I bought a dvd player from the Apple Store 4-5 years ago…..my MacBook Air fell to floor and broke…..can I watch my dvd movies on any iPad? Will it work on the NEW MacBooks?
iPad, iPadOS 26
Yes, your dvd drive should work with your new laptop. You may need a USB-A to USB-C plug adapter though.
I can’t say if the drive will work with an iPad.
The external optical drive might work on an iPad. External optical drives need much more power/current than say, a USB thumb drive or external SSD. You'd need a USB-C powered hub (to adequately power the external DVD drive) and any necessary cables and/or adapters to connect it. You'd also need some sort of DVD player software compatible with the iPad/iPadOS...I have no idea if these even exist out there. You may be able to access the video files on the DVD directly from the Files app on the iPad but I don't know if Files would know how to open/what to do with them. It may not even be able to access the DVD volume itself. Maybe using the VLC app which I know does exist for the iPad.
It will be a crap shoot getting it to work. Possibly, someone else has more ideas.
D.I. Johnson wrote:
Also, you’ll want to connect the optical drive directly to your computer and not through any hub or dock.
It depends on the particular optical drive. I have two working optical drives; one is an LG external DVD drive (USB mini-B on the drive to USB-A), the other is a bare Apple SuperDrive (internal, pulled from a Late 2011 MBP) using the appropriate adapter (Slimline SATA to USB-A). Both of these drives do NOT work on either my 2020 M1 MBA or my 2022 M2 MBA when connected directly to the MacBook's USB-C ports. The drives pull more current to power them than what either MacBook can supply to them. In my case, a powered USB-C hub is required to get them to operate correctly.
I hear that using an Apple External SuperDrive does not require a hub but that is only going what others have reported in these forums.
SergZak wrote:
D.I. Johnson wrote:
Also, you’ll want to connect the optical drive directly to your computer and not through any hub or dock.
It depends on the particular optical drive. I have two working optical drives; one is an LG external DVD drive (USB mini-B on the drive to USB-A), the other is a bare Apple SuperDrive (internal, pulled from a Late 2011 MBP) using the appropriate adapter (Slimline SATA to USB-A). Both of these drives do NOT work on either my 2020 M1 MBA or my 2022 M2 MBA when connected directly to the MacBook's USB-C ports. The drives pull more current to power them than what either MacBook can supply to them. In my case, a powered USB-C hub is required to get them to operate correctly.
I hear that using an Apple External SuperDrive does not require a hub but that is only going what others have reported in these forums.
What you've posted is true. 👍🏽 The best connection point for an optical drive does depend on the particular device. I should have included that bit in my response.
My reply is based on the assumption that the optical drive the author "bought... from the Apple Store 4-5 years ago" is an Apple SuperDrive, and my and other's experiences with that drive. The external SuperDrive really doesn't like hubs and docks. And like you, I do also have other optical drives that require the extra current provided by a powered hub or even a Y-cable USB connection to the Mac.
Thanks for adding that info to the thread, my friend.
"Watching DVD movies on iPad or new MacBooks: I bought a dvd player from the Apple Store 4-5 years ago…..my MacBook Air fell to floor and broke…..can I watch my dvd movies on any iPad? Will it work on the NEW MacBooks?"
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In addition to my first reply...
A. Which Optical Drive to Get:
What I Use: External All-in-One Optical Writer by Verbatim. You can read(play) and write(burn) disks's data on this. To write, you'd burn CD, DVD, Music, and Blue-Ray. Works like a charm on my Silicon Macs and Intel Macs. The software is quick and easy to use.
B. Use of an Adapter:
If you do not have any USB-A ports on your Mac, then you'd need this adapter: USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple or USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter - Apple. With the second adapter, it has a female USB-C port, which, in turn, would result in your Mac not losing a USB-C port for use by crucial products, such as that of your charger.
Also, you’ll want to connect the optical drive directly to your computer and not through any hub or dock.
"Watching DVD movies on iPad or new MacBooks: I bought a dvd player from the Apple Store 4-5 years ago…..my MacBook Air fell to floor and broke…..can I watch my dvd movies on any iPad? Will it work on the NEW MacBooks?"
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Watching DVD Movies on iPad:
Use AirPlay:
With an external optical disk reader, you can use AirPlay to mirror the screen of your Mac to that of your iPad. Go here: Use your iPad as a Second Display for your Mac - Apple Support
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Watching DVD movies on iPad or new MacBooks
