Powering the Sony external DVD only with USB ?

Hi,

I just bought a Sony external DVD burner which comes with an ac power adapter and I was wondering if I could use instead the power of a USB port from my laptop to power the burner ? Either using a Y cable (1 USB -> 2 USB) or a jack to USB cable.

The ac power adapter states 5,2V 2000 mA

Thanks for your time and help !

 

USB only provides 500mA, so I don't think it will work on USB alone even with a Y adapter

If you're handy maybe you could make a battery pack for it with a 5v voltage regulator and some AAs

THere are some USB powered ones out there http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...Drives+-+External-_-LG+ELECTRONICS-_-27136156

 

You can almost certainly run the drive as just a reader without the power supply. It'll really only be burner that needs the extra juice. If the drive didn't have a y-cable supplied, it probably won't work like that.

I have a Sony USB Blu-Ray reader/DVD-burner, and that's how it works. It'll read Blu-Ray, everything with just a single USB connection, but it needs the extra connector to power a burn.

 

No, it doesn't turn on without power supply (even when using a Y USB cable)

I have also tested this DELL USB burner which comes with an attached USB cable and no power supply.
On my DELL laptop it reads and burns without problem but on my Sony VAIO X laptop it won't even read a CD nor eject it.

I think that's a USB power issue from the VAIO P and VAIO X and that's perhaps why the Sony DRX-S70UW burner, which is designed for the VAIO P, comes with a power supply and won't work without.

But from what I remember I was able to burn my restore CDs on the VAIO P and VAIO X connecting this LaCie Drive and using a Y USB cable.

 

That could be. Various machines don't supply enough current to a USB port, which is the reason for most of those split cables and such. It may just be that all the computers I have tested it on have better power supplies for USB than your Vaio does.