If you have a Windows PC you will have noticed that it is not easy to play Blu-ray without the need for specific software. In fact, Windows some time ago removed Media Center and Help from Windows 11/10, making it more difficult to play discs on your computer. It now charges around $15 to play your favorite movies by purchasing the Windows DVD Player app from the Windows Store. But you don’t have to despair because below we will see three different ways to play Blu-ray discs on Windows 11/10.
What you need is third-party media player and a program that can play Blu-ray discs on Windows 11/10 operating system. Here are our proposals.
#1. Blu-ray player
#2. VLC Player
#3. MakeMKV
#1. Play Blu-ray with Blu-ray Player
Blu-ray Player is one of the best programs designed to open and play Blu-ray on Windows (and also on macOS systems). The advantage of using this software is that you won’t have to do any configuration and once installed you just need to insert the blu-ray disc into your computer and click on Play to view its contents.
From the following links you can download it immediately DEMO version free program (for Windows and Mac)
The software is compatible with all Windows and Mac systems. After installing Blu-ray Player you will be able to launch it and you will see this main interface:
Here are the 3 simple steps to take to play your blu-ray:
- Insert the disc into your PC’s drive and click on OPEN DISC to open it in the program
- The video will automatically be played by the software
- Use the menu to optimize movie playback and find the best sound settings
#2. Use VLC to open Blu-ray on Windows 11/10
VLC is a media player that can handle major audio and video file formats. It works the same way as Windows Media Player but with many advanced features. Although VLC is not available on the Microsoft Store, you can download it for free from the developer’s website. VLC, natively, cannot play Blu-ray or display some Blu-ray menus. But by downloading other files you can also make it work with blu-ray discs.
Here are the steps to follow to play Blu-ray discs on Windows 11/10 with VLC player.
1. Go to VLC official website to download VLC and install the program on your Windows 11/10 PC.
2. Click Finish to complete the installation.
3. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Program Files
4. Here create a new folder and name it “aacs”
5. Click on the link vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name and download the “KEYDB.cfg” file to the folder you just created
6. Similarly download and install the file libaacs.dll and place it in the VLC folder. If you can’t download it directly to the VLC directory then download it first to your PC desktop and then move it to the VLC folder.
7. Now open the VLC program and click on “Media ->Open Disc” at the top
8. Click on the “Blu-ray” option
9. Check the “no disc menus” box.
10. Select your Blu-ray disc in the relevant field below
11. Click “Play”
At this point VLC will be ready to play your Blu Ray disc. It’s a cumbersome process but in return VLC is a totally free program.
#3. Extract videos from Blu-ray to watch them Windows 11/10
Another method to play Blu-ray discs on Windows 11/10 is the one that involves ripping and encodinga process that consists of extracting the video from the blu-ray disc and saving it on the computer in a format that can be played by any player.
This process doesn’t destroy the disc, so you can still use it normally. However, in some countries, making copies of Blu-ray discs is illegal. These copies are for personal use only, not for display or distribution of any kind. Get legal help if you’re unsure or do a Google search.
To rip and encode Blu-ray discs, you can use a program like MakeMKV. It is easy to use software and easily converts all your discs into digital files. You can also watch converted files on other devices using programs like Plex.
Here’s how to use MakeMKV to rip and convert Blu-ray discs for playback on Windows 11/10:
1. Go to the website MakeMKV
2. Click on the link to download and install the software.
3. Follow the installation procedure
4. Open MakeMKV and click “File -> Open disc.”
5. Select the Blu-ray disc and click “Yes.”
6. Go to the MakeMKV section, click the green icon and then click “Yes.”
7. Wait for the conversion to finish
8. Play the MKV file you obtained using a player like VLC
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