# Help some older people with newfangled gizmos?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318 "2003-07-18T04:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Dracul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@Vlad\_Dracul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Dracul)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/1 "2003-07-18T04:20:56Z")
My parents called earlier with the following problem: Someone has sent them a DVD. They want to see it, but aren’t going to go buy a DVD player for a one-time use. None of their friends have DVD players, either. Mom is reasonably adept with the computer, and wants to know if there’s a program she could download from somewhere that would allow them to view the DVD using the CD drive in their computer. I told her I didn’t have a clue, but would ask 35,000 people for advice. Can anybody here help them out? CAN you watch a DVD on the CD drive in a computer? ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/2 "2003-07-18T04:24:07Z")
No, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/3 "2003-07-18T04:28:10Z")
Nope. CDs and DVDs are 2 different animals. DVD players are c-h-e-a-p anymore and she may find that she likes watching DVD movies. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/4 "2003-07-18T04:28:31Z")
Unfortunately not. However, some video places might be able to copy the DVD to a VHS tape for them. Have them ask around. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/5 "2003-07-18T11:54:10Z")
Some video stores may even _rent_ them a DVD player for an evening or two. Have they explored that? ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/6 "2003-07-18T12:09:37Z")
DVD players are so cheap these days, maybe they or you will spring for the $50 and buy one. [http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806319040&skuId=5385692&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03013](http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051806319040&skuId=5385692&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03013) Free shipping too! ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/7 "2003-07-18T12:16:49Z")
And last but not least, the CD drive in the PC may actually be a DVD/CDROM drive. Most folks don’t pay much attention to the difference - it takes CDs and does useful things with them, so it must be a CDROM drive. Take a good close look at the drive on the PC. If it was bought in the last couple of years, it may well be a DVD/CDROM - in which case finding software to play a DVD shouldn’t be any trick at all. Mrot Furd, who really hasn’t got a DVD drive, but whose parent’s do (even though they call it a CDROM drive.) ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/8 "2003-07-18T12:27:09Z")
Arrggghh! Somebody shoot me! I’ve gone and done the “apostrophe s” thing for a plural. I hate that. Hate it, hate it, hate it. ---
**Author:** ![xiaoping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/77aa72/32.png) [@xiaoping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xiaoping)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-some-older-people-with-newfangled-gizmos/189318/9 "2003-07-18T23:42:43Z")
they can always buy a dvd player, watch the movie, then return the dvd player probably more trouble than it’s worth, though