Well I would buck up and buy a new dvd player. A new cyberhome only cost me $15 once I got my rebate back. $25 if you don't.
Or invest in a DVD ROM for $25, put less wear on your burner.
but to each his own. To play DVDs on your burner or pc for that matter you'll need a player. I use PowerDVD. VideoLAN is a good free player.