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  Since its initial release 2005, the Xbox 360 has seen a number of different DVD drives inserted into the console. Hitachi, Samsung, BenQ and Lite-On have all made DVD drives that vary in performance and ease of installation. An Xbox 360 owner can replace his DVD drive, but because of the complications of configuring, or "flashing," the drives in the system, he may want to take his console to a professional to install it.
  
  

BenQ VAD6038

• Based on the Philips VAD6037 drive, the BenQ VAD6038 is the primary DVD drive installed in Xbox 360 Elites as of October 2010. The BenQ VAD6038 requires no modifications and runs more quietly and faster than most other DVD drives and has a simple design and supports bad flash recovery when the console does not recognize the drive. It uses a common laser than individuals can swap out when it becomes weak or malfunctions. Replacing a BenQ VAD6038 as a whole becomes more difficult as it requires removing a key from an old drive's BIOS and embedding it into the new drive's firmware. Owners can identify the VAD6038 from its plain, U-shaped tray.
  
  

Hitachi-LG GDR-3120L

• The Hitachi GDR-3120L is one of the older Xbox 360 DVD drives. Several models of the GDR-3120L exist, including the 46DH, 47DG, 47DJ, 59DK and 78FK. These drives support auto-flashers to help with flashing the firmware, but there is greater risk of permanently damaging the drive during the process. Owners can identify the GDR-3120L by its U-shaped tray with semicircular indentations as well as a circular cutout on the right side.
  
  

Samsung TS-H943

• The Samsung TS-H943 comes in two models, the MS25 and MS28. An owner can flash the MS25 firmware more easily than with other DVD drives, but the MS25 requires hardware modifications before flashing its firmware. Otherwise, the MS25 and MS28 work the same. Flashing the firmware of a DVD drive can permanently damage it, but the TS-H943 is one of the most difficult drives to damage on the market. Owners can identify the TS-H943 by its U-shaped tray with grooved sides.
  
  

Lite-On DG 16D2S

• In 2008, manufacturers began releasing the Lite-On DG 16D2S, another quiet DVD drive. When replacing an old drive, the Lite-On DG 162DS requires that the identification key be copied to its firmware in order to work in the Xbox console. Manufacturers designed the DG 16D2S in a way that made flashing the drive impossible.