It is easy to collect your favourite Blu-ray movie discs, but playing them is not. Windows media players are not compatible with Blu-ray playback, so you need reliable Blu-ray software if you want to play Blu-rays on a PC. This article will introduce you to 3 methods to help you play Blu-ray on Windows 11/10/8/7. So, get ready to embark on your home theatre journey!
Method 1: Using Professional Blu-Ray Player-VideoByte Blu-ray Player
VideoByte Blu-ray Player is a top-notch Blu-ray player. It features advanced Blu-ray decryption technology for region code and copy protection. And thanks to DTS, Dolby, and Ultra-HD technologies, it also supports displaying 4K quality resolution.
What’s even better is that the player supports Blu-ray menus, taking screenshots, and recording playback. You can easily browse any chapter and share those heartwarming moments with your friends and family. With an intuitive interface, even computer beginners won’t find it difficult to use.
Key Features of VideoByte Blu-ray Player:
- Decryption expert: Easily remove region code or copy protection.
- Lossless quality: Play 4K Ultra-HD video with lossless quality.
- Original preservation: Retain original audio and subtitle track.
- Inclusive formats: support Blu-ray discs, folders, ISO files, etc., and all popular video and audio formats, including MP4, MKV, MPG, MOV, AVI, MP3, etc.
How to Play Blu-Ray on PC with VideoByte Blu-ray Player
Some of the VideoByte Blu-ray features need your payment. Fortunately, you can try it out for free with its 30-day trial. To get started, follow the guide below on how to play Blu-rays on how to play Blu-rays on Windows 10/11/8/7.
- Launch the software and insert the Blu-ray disc into your computer drive.
- Click on the Open Disc button. There will be a pop-up window for you to select your disc to load the contents.
- It will take a couple of seconds to load the contents. On the screen, you will see all the Blu-ray menus. You can select the chapter, track, subtitle, or anything else you like. Just click on the Play Movie to get your favourite movie started.
Method 2: Using Free Blu-ray Player – VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is a completely free open-source player. It offers rich features such as subtitle support, track and chapter selection, an audio equalizer, video and audio filters, etc.
However, to play Blu-ray video with VLC Media Player, some extra settings are needed. You need to download KEYS DATABASE (KEYDB.cfg) and AACS DYNAMIC LIBRARY (libaacs.dll for Windows) and put them in the correct folder, but after that, it can only play AACS-protected Blu-rays. Obviously, complicated processes are not suitable for some users. Also, it’s not as smooth as a professional Blu-ray player.
How to Play Blu-Ray on Windows 10 with VLC
Although VLC Media Player is a bit complicated to use, you can still give it a try. Here is a quick guide on the PC. You can check the post for how to play Blu-ray with VLC Media Player for detailed steps for PC and Mac.
- Go to https://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/ to download the two files: KEYS DATABASE (KEYDB.cfg) and AACS DYNAMIC LIBRARY (libaacs.dll for Windows).
- Open the path: C:\ProgramData, create a new folder and, name it “aacs”, put KEYDB.cfg in it.
- Open the path: C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC, put libaacs.dll in it. If you use a 32-bit PC, open the path: C:\Program Files (x86) \VideoLAN\VLC and put it in instead.
- Insert your disc into your computer drive.
- On the main screen, click on the Media button, then the Disc tab, check the Blu-ray option, and finally, click Play to start.
Method 3: Using Blu-ray Ripper to Convert Blu-ray to Digital
VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper is an optimal solution that can convert your Blu-ray discs into 300+ formats like MP4, etc. Thus you can play the digital movie with original quality on a computer or any device you like, and you can even keep it as a backup.
Additionally, it also supports any DRM decryption and bypasses most region codes to convert Blu-ray movies successfully. What’s better, it also provides you with various functions, such as converting only the chapters you want, adding subtitles and audio tracks, etc.
How to Convert Blu-ray to Digital with VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper
VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper now supports a 30-day free trial. Download it and give it a try. Follow the guide below on how to use it.
- Install the software and insert your Blu-ray disc into your computer drive. On the main screen of the software, click on the Load Blu-ray option to import the Blu-ray content.
- The software will automatically choose the main movie, and you can select your desired chapter if you want by clicking on the Full Movie List button.
- Choose an output format and click on the Rip All button to start the process.
Comparison of Blu-ray Playback Methods
After learning about the three methods, let’s get up and visualize the comparison among them.
| Methods | VideoByte Blu-ray Player | VLC Media Player | VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper |
| Decrypt Copy Protection | Decrypt copy protections and region codes when playing Blu-rays | AACS decryption via extra file installation | Support decrypt copy protections like APS, CSS, ARccOS, CPRM, AACS, BD+, Cinavia |
| Media Files Support | Common video/audio output formats | Major video/audio formats | 300+ video/audio output formats |
| Windows Platform Supported | Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP (SP2 or later) | Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP (SP2 or later) | Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP (SP2 or later) |
| Free to Use | 30-day free trial and paid version | Free | 30-day free trial and paid version |
| Lossless Quality | √ | √ | √ |
| DTS, Dolby, Ultra-HD Technology | √ | × | √ |
| Easy-to-use | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★★ |
Final Verdict
Overall, the above three software can solve your problem, you can choose your favourite one from the above three methods. If you want to use totally free software and find the complicated steps not troublesome, VLC media player is a good choice. If you are looking for a professional one with simple steps, there is no problem with choosing VideoByte Blu-ray Player. If you happen to need to convert Blu-rays to digitalization, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper can convert it and let you play it on a computer.
