# Do you own a standalone DVD player? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 8, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737 "2026-06-08T02:43:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/1 "2026-06-08T02:43:57Z")
I’m watching PBS’s “annual” pledge drive and the donor gift is a “Downton Abbey” DVD set. I assume, perhaps incorrectly, that DVDs have gone the way of the landline but here’s a poll anyway. Do you own a standalone DVD player? Computers that play DVDs do not count. _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/2 "2026-06-08T02:46:51Z")
I still own the first and only standalone DVD player I ever bought back in 2002-ish, does that count? I haven’t turned it on in 17 years so I don’t know if it still works. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/3 "2026-06-08T02:48:14Z")
Technically, they’re Blu-ray players, but yeah, on each official television in the house (as opposed to computer monitors which may or may not technically be televisions). ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/4 "2026-06-08T02:49:19Z")
Own, yes, but use? That’s a different question. I have one attached to one of my TVs, but haven’t turned it on in years. Oh, and the old PS3 downstairs has one in. I’m not sure that one _counts_ given you ruled out ones in computers… but for that matter, most laptops don’t come with optical drives anymore, though my desktop has one, as well as a standalone DVD/Blue ray read-write drive. Oh, and I have a pair of NIB USB DVD drives I keep for backwards compatibility, one of which DOES have on-device buttons to function as a standalone player. I’m probably an outlier. And none have been used to _watch_ a DVD in, again, _years_. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/5 "2026-06-08T02:56:42Z")
Yes. In use currently: a Sony UBP-X800M2. I also have a my original still-working player from 2000 in the closet, a Phillips DVD 711. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/6 "2026-06-08T02:57:50Z")
Yes, and use. I had a decent sized collection, and now I can watch anytime i want- no streaming no subscriptions- just me and the DVDs. Mind you I only buy new ones when they are very cheap- but I can often get a slightly used DVD for the cost of a streamed film. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/7 "2026-06-08T03:07:28Z")
What if it’s an external DVD player that can be plugged into any computer (or a tv with a usb jack)? Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/8 "2026-06-08T03:07:36Z")
I own a standalone blu ray player, but no standalone DVD players anymore. DVD/Blu ray sales peaked in 2004-2008, and have been in decline ever since. > **[The Rise, Fall, and (Slight) Rise of DVDs: A Statistical Analysis](https://www.statsignificant.com/p/the-rise-fall-and-slight-rise-of-b06)** > > The death and second life of DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/9 "2026-06-08T03:15:11Z")
If it weren’t too late, I’d edit the thread to include Blu-rays. It’s been so long since I’ve used one that I’d forgotten that there was a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/10 "2026-06-08T03:16:34Z")
I’d count that as a yes. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/11 "2026-06-08T03:17:51Z")
I just bought a new Blu-ray player a few months ago. I didn’t have any Blu-ray movies (I have a few now), but I’m using it to watch my DVDs of series that can’t be found on (my) streaming services (like _Fawlty Towers_ and _Undeclared_). I’m not using it very much though. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/12 "2026-06-08T03:19:28Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I’d count that as a yes. What about gaming consoles? I think all gaming consoles in the 6th thru 8th gen (PS2 thru PS4) play DVDs and some play blu rays. But the optical drives are less common with the modern 9th gen PS5 or xbox series. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/13 "2026-06-08T03:20:58Z")
I didn’t think we had one, but just today we were moving a new TV stand/entertainment center into our family room and cleaning out our old one. Lo and behold there was a DVD/Blu-ray player in there with about 40 old DVDs. My wife said we should keep them all in case the whole system collapses and we need entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/14 "2026-06-08T03:21:06Z")
I still own one, along with a separate Blu-ray player, though I have not used either in _years_. I bought this particular DVD player because I was able to find the codes to make it region-free, meaning it can play DVDs from anywhere in the world. When I was still regularly acquiring DVDs and Blu-ray titles, some titles were only available outside the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/15 "2026-06-08T03:24:31Z")
We have a Blu-Ray player hooked up though the last time I remember using it was when Fred Willard passed and we watched a few films in memoriam. Maybe it was used after that when my wife would go on one of her X-Files Full Collection binges. I also own a standard DVD player that I bought from Goodwill to practice soldering on. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/16 "2026-06-08T03:27:32Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I didn’t think we had one, but just today we were moving a new TV stand/entertainment center into our family room and cleaning out our old one. Lo and behold there was a DVD/Blu-ray player in there with about 40 old DVDs. My wife said we should keep them all in case the whole system collapses and we need entertainment. When I moved it took a while to get my internet connection up and running. Having boxes of DVDs gave me something to watch until I was able to get internet set up. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/17 "2026-06-08T04:14:14Z")
I only use mine for outdoor movie night. It’s never been hooked up to a TV; just a projector. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/18 "2026-06-08T04:19:39Z")
I have a very nice Blu-Ray player (which means it can also play DVDs) and a sizeable collection of movies to go with it. While streaming is easy today the quality isn’t the best. It’s good but not great. If you really want the best picture possible you need a well mastered Blu-Ray. I have had family and friends comment that movies I play using it look better. They cannot put their finger on it…just better. And, in case the internet goes down, I can still watch something if I want to. Rarely an issue but it has happened (usually I just read if the internet is down but nice to have options). ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/19 "2026-06-08T04:25:48Z")
Yes. In fact, I’m watching my boxed set of “Happy Days” episodes on DVD as I type this. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2026, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737/20 "2026-06-08T04:43:28Z")
We have a DVD/VCR somewhere in the house, but if I were to watch a DVD I’d do it through our Xbox One. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-own-a-standalone-dvd-player/1030737.md?page=2)