DVD burners are becoming more and more popular as people want to burn movies, software, etc. You can also burn and play CDs with DVD burners, making them eminently versatile. However, CD drives can't read DVDs, so CD drives are falling out of favor.

There are internal and external DVD burners. If you feel comfortable opening up your computer to install an internal drive, you can save a few bucks. However, external drives simply involve plugging in the cords, and can be used within moments. If you want to share the DVD drive with another computer, then obviously an external drive will be your drive of choice. Most burners come with DVD burner software that allow your device to communicate with your PC; however, for more advanced features, you can buy additional software programs with editing capabilities and more.

Price was a big consideration for a long time when it came to CD drives versus DVD drives. For instance, if you were only interested in burning CDs, you might have wanted to think twice about paying extra for the DVD drive. Now, however, DVD burner prices have come down to the point that their multi-functionality simply makes them a better investment.

The world of drives, controllers & storage is advancing at a furious pace. You can now get DVD burners at speeds of 4x, 6x, even 16x (four, six, and sixteen times the speed of the first DVD burner, respectively). If you burn DVD after DVD, you will want to get the fastest model available, from a reputable maker like Plextor. However, most people won't be putting their DVD burners through this type of use, and so the money saved on a slightly slower model will more than outweigh the few extra minutes it takes to burn each DVD.