5 Essential Gadgets For Every DVD & Blu-Ray Collector

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There's never been a better time to maintain a DVD and Blu-Ray collection, as evidenced by Sony recently delisting more than 550 movies from its customers' digital libraries. In other words, there's no better way to guarantee media ownership than to have a disc in your hands. And unlike digital libraries that can disappear at a moment's notice, the expected lifespan of your Blu-ray and DVD collection can exceed your own lifetime when properly managed. So, whether you're a long-time movie collector or a newcomer who's just getting into physical media, you should be proud of what you've amassed. 

And you should take advantage of essential gadgets, like disc writers and portable players, that will help you enjoy that collection to the fullest. We compiled a list of five must-have products that deserve a place in any cinephile's home. These gadgets can enhance your enjoyment of home cinema and help preserve your collection for years to come. If you're just getting serious about collecting DVDs and Blu-rays for the first time, consider this a starting point that will set you up for success as a lifelong film lover. A full explanation of how we selected these products is included at the end of this article.

The Verbatim External Slimline CD/DVD Writer is a media digitization machine. Wirecutter picked it as the best USB DVD drive for it's low price point, $41, and because it can rip DVDs to discs faster than other devices tested. Here's how it works: Plug the Verbatim drive into your PC or laptop via a USB connection, then load a DVD movie into the drive. The device can copy or "rip" the media from the disc and save it as a digital file. 

You can also write or "burn" content to an empty disc. If you're looking for something that can rip Blu-ray discs as well, the Archgon MD-8107 External UHD Blu-ray Super Drive is a good option. As a DVD or Blu-ray collector, you likely value physical media and might recoil from the idea of digitizing your favorite movies. After all, digital movies don't always have the same quality as the disc version. But creating digital copies is one of the best ways to preserve your DVDs and Blu-Rays for years to come. 

Even physical media doesn't last forever, so having a digital backup helps ensure that you'll always be able to enjoy your favorite films, even if the disc becomes damaged. In a time when media disappears from subscription services, your digitized library can be part of the collective effort to keep works of art alive.

The Panasonic DP-UB820 Blu-Ray Player is one of the best 4K Blu-ray players for cinephiles. It's not necessarily the highest-end Blu-ray player that money can buy; that honor would go to something like the Panasonic DP-UB9000 that boasts superior image processing, a wider range of smart features, and a sticker price of $2,300. But the DP-UB820 is an essential pick because it sets an excellent standard at a relatively reasonable price of $540.

Experts praise the Panasonic DP-UB820 for having a premium level of 4K image reproduction. It also has strong enough audio performance to be viable for any home theater setup. With support for a wide range of audio and video formats — including HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Hybrid Log-Gamma — it certainly has the versatility to accommodate a large collection of Blu-ray and DVD media. Despite having a mid-range price tag, the DP-UB820 is a go-to player for even serious movie fans.

The DBPower Portable DVD Player currently ranks as the best-selling portable DVD player on Amazon, and is an ideal way to enjoy disc-based movies while traveling. You might wonder whether DVD players are still worth buying in 2026, especially since Blu-ray players can usually play DVDs, but it actually makes sense to have a portable system. The DBPower unit is versatile with its swiveling nine-inch screen, rechargeable five-hour battery, and the capability to mount on the back of a car headrest. 

With a price tag of $49.99, it's a relatively inexpensive way to kill time while traveling or entertain the kids in the backseat during a road trip. Portable Blu-ray players also exist, but they are more expensive and won't deliver on the full audio and video experience that a 4K Blu-ray disc promises. It's much more practical to rely on a portable DVD player when you need a cinema fix on the road. If, however, you're really craving a way to play Blu-rays on the go, the Wonnie Portable Blu-Ray Player is a highly-rated choice — just be aware that the 15.4-inch version lists for $279.99.

The PlayStation 5 video game console comes in two versions: One with a disc drive, and one without. The disc version is fully capable of playing your physical DVDs and Blu-rays, as well as a library of the latest and greatest video games. Why does this matter to a dedicated movie collector? Well, 4K Blu-ray players are still so expensive that it's hard to justify the purchase. 

The PS5 Disc Version starts at $649.99 after the most recent PlayStation 5 price increases in 2026, whereas a standalone Blu-ray player like the Panasonic DP-UB820 costs around $500 on its own. If you're going to spend the money, it might make better financial sense to choose a device that does more than just play movies. Current-generation game consoles are multimedia powerhouses that can do it all. With that said, the PS5's direct competitor — the Xbox Series X — can also play Blu-rays and DVDs. 

However, an Xbox Series X with a disc drive starts at an even higher price of $799.99. Perhaps more importantly, the PS5 has superior Blu-ray picture performance over the Series X, due largely to its upscaling technology. Neither console can quite stand up to the best dedicated Blu-ray players on the current market; they both lack support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+ visual formats. But a disc-compatible PlayStation 5 is still a practical choice for households that delve into both cinema and gaming.

If you have the cash to burn, you'll likely want immersive surround sound for your home theater. But in some cases, soundbars are a better investment than surround sound audio systems. That's where the Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 Soundbar, which was named one of the best soundbars for audiophiles according to Consumer Reports, comes in. This is an essential place to start if you want to improve your movie-viewing experience because soundbars face toward you and are big enough to generate powerful, optimized sound — unlike the tiny speakers in the back of most razor-thin smart TVs today.

The Vizio Elevate SE 5.1.2 Soundbar is a powerful performer for the $399 price point, with experts noting its ability to emphasize dialogue in the soundscape. This soundbar has a dedicated center channel, which helps voices stand out when the left and right channels are busy with other environmental noise in the cinematic content. Ultimately, this creates a noticeable audio improvement if you have been enjoying your DVD and Blu-ray collection without a dedicated speaker system thus far.

To highlight the essential gadgets that every DVD and Blu-ray collector can use, we found some of the best-reviewed products for improving your enjoyment of watching and collecting disc-based media. None of our recommendations cost more than $800, so these are "essential" items in the sense that they help create a comprehensive movie-viewing experience without setting you back thousands of dollars. 

We wanted to recommend products that veteran collectors can appreciate, but that newcomers to the hobby can reasonably afford when building out a home theater. Every product on this list holds a customer rating of 4 stars or higher on Amazon at the time of writing, and we took a close look at buyer reviews to make sure there were no frequently reported defects that are likely to affect your experience.