Macbook pro external DVD drive initialization error 70012

This is an answer to my own question and a comment about finding answers to questions on Apple forums.
The situation
I have a Macbook Pro, late-2009 model. In 2013, the internal DVD or optical drive died. I purchased an Apple external DVD drive to be able to read DVD disks, listen to audio, and watch video content. Because the computer I own was built to read only the internal DVD drive, it did not recognize this new external drive. When I plugged it in, I received an error: A valid DVD drive could not be found [-70012]. Or , or DVD could not be found, initialization error[- 70012].
The question
Given this situation, my question was, how do I solve DVD initialization error 70012?
The answer
Since my Apple Care plan had long since expired, before spending time and money at the Apple store to solve this, I decided to look online. After searching general sites and more and more specific sites, I found several posts on forums about my problem. The most helpful of these, with respect to an external DVD drive, was posted on CNET, by Topher Kessler (June 10, 2011 2:24 PM PDT):
http://www.cnet.com/news/addressing-dvd-player-error-70012-when-using-external-d rives-in-os-x/
The key to his advice was twofold:
1. Hardware: The Macbook Pro was programmed to recognize the internal DVD/optical drive alone.
2. Software: The preferences in the Macbook Pro were set to open Apple's DVD Player when a disc is inserted into the drive.
To play audio or video discs on an external drive, the computer needed to be instructed to recognize the external drive, plus appropriate software needed to be opened. Mr. Kessler's advice went from hardware (i.e., get a new internal drive), to software (i.e., use different audio or video software), to operating system (i.e., alter the code in the operating system). Like with Goldie Locks, the first was too expensive, the last was too invasive, but the middle option was just right.
I searched for free software to display audio and video on my external drive and found two that could do the job quite nicely. There are others, but these seemed to be the most recognized and highly rated:
1. MPlayerX (http://mplayerx.org/download.html)
2. VLC Media Player (http://download.cnet.com/mac/media-players/?rpp=30)
So, I didn't have to buy an internal DVD drive and I didn't have to alter the code of the operating system. I just needed to download free software, install, and play.
The points to learn
1. Computers involve both hardware and software, therefore solutions to computer problems can require fixes to one, the other, or both.
2. The simplest solution, and the least expensive, is to be preferred over the more complex.
3. What went wrong for someone else is not necessarily what happened to your computer or software.
4. What solved someone else's problem may not solve your problem.
5. Just because nobody has posted information on how to solve your problem doesn't mean there isn't a solution to it.

Hi Duane,
Thanks for the info! That's some catch-22 for DVD Player... but useful info. I guess I'll just pick up a generic DVD-ROM to replace the drive with.
As to the external drive, do not USB 2.0 cases run at the same speeds at Firewire 400 cases? (the same drive has no issues on other machines for playing dvds... just the lampshade iMac)

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