I suppose 'need' is sort of strong language. Lol. Main thing i use it for is to rip movies and tv shows because im weird and like having physical medua for those things. Realistically, if i average it out, i probably rip 2 seasons of a show and 4 or 5 movies per month... at that point i suppose an external probably is an easier solution. I guess it's more preference, as i want to limit the number of accessories floating around my office lol