Is it possible to run a DVD drive in an external parallel housing?

[Kenazo]

I have an old external housing with a parallel connection, and I was wondering if it could handle a DVD drive in there. I guess the question is: Can a parallel connection that? Would the DVD drive be able to play a DVD through a parallel connection? I don't know that much about the speeds of a parallel connection, and am too lazy right now to hook it all up, never mind seeing if it needs special drivers etc. to make it work.

Well any thoughts are appreciated!

Thanks,
kenazo

 

[dnoyeb]

If the drive will fit, it will likely work. but yes, I would suspect that the throughput is not going to be high enough to prevent choppyness.

 

[Kenazo]

yeah it'll fit, that's not a problem, I'm just curious whether parallel can handle that much data....any other comments out there?

 

[Pariah]

I don't think it's fast enough. Microslutions makes combo drives that can use USB2,USB1.1, and parallel port, and they say USB2 is required for DVD video playback, though you can still read DVD discs using the other interfaces.

 

[Kenazo]

You think USB 1.1 wouldn't even be able to play DVD disks? As in fast enough to watch? I thought external DVD drives using a USB interface were quite common.

 

[Pariah]

Most of the numbers I have seen put realworld USB 1 throughput between 700-800kbps, where as 1x DVD transfers at 1.321MB/s. By that math, no it won't work. USB DVD drives are common, but they are only useful for data transfers, not video playback.