History

• DVD drives first started appearing in 1997, soon after the DVD format debuted. They started becoming common however, in the early 2000s, after the DVD format became a more common video format. The DVD drive soon replaced CD drives as the main media drive in desktop computers. As the technology became cheaper, multiple DVD drives began appearing as part of desktop computer media packages. These multiple drives allowed users to watch and burn video at the same time. In 2008, the evolution of the DVD drive, the Blu-ray drive, began appearing in desktop computers.
  
  

Types

• There are two types of DVD drives, standard and writable. Standard DVD drives can read DVDs, ROMs and CDs. writable DVD drives are capable of recording data on to CDs and DVDs. Many different kinds of data can be recorded by writable DVD drives, including video, audio, and picture data.
  
  

Common Problems

• DVD drives are one of the most vulnerable parts of your computer console, and as such are subject to many problems. The most common issue with DVD drives is damaged optical lenses. These lenses can be damaged by normal wear and tear, but this damage can be exacerbated by splintering caused by running scratched discs. Another common problem with DVD drives is a malfunctioning tray motor. The tray motor can malfunction when DVDs or other CDs are inserted improperly.
  
  

Potential

• As computer drives evolve, many speculate that DVD drives will begin being phased out in favor of Blu-ray drives. Blu-ray discs use the same technology as DVD drives, but have have extra disc layers and four times the storage of traditional DVDs. And because Blu-Ray writable technology is becoming less expensive, these drives will probably become much more common in the next five years.
  
  

Warning

• It is very important to take care of your computer's DVD drive. Because optical lenses are very sensitive, it is definitely a good idea not to run scratched or damaged cds in your DVD drive as they can splinter easily and damage the drive.