What do I need to know if I want multiple DVD-ROM drives (1 Viewer)

[Carlo_M]

Hi All,
I may want to add a second DVD-ROM drive but I'm not sure what I would need in order to do it. Currently I run Windows ME, PowerDVD 3.0, ACER 1640A DVD-ROM, MSI Geforce 2 Pro graphics card. I have one open 5.25 bay, one open IDE channel.
Is it as simple as popping in another DVD-ROM and hooking it up to the IDE? Will PowerDVD recognize the second drive or will I have to do anything special?
Thanks!

 

[Glenn Overholt]

You're pretty close there. On the back of the drive you'll find a group of those black/blue jumpers. I have to assume that the drive you have in your PC has an address of zero, so your new one would have to have another address. (The address of one works great)! Just put a jumper over the first two pins before you screw it in place, and it should show right up.
Glenn

 

[Dan_D]

SCSI drives use the numbering system. If its an IDE drive you plan to add youll just have to set it to master or slave on that IDE channel.
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[CharlesDu]

Here is a great site that explains IDE devices.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/ide.htm
It probably tells you a little more than you need to know, but read the master/slave section before you install an IDE device, and hopefully you are familiar with your computers BIOS.
It is recommended that CD and DVD drives are on seperate IDE cables from your primary harddrive.
If you have one hard drive, it needs to be on IDE connector 0, so the two DVD drives should be on IDE connector 1.
Why do you want two DVD drives anyway?
If PowerDVD was programmed well, it should be able to use either DVD drive. Remember to enable DMA mode on all your drives.
Good luck with the install.

 

[Carlo_M]

Cool! Thanks for the information.
I posted this question on a computer board and got a link to making a DVD player region free. I'm going to try it and maybe save myself some grief and money!
Here's something funny. I think my ACER drive is a little loud while spinning, and I heard that Pioneer's DVD 115 (and the new one 116) are good quiet drives. Well this one site just revealed that my ACER is essentially a Pioneer 115 OEM'd for ACER. Ain't that a kick in the pants? So I guess the fact that my PC in on my desktop, just inches from my face, makes it sound loud. I'll eventually move it under the desk when I get one of those mats to put on carpet.