Subj : Re: Is a PC optical drive a "player"?
To   : Nightfox
From : neoshock
Date : Fri Apr 25 2025 07:36 pm

 Ni> Do you think it's acceptable to call a PC optical drive a "player"?  I
 Ni> feel like that's not even really accurate, because when you're watching
 Ni> a movie disc on your PC, it's the software that does the playing of the
 Ni> video.  The optical drive is just reading the data, and you could also
 Ni> be using the optical disc to install software, rip movies, etc., which
 Ni> are activities that don't count as "playing" something.

Short answer no, funny answer maybe. The original optical drives could be considered both. There were cdroms with software on them, but to play audio did not play directly through your computer. The audio came out and output directly to your soundcard. To play CD's you computer just basically presses play, stop or skip. In fact if I remember correctly I believe some cd-rom drives had those buttons right on them.

But what you a describing I would agree with you, not players. 

Lloyd (neoshock) sysop @ Vintage Pi BBS
vintagepi.asuscomm.com

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