjoyed your presentation but I have one question : what's a *CD* ? ;)
Thanks for the video.
Google it. :-)
How do I get this working on my tv since it has tv connectivity?
Pretty darn sure it won't work with your TV. It's not a DVD *player*, it's just a drive.
Hey Dave wondering if this drive will show a picture CD on laptop to transfer my pics to computer?
It should do, unless the Picture CD is implemented using a program required to view the photos! You might have to dig into the file system on the disc, however.
I tried this with a newer version of this same LG Drive, and plugged it in to a 2020 Macbook Air. Nothing comes up on the Mac when it is plugged in. Suggestions?
Try a different cable. Try a different port on your Mac. It should definitely work.
when I put the disk in it won't show on my pc I have the MacBook Pro without the normal usb so I use a hub
Might be that the hub can't handle it. Unplug everything else from the hub as a test, and if that fails, try a single device that's just USB -> USB-C.
Hi Dave, I just bought an LG external DVD CD drive for my desktop Imac The CD plays beautifully and I was even able to burn onto a CD. But for some reason Im unable to play a DVD. What do I need to do to get this working? My OS is Version 10.11.6 which is compatible.Every time I put a DVD in, I get an error message that it cant locate the DVD. Any advice? thank you.
Hmmm.... does this help? discussions.apple.com/thread/7259138
did you check the region of the dvd?
Does it play Compact disk? thank you
Yes, it will allow you to play music CDs if your computer supports that functionality.
I bought a computer and it doesn’t have a disk tray would this allow me to install windows 10 on it?
You can download the Windows 10 install utility to a USB drive and install it a lot faster than using an external DVD player.
Hi, I have a MacBook Air and i want to play Sims 4 (game) can i play it with this cd drive? Pls answer its important for me! :)
Yes I'm sure you can since your Macbook Air has a normal USB port instead of the type C ports like the Macbook and Macbook Pros that have the touch bar or normal function keys.
cutemimi25 yeah it has USB port i mean i can use my USB’s. I really want to play this game but i’m not sure if its gonna work. You sure that it will work easily when i put the dvd? :)
I would say speak to EA about this or use The Sims 4 forum , someone should get back to you asap. 🙂
You look alot like steve wozniak
What software are people using to burn DVDs on their Mac?
Oh man, I haven't burned a DVD for years and years. Last time I did, however, I used "Toast" from Roxio, which you can find here: www.roxio.com/en/products/toast/apps/dvd/
Is this dvd player Region free? So it can play regions from 1 to 2, 3 and all other region in the world?
No, I don't believe it is. But that's more a function of the DVD player and driver on your computer, I believe.
Maybe someone can answer my question. I have a similar LG CD/DVD player with cable. I'm new to Apple products and when I connect the LG to my Mac Book its not recognized by my Mac Book. It gets power but not recognized. My question is does the Apple USB-C adapter allows my Mac to recognize non apple products? Thanks.
Shouldn't need a driver. Remember it's not going to "show up on the Desktop" until you put a disk in, however. Did you try that, or did you just plug it in and be disappointed when it didn't appear?
Your recommendation worked perfectly, now able to record the endless amount of CD's. Thanks for your help.
Can I play my films on this drive
Yes you can.
Do they have one like this on a 3.0 version?
Honestly, I have no idea. Not sure what they could upgrade, it's a pretty basic piece of hardware.
Dave Taylor thanks
how can i use this driver on my chromebook os?????
Honestly, I have no idea how Chromebook OS deals with local external peripherals. Don't have one to test things out either. Good luck, if you get it working, let us know!
Did you had to install anything before using it?
Nope, not on the Mac. Worked great out of the box.
I have about 25G of data in files and photos, I want to transfer from old pc to the newer pc. Am I going to have to burn all of that to discs first? Or do these have memory, where I can bypass the step of burning several discs? For some reason I thought I was getting an external hard drive. lol I have the LG GP60NB50 model. I thought about sending it back, but need a burner for the newer pc anyway!
