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DVD Drives...
Before I went off to college, I had a CD-RW drive and a DVD-ROM in my computer. I used the DVD-ROM drive somewhat frequently as I watched movies on my PC, as my roommate just had to watch "Survivor" constantly (taped and live). I later went out and bought a dual format DVD-RW because the price had gotten so low, especially for 8x drives. I also use it on occasion to back up data.
A DVD-ROM drive allows you to watch DVD movies. A DVD-RW drive can be either single format or dual format (burns both DVD- and DVD+), while also allowing you the full functionality that a CD-RW drive gives.
For the majority of people, DVD drives are inconsequential, as I really only see a need for them if you have a lot of data to back up, record and edit home movies, play cutting-edge games, or want to watch movies on your computer. I foresee that as computer games get more and more graphically intense, you'll see games being sold on DVDs instead of CDs. Also, DVDs tend to be a good bit more expensive than CDs, so if you plan on backing up a lot of data, decide how much extra it'd be worth to you to buy a DVD drive.
Make sure that, if you plan on getting a DVD drive because of the aforementioned reasons, that you purchase a dual format DVD burner. The technological standarad has not been fully decided upon (the Justice Department is considering stepping in on this new version of the Betamax-VHS war).
Dual format DVD burners are a must, as different DVD players use different standards. The compatability issue is a problem that can be overcome using a "don't succeed, try again" approach, which is only available if you purchase the slightly more expensive dual format burners. Here's some more information on the differences in DVD formats and who tends to support what format.
Another item to absolutely shop for is a dual-layer (DL) DVD burner. Dual-layer technology allows the consumer to make exact copies of DVD movies (as factory technology allows the studios to burn 9.8 GB of data; without a dual-layer burner, you will have to compress and degrade the movie quality to fit it on a regular DVD) and greatly expands the storage capacity on the DVD.
While there are a lot of concerns with DVD technology now, don't avoid the technology totally if your needs (which may be listed above) demand it. If my information does not fully help you out, check out DVD Demystified's FAQ or Howstuffworks' explanation.
Here again are my complete recommendations for building a computer with a great DVD drive at a low price!
Tip: I would say that the majority of computer users don't use their DVD drives. Whether it is from a lack of desire to watch movies on your monitor, or whether people are simply unaware of how easy it can be to burn & copy movies, I can't say. Buying one is not an expensive proposition, however, so consider whether saving the extra $30-40 is worth the potential headache of installing one later on.
