What is a DVD burner and why do I need one?

To use Windows DVD Maker to burn a DVD-Video disc, a DVD burner must be installed on your computer. A DVD burner, also called a recordable DVD drive, can write video and other files to a recordable DVD. It's different from a standard DVD-ROM drive, which can only read from a disc and not write files to the disc.

A DVD burner might be installed internally or externally on your computer, depending on the type of DVD burner. Internal DVD burners are installed in one of the computer's drive bays. External DVD burners are standalone drives that are connected to your computer using a USB cable, or in some cases, using an IEEE 1394 cable.