Ah, no, this is not an external hard drive. :-) If you have 25GB of data and photos, consider getting a flash drive! There are 32GB flash drives as cheap as $9-$10. They won't be blazingly fast, but you have patience, right?!
Plugged it into my MacBook Pro and it won’t pop up or anything it keeps making a blinking light and won’t play any disk or even show up in my external drive
Most curious. Try a different cable and/or a different plug on your computer? Note that it doesn't show up on your computer until you put a disk in...
It was and still is plug and play on Windows. "Support for M-DISC" does not require special software. You use your typical disc burning utility and the drive does what it needs to do.
What typical can be found on the accompanying CD is other software, usually some OEM bundle from Cyberlink.
That's a great point!
You say it's not fast, but that's for burning a cd? Movies will be played correct? Thank you, greetings from Belgium
Correct. Your music will play just fine, your movies will look great!
@@AskDaveTaylor Just ordered one. A lot of brands out there, it's a gamble but it's not a million dollars ;-) Greetings!
Hi
I have a quick question. Can you play blue Ray's with this?
No, the Blu-Ray format is a much higher density than a CD or DVD, so you'd need a drive specifically labeled as a Blu-Ray player. They are on the market - I believe LG makes one! - and they're not very expensive either. Best is that any Blu-Ray player will also play DVDs and CDs too, so you'll have everything (other than 4K discs).
@@AskDaveTaylor Thanks!
@@kari3504 you need a Blu Ray Writer. Which you can get at Best Buy for $100🤔
is there a software download for a mac
Should plug and work just fine, Jerry.
@@AskDaveTaylor For me is not working neither on a MacBook Pro 2020. Any suggestions?
Will it work on a chrome book?
I expect it would, but I don't know for sure. My understanding is that different Chromebook models have different levels of support for external peripherals. I would probably get one from a store where it can be returned for a 100% refund (no "restocking fee") if it doesn't work.
Chromebook OS compatible?
I expect so, but did not test it.
Does this work on iPad?
I don't believe so, but please check with the manufacturer for a definitive answer.
I purchased this but it's not working for me. I also have a mac book pro and I'm using a USB C to USB adapter
Can you tell me what you mean by "not working"? Did you try putting a DVD movie into it to see if something happens on your Mac? Try a different adapter and/or different port on your computer too...
@@AskDaveTaylor Yes I put in a DVD and nothing happens. I've tried a different port but truthfully I only have two so not many options there. I only have one USB C to USB adapter so can't switch it out either, although I just purchased it today as well so there should be nothing wrong with either products.
Hmm... could you try plugging in the DVD player to a friend's MacBook and see if it works? If not, well, sounds like it's not incompatible. Weird, last time I plugged in my external DVD drive to my MacBook Pro it worked just fine...
It's $55.00 now new on Amazon!
You can also pick them up at Best Buy and Walmart, I got mine for $25 though mine is black.
it's on sale now December 1st, 2020 at Best Buy for $24.99 through December 5th.
Can you burn cds too?
Sure, as long as you set up the software correctly.
I have an LG that I'm afraid to use on my Mac Pro 15 2018 because when I hook it up the computer warns that It may ruin my computer.... has anyone else experienced this?
Uh, what program warns that it may ruin the computer?
@@AskDaveTaylor thank you for your quick reply! i was trying to watch a documentary dvd and i tried today to play a music cd and there was zero response, the lg turned on but mac did not recognize nor warn, just nothing. i just updated to Big Sur so maybe thats it?
Interesting. Try a different cable? Plug the cable into a different port on your computer? If you went into the Finder, did the music CD show up at all?
@@AskDaveTaylor no. nothing which is odd because when i tried the last time at least it did show it, along with the warning, i think its the big sur program. i truly appreciate you trying to help, i just went ahead and ordered an apple mac one, i think they do this to rip is off.
