Welcome to the ultimate review of the best Blu-ray player software for Windows and Mac! Now, digital content and streaming media are going viral on various platforms, but Blu-ray discs are still choices for some home theater enthusiasts for the highest quality of audio and video experience. If you are one of them, whether you want to enjoy your favorite blockbuster movies or binge-watch a TV series in high definition on Windows or MacBook, having reliable Blu-ray player software is critical to maximizing the quality of your viewing experience because the built-in players do not support to play Blu-rays at all on Windows and Mac.
Therefore, in this comprehensive review, we will explore 3 of the best Blu-ray players and make recommendations for Windows and Mac users based on the specific features. So, let’s get started with the details.
VideoByte Blu-ray Player (Best Pick)
VideoByte Blu-ray Player is a versatile Blu-ray player that can perfectly run on Windows and Mac. This software is dedicated to playing Blu-ray discs (also Blu-ray folders/ISO files, and even DVDs). It can play high-quality video in 1080P HD and 4K UHD resolution at lossless quality while supporting multiple audio decoding technologies such as DTS and Dolby Digital. It is also a region-free player that supports playing Blu-rays with any protection. No more worries about restrictions when playing commercial Blu-rays.
Thanks to VideoByte’s unique hardware acceleration technology, it saves 40% of the computer’s CPU resources, bringing high-speed playback with no lags and delays. Its interface is intuitive and clean, with easy navigation to the next step. Anyone has no problems using it. More than that, there are a lot of additional features, like Blu-ray menus, that are waiting for you to explore. With all these versatile features and ease of use steps, it is considered best for playing Blu-rays on MacBook and Windows for those who want a seamless and quality-lossless playback experience of commercial Blu-rays in high resolution at home, regardless of whether you are a casual user, Blu-ray enthusiast, student or educator.
Pros:
HD playback for up to 4K resolution.
Versatile features with reasonable price plans (also a free trial).
Regional free playback covers with specific needs.
Easy to use.
Cons:
Need a subscription to play Blu-ray in full length.
How to Play Blu-ray with VideoByte Blu-ray Player
To use VideoByte Blu-ray Player to play Blu-rays on the computer, follow these steps.
Step 1. Insert the Blu-ray disc and launch the software.
Step 2. Click on the Open Disc button on the main screen.
Step 3. Click the Play Movie option to start to play your Blu-ray movies.
VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is a popular, free, and open-source player that is compatible with all platforms, including Windows and Mac. It can virtually play everything and all the video formats on your devices, including discs, files, streams, etc., offering some features like multiple audio and video effects and decoding with no codec packs needed, etc. So, it is best for Windows and Mac users who prefer a free solution to use it.
However, it has drawbacks. Compared with VideoByte, VLC is not a professional Blu-ray player. therefore, the processing speed is relatively slow, and errors occur from time to time. Although it has the capability to play Blu-rays, there are some limitations and complicated steps required to do so because it lacks native Blu-ray support and involves the installation of additional extension files to enable it. You need to find and properly install AACS decryption keys and libbluray libraries to allow it to play homemade Blu-rays and commercial Blu-rays with AACS and BD+ protections. This is obviously difficult and time-consuming for some users. If you can’t stand its shortcomings, take a look at other free Blu-ray players.
Pros:
Completely free without spending money.
Compatibility with all the platforms.
Cons:
Need to download extra software components.
Potential playback issues occur.
Limited Blu-ray features
Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player
Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player is designed exclusively for Mac computers, such as MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac, supporting playing Blu-ray discs/ISO files/folders as well as DVDs. It also supports multiple audio decoding. The supporting resolution can be up to 4K HD (only in the paid version) without losing the quality. What’s more, it features a simple and intuitive interface so that even newbies can use it. So, it is best for individuals who own Macs and want a dedicated Blu-ray player software for enjoying Blu-ray discs.
Macgo Mac Blu-player has two paid versions, the regular version and the pro version. However, the regular version of Macgo does not support Blu-ray ISO files/folders and 4K resolution at all, which means if you want to have these features, you need to pay more. Compared with VideoByte, Macgo’s two versions can only play Cinavia-protected Blu-rays, which is greatly unsatisfiable to some users’ specific needs for playing commercial Blu-rays.
Pros:
Easy to use.
High audiovisual quality of playback.
Cons:
Limited ability to play most protected Blu-rays.
Limited features in the regular version with a higher price.
Only accessible to Mac users.
Final Conclusion
To conclude, the top 3 best Blu-ray players in the article can help you play Blu-rays anyway, although they have their pros and cons.
The completely free solution VLC appeals to users with a tight budget if you are comfortable with technical setups and don’t require advanced Blu-ray features. Although the Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player is a little expensive and supports limited protected Blu-ray playback, it is still considered a good choice for Blu-ray playback on Mac computers. But, among the three options, it is best to choose VideoByte Blu-ray Player for its outstanding performance on both Windows and Mac, 4K high definition, and access to all the commercial Blu-rays with protection.
