I picked up the LG Slim Portable DVD Writer for my ultrabook, which doesn’t have an optical drive. After using it for several weeks to rip CDs, install legacy software, and watch an old movie DVD, here’s my honest take.
True plug-and-play on Windows 10/11 and macOS – no external power adapter needed, as it draws power directly via USB. I tested it on a USB 3.0 port, and it worked instantly. If your laptop has only USB-C ports, you’ll need an adapter or a USB-C-to-A cable (not included), but that’s minor. slim portable dvd writer lg driver
It reads and writes DVDs at up to 8x and CDs at 24x, which is standard for a slim drive. Burning a full DVD-R took around 10–12 minutes – not blazing fast, but perfectly acceptable for occasional use. Read speeds are smooth; no skips or buffering during movie playback. The drive is quiet during reading, though it gets a bit louder at max write speed (normal for this form factor). I picked up the LG Slim Portable DVD
Reads DVD±R, DVD±RW, CD-R/RW, and dual-layer DVDs. It also burns M-DISC (archival-grade) if you get the right model. LG includes basic burning software (CyberLink Power2Go) on a mini-CD inside the box – though most people will use free tools like CDBurnerXP or Windows’ built-in burner. I tested it on a USB 3