I'm just curious because I've never heard of such an error message, the wording isn't typical Apple verbiage, and when I search for instances of an error like that I get zero matches in Google. Could you try the drive plugged into a different Mac and see what happens? Don't worry, I'll let this go. Just intrigued. 😁
I wonder could I play a game using this
As in a CDROM-based game? I expect so, but who plays games directly off a disc at this point?
That is true. I just have no idea how to get a digital copy or if they even exist for this particular game.
Thunderbirds was one of my favorite cartoons!!!! My FIRST favorite was Speed Racer!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Go Speed Racer, Go! Yeah, I loved his car, as did a lot of little kids of that era. Just do me a favor and NEVER watch the ghastly live-action movie from 2008. It will damage your brain. Ugh. :-)
Well this play pc games aswell
It's just an external drive. It's not a computer, video game player, or similar. If you have a PC and plug this in, then put a game into it, you should be able to play the game on your PC. :-)
SOFTWARE
PLUG IN PLAY
Wot? Do you mean "plug and play"?
I hate USB DVD writers. They're loud, easy to damage, and the slightest tilt scratches my disks.
Every optical drive is nosily
Yr a cute
guy Dave
A perfect comment to read on valentine's day. Thanks for the comment, Ruth! 🙂
It will not burn cd data to play in a cd player or a dvd player to burn it to the disc to play in dvd player I have software to convert the format do not be fooled by them telling you this its a lie it will burn it to a cd so you can play it in a pc but not a cd player it takes awhile at least 5 minutes to burn music to a cd same as 1 hour + for a dvd to burn a movie not 30 seconds they just trying to sell you something and lie too you. I do not like someone lieing if you can't speak the truth don't speak at all.
Actually, the LG unit includes software for Windows, as i recall, and a Mac already has built-in software for basic CD burning. There are a lot of other options for the software needed too, from the venerable Toast program thru tons of shareware, etc. This LG device is how you read or write physical media, which is all I say in the review, but if you want to get all dramatic, well, we can explore the concept of 'speaking the truth' I suppose...
this does not burn movies to a disc its all lies lies lies but yet its called a dvd writer. pathetic
What are you talking about? It surely can if you have the right blank and the necessary software for your Windows or Mac computer.
Dave Taylor really? Put up a video of you putting a 90 minute video on it then play it on a DVD player after u burn it. All this thing does is burn files!! I have 3 homemade videos and it’s telling me that I need more GB room. If it’s a writer then it shouldn’t matter the gigabytes. It should recognize the disk being 120 minutes long. That’s what a DVD writer does. It records, not burn files where then u need gb room
Dave Taylor A writer is a recorder. You record what your watching in slow play long play or epic play like a vcr. The LG does not have those options. It won’t finalize the dvd for play back on a DVD player. The LG writes to a disk like a floppy disk to insert into other PCs, or laptops. DVD players don’t read files or floppy disks which is why you can’t have play back a DVD player. You will be lucky to get a 30 minute video on to a disk. But it won’t finalize it so you can only use a burned disk on another pc. What Bridgewater triangle is probably looking for is a true dvd writer that you hook up to the cable box to copy movies
Of course the size of the files matter. A DVD has a physical limitation of 4.7GB. A CDROM has a limitation of 700MB and if you had a Blu-Ray burner, you'd be able to drop 25GB/layer onto it. You also can't just copy the MOV or AVI files, you need to use a DVD burner program that lays it all out in the format that your DVD player wants.
It's quite likely a software issue. If the LG can write data, it can write anything, including the finalization code. Check out this tutorial: www.howtogeek.com/howto/3061/burn-any-video-file-type-to-play-on-a-dvd-player/
what is the name of the usb adapter for my new Macbook pro? Little white connector? looks like you plug it into the right?
I think you're talking about my USB-3.0 to USB-C adapter. Just search for "USB C adapter" on Amazon and you should see hundreds of possibilities. Just make sure that it's in the direction you need with your cable & computer.