How to Play Blu-ray on Mac for Cinematic Experience

Embarking on a Blu-ray movie journey on your Mac can be both exciting and straightforward. Learn how to play Blu-rays on your Mac, unlocking a world of high-quality visuals and immersive sound. You can transform your Mac into a powerful entertainment hub with a few easy steps. Let us explore the simple process of playing Blu-ray on your Mac for an enhanced viewing experience.

Part 1. Preparation

This section will present the following preparation you must do or have for better Blu-ray movie enjoyment on your Mac. Here they are:

1. External Blu-ray Drive

Get a USB-compatible external Blu-ray drive online, like Amazon or eBay, to read the Blu-ray disc.

2. Third-Party Blu-ray Player Software

Use reliable programs with features like playing Blu-ray discs, bypassing DRM protection, supporting 1080p/2K/4K, preserving audio effects, chapters, subtitles, hardware acceleration, navigation menu, and network connection for decoding.

3. Blu-ray Disc

Once you have got everything prepared, it is time to choose your preferred Blu-ray player for Mac.

Part 2. Play Blu-ray Movies on Mac with VLC

VLC, short for VideoLAN Client, is a widely used and free open-source program for watching videos on your device. Originally, VLC could not play Blu-ray discs seamlessly. However, thanks to the introduction of the libbluray project a few years ago, VLC became capable of playing Blu-rays. But there is a catch: The libbluray library has limitations. It works well with DRM-free and homemade Blu-rays but struggles with commercial ones with AACS and BD+ copyright protection.

Here is how playing Blu-ray on Mac works using VLC:

Step 1Visit Videola.org and download the latest VLC version for the Mac operating system. Install it on your computer.

Step 2Visit https://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/ and download two files: KEYDB.cfg and libaacs.dylib.

Step 3Put KEYDB.cfg in ~/Library/Preferences/aacs/ and libaacs.dylib in Contents/MacOS/lib/.

Tips: You can create folders if needed.

Step 4Open VLC, insert your Blu-ray disc, and open it using the program. Afterward, your movie will start playing.

Tips: VLC does not support Blu-ray menus, so manually choose the title to play. In addition, remember that not all Blu-ray movies are supported.

Part 3. Play Blu-ray on Mac with AVAide Blu-ray Player

Can I play a Blu-ray on my Mac? Yes! A novice-friendly program designed for Mac users who want to enjoy high-quality Blu-ray content is AVAide Blu-ray Player. It handles the intricacies of Blu-ray technology, providing a crisp and immersive viewing experience. It supports high-resolution videos, including 720p, 1080p, and 4K, in various formats. You can capture your favorite scenes with the screenshot option. In addition, you can explore the customization options for audio and video settings to enhance viewing pleasure. The best part is that the setup process is quick and straightforward, even for those not tech-savvy.

Below are the steps on how to play Blu-ray on Mac using AVAide Blu-ray Player:

Step 1Download and Install the AVAide Blu-ray Player on your Mac.

Step 2If your Mac does not have a built-in Blu-ray drive, connect an external one to your Mac. Then, put the Blu-ray discs into the Blu-ray drive.

Step 3Launch the AVAide Blu-ray Player on your Mac. Select Open Disc to load the Blu-ray disc.

Step 4Sit back and enjoy your Blu-ray content on your Mac using the AVAide Blu-ray Player. You can use the Playback Controls to Play, Pause, and Stop the content you watch. Moreover, you can take a snapshot of your content by clicking the Camera button. Happy viewing!

Part 4. Convert Blu-ray to Digital Copy on Mac

One program that simplifies the Blu-ray to digital conversion process on your Mac is Tipard Blu-ray Converter. It boasts an intuitive interface, making it accessible to tech-savvy and those less familiar with digital conversion. This program offers numerous digital formats, including MP4, MKV, AVI, and more.

You can tailor your output to match your device or personal preferences. Besides that, you can fine-tune resolution, bitrate, and other specifications to meet your specific requirements. Furthermore, you can edit your Blu-ray videos before conversion. You can trim, crop, add effects, or insert watermarks to personalize your digital copy.

Step 1Download and Install Tipard Blu-ray Converter on your Mac.

Step 2Connect your Blu-ray drive to the Mac and insert the Blu-ray disc. Launch Tipard Blu-ray Converter. Hit the Load Blu-ray drop-down menu, and select Load Blu-ray Disc to load your Blu-ray content.

Step 3Select Main Title or Full Title List once Tipard Blu-ray Converter finished analyzing the Blu-ray content. Once chosen, click the OK button to proceed.

Step 4Click the Rip All to drop-down menu to access video formats. You can choose from MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, WEBM, and more. Pick the format that suits your playback device or preference.

If you are not okay with the default settings, click the Cogwheel button. Here, you can customize video and audio settings, such as resolution, bitrate, etc. Once settled, click the Create New button to confirm the changes.

Step 5Once done with your task, press the Rip All button to convert your Blu-ray content to a video format.

Part 5. FAQs about Playing Blu-ray on Mac

Why cannot VLC Media Player play Blu-rays even though the functionality is there?

VLC can play Blu-ray files, but it is essential to note that not all Blu-ray discs are compatible. VLC can only handle discs if its library has the necessary AACS keys. However, the AACS and BD+ DRM libraries and keys are not included or shipped with VLC due to legal reasons.

What kind of files can VLC play?

VLC Media Player supports various media formats, including video, audio, DVD, and Blu-ray files. It can handle various streaming methods and file types, such as UDP/RTP Unicast, HTTP/FTP, MPEG, AVI, MP4/MOV/3GP, and more. Whether DVDs, Blu-rays, audio CDs, or online streams, VLC is versatile and can play them all.

What should I do if VLC Blu-ray shows a mismatch between the disc and player region codes?

Navigate to VLC Menu, Tools, and Preferences, then go to Show Settings and All. Next, head to Input/Codecs, click the arrow next to Access Modules, and find Blu-ray. Under Region Code, make the desired region change. Then, save your settings and attempt to play the Blu-ray again.

How do I play Blu-ray discs without a Blu-ray player?

You have two options to watch a Blu-ray disc: use a Blu-ray player or convert the Blu-ray to digital videos. If you prefer digital videos over a Blu-ray player, Tipard Blu-ray Converter is a great solution. It can transform your Blu-ray discs into high-quality video files.

Can I play a Blu-ray on my laptop?

You will need a Blu-ray BD-ROM drive and a player like AVAide Blu-ray Player to play a Blu-ray disc on a laptop. Many laptops do not have the required drive, so an external one may be needed. Besides that, you can convert the disc to digital videos and play them on your laptop.

By Bryan Simmonds on Jan 04, 2024