How To Play Bluray On Windows 10

Blu-Ray Source: Windows Central

DVDs are relatively simple to deal with, simply how to watch Blu-ray discs on Windows 10? These discs are now the standard for HD video on the physical format, and as more and more of u.s. use our PCs for home amusement, it's perfectly acceptable to want to play a Blu-ray on it. Simply information technology'south not just a case of popping a disc in the drive and putting your feet upwardly. Yous need something like PowerDVD xix from Cyberlink.

Products used in this guide

The best: Cyberlink PowerDVD xix ($lxx at Amazon)
Free and easy: Leawo Blu-ray player (Free at Leawo)
Must-have tool: VLC for Windows (Costless at VideoLAN)
Tiptop encoder: Handbrake for Windows (Free at Handbrake)
Rip your drove: MakeMKV beta for Windows (Free at MakeMKV)

How to convert your Blu-ray discs to digital

MakeMKV Source: MakeMKV

This isn't for the light-hearted, mostly because it takes such a long fourth dimension to do, and information technology'due south piece of cake to make a mistake. But in that location is a gratuitous mode to exercise it using 2 pieces of software.

MakeMKV and Handbrake take been featured before in our roundup of DVD cloning software, and for a good reason: Both are entirely free. While MakeMKV is technically still a beta, and it's still stiff.

Essentially, you use MakeMKV to pull the data from the Blu-ray, then run information technology through Handbrake to compress it downward. Y'all can, of course, skip Handbrake, but each file from a Blu-ray will be huge. And then unless you accept an awful lot of storage on hand, running through Handbrake is an excellent step to reduce the file size at the expense of outright quality.

How to watch your Blu-ray discs on Windows ten

VLC Source: Windows Central

You can watch the actual discs on your Windows 10 PC without having to convert them to a digital file.

The kickoff option to mention is the good quondam Swiss Regular army Pocketknife, VLC. Natively, VLC won't just play your Blu-ray discs, so you'll need to practice some tweaking.

It'southward not necessarily the best option, but if you're a heavy VLC user already, information technology'due south at least an pick.

Perhaps a better —and likewise gratuitous— method is the Leawo Blu-ray role player application. It as well supports DVDs, and while you're not paying for information technology, you're only getting a blank-bones Blu-ray role player. Nevertheless, it's reliable and gets the job done.

If you're interested in something a little more than feature-filled, in that location are numerous apps out there. The best is Cyberlink'south PowerDVD 19. Information technology offers back up for 3D Blu-ray as well as regular discs, loftier frame rate playback, HDR, casting, and 4K UHD Blu-ray.

Additionally, PowerDVD will also play any of your ISO files from Blu-rays or DVDs directly, and so you've got everything y'all need nether one roof. It's a handy piece of software to have on a media PC, and you can even employ it to pull in content from YouTube and Vimeo, including 360-degree video.

The app yous need

There are free ways to watch Blu-ray discs, merely you get what yous pay for and much more likewise with Cyberlink'south fantabulous PowerDVD xix. For the more severe media enthusiast, it's worth every penny.

Full-featured

PowerDVD 19

PowerDVD nineteen

Serious software for media fanatics

PowerDVD 19 is a fantastic piece of software that can play up to 4K Blu-ray discs with True Theater and full-screen enhancements for the best possible experience.

PowerDVD tin also play YouTube and Vimeo videos, besides as natively play 360-degree content. It'due south a great value and a powerful piece of software for enthusiasts.

Boosted apps

If you're looking for something a picayune less intensive or simply desire to digitize your drove, these are the apps for you.

MakeMKV

MakeMKV (Free at MakeMKV)

Simple to use and will convert all your physical discs into digital files with ease.

Leawo Blu-ray player

Leawo Blu-ray player (Free at Leawo)

Bones, but functional, if you but want to play the disc and goose egg more, this is a great app to go.

VLC (Free at VideoLAN)

VLC is a brilliant tool for Windows that, with some tweaking, can play most anything imaginable.

Handbrake

Handbrake (Free at Handbrake)

Handbrake will catechumen your Blu-ray'southward raw files into something more useable for your PC or abode media server. And information technology's free!

If you're hunting for a Blu-Ray player

The software is evidently a big part of watching Blu-Ray discs on Windows 10, simply if your PC or laptop doesn't accept a built-in drive, you're going to need one earlier you become anywhere.

This parcel from Pioneer is an fantabulous place to start since it also includes a CyberLink software suite, which, while non quite as good as PowerDVD, will at least get you moving in the right direction.

Top choice

Pioneer Xd07b

Pioneer BDR-XD07B

Pioneer'due south external Blu-ray burner is one of the slimmest options on the market, featuring a clamshell design and half-dozen-times write speed for all the popular formats, including triple and quad-layer discs. It has plug-and-play functionality and support for the latest macOS and Windows 10 software. Yous simply plug it into your computer via USB — information technology only requires USB 3.0 — and you lot should be good to get. As a bonus, you get some free software from Cyberlink and a smashing comport case included in the box.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

These are the best external Blu-ray drives for PC

Buyers Guide

These are the all-time external Blu-ray drives for PC

Even though your PC might not have come with a Blu-ray bulldoze, you may exist compelled to get one, especially if yous take a large moving-picture show collection. Any the need, these are the ones to get.

Richard Devine

Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Central. A former Projection Managing director and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Cardinal and iMore equally well every bit Windows Central. Currently y'all'll find him covering all mode of PC hardware and gaming, and y'all tin can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.