Short Answer:
No. Chrome OS does not have support for playback of video DVDs. While VLC for Chrome OS once offered limited DVD playback, it no longer supports accessing DVD drives through either the Chrome OS app or the Play Store version.
Long Answer:
While it is possible to connect an external USB DVD drive to a Chromebook, you cannot watch DVD movies in Chrome OS. Unlike simple movie file formats that you might find online, playback of DVD Video requires special decoding software and codecs to work. Google has not licensed this software and included it with Chrome OS. Considering that no Chrome OS devices ship with DVD hardware, it is unlikely that Google will license DVD Video software and include it in Chrome OS. It is a similar story to the end of Adobe Flash on Chromebooks: legacy media technology that simply is not part of the modern, web-first platform.
If you have Linux enabled on your Chromebook, you could potentially install VLC through the Linux container and attempt DVD playback with a USB drive, though results may vary. This approach is more involved than typical Chromebook use but avoids the security risks of developer mode.
The most reliable way to watch a DVD you already own on a Chromebook is to skip the disc entirely and rip it to a video file first. On a Windows PC or Mac, free software like HandBrake can convert a DVD into a standard MP4 or MKV file in a few minutes. Drop that file into Google Drive, onto a USB stick, or straight onto the Chromebook, and ChromeOS will play it natively in the built-in media player, since the system handles MP4 and MKV without any extra codecs. This sidesteps the whole DVD-decoding problem because the heavy lifting happens on a machine that does support optical media, and it leaves you with a file that plays on practically any device you own.
Modern Alternatives for Video Watching
While DVD playback isn’t officially supported, Chromebooks excel at modern video consumption through streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. If you’re looking for a Chromebook specifically for watching video content, consider models with high-quality displays and good speakers.
For the best media consumption experience, we recommend Chromebooks with premium displays. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 features a stunning 13.3-inch OLED screen that reviewers consistently describe as “mesmerizing” and “gorgeous,” with rich colors and deep blacks that make streaming content a genuine pleasure. Similarly, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 was the first Chromebook to feature a QLED display, delivering 118% of the sRGB color spectrum with vibrant, accurate colors perfect for video watching.
If you prefer a larger screen for comfortable viewing, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 offers a spacious 15.6-inch FHD touchscreen paired with exceptional upward-firing DTS speakers that reviewers praise as surprisingly good for the price point.
