Searching for the best Blu-ray player on Mac? This article introduces you to the 3 Blu-ray players with a discussion of their features, pros, and cons.
If you are a Mac user, you must know that the default media player included on Mac does not support playing Blu-ray video. So, if you want to play Blu-ray on Macbook Pro, you need to download a competent third-party Blu-ray player software.
Numerous Blu-ray players are available in the market, and in this article, we will introduce the 3 best Blu-ray players, discussing their key features, pros, and cons, and help you choose the best one that suits you. Let you enjoy all kinds of 4k Blu-ray movies on your Mac without any hassle.
VideoByte Blu-ray Player (Best Overall)
VideoByte Blu-ray Player is our top recommendation for playing Blu-rays on your Mac for its powerful features. This region-free player supports decrypting all DRM-protected Blu-ray discs.
Additionally, it can play Blu-ray files or folders on your Mac. In terms of video and audio quality, it supports playing up to 4k video and utilizes advanced audio decoding technologies.
What's more, this player provides you with a Blu-ray menu for easy control of the playback. You can jump to the chapter you want with one click and easily select the audio track and subtitles of your choice. However, to use all of the features, you need to purchase the software. Currently, there's a 30-day free trial available, so you can try it out before deciding whether to buy it.
VideoByte Blu-ray Player: Play 4K Blu-ray Movies on Mac
Here are some highlights of VideoByte Blu-ray Player's features:
- Play all kinds of videos
It supports playing Blu-ray discs, ISO files, and folders, as well as other video formats like MP4, MKV, MPG, TS, WebM, VOB, etc., letting you access all the video content on your Mac.
- Ability to decrypt all protected Blu-rays
It can bypass all DRM protections like AACS, BD+, Cinavia, APS, CSS, ARccOS, CPRM, etc., and unlock all region codes for Blu-rays.
- Easy menu control
It preserves the original Blu-ray scenes, chapters, audio tracks, and subtitles. With a user-friendly menu that makes it easy to control the playback, you can navigate to the scene, and chapter with just one click, and you can select the audio track and subtitles with ease on your Mac.
- High-quality video and audio effects
As the best Blu-ray player on Mac, in addition to SD and HD videos, it can play up to 4K Ultra HD videos in lossless quality while enhancing the sound effects using audio decoding technologies like Dolby, DTS, AAC, etc.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Handle all DRM-protected Blu-rays | Need a subscription for all advanced features |
| Ability to open ISO file | |
| 4k playback is available | |
| 30-Day Free Trial |
VLC Media Player
The VLC Media Player is a popular open-source software that can also serve as a second choice for a Blu-ray player on Mac. It is one of the best free Mac Blu-ray players that is equipped with multiple codecs for video and audio to support many video formats. It has additional features such as an audio equalizer, playback speed adjustment, and subtitle and audio track addition. What's the best is that it's free to use.
However, it doesn't play Blu-rays directly. You'll need to go through complex steps like downloading the keys database and AACS dynamic library and installing them correctly to enable it to play AACS-encrypted Blu-ray discs, which will take some time. Also, compared to VideoByte, it doesn't support Blu-ray menus, and that is obviously not suitable for users with related needs.
VLC: Play Blu-ray on Mac Without Errors
Here are the outstanding features of VLC Media Player.
- Completely free to use
This software is free to use, so you don't need to send a dime on it to play Blu-rays on Mac.
- Play everything
It is extensively compatible with playing all formats, such as video, files, discs, streams, etc.
- Support playing most codecs
It can play most codecs in MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, MP3, etc., while it doesn't need extra codec packs.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Free to use | Doesn't support Blu-ray menus |
| Support multiple formats | Only support unprotected and AACS-protected Blu-rays |
| Not easy to use |
Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player
Macao is a third solution for playing Blu-rays on your Mac. It has two versions, a pro and a regular version. The pro version supports more features but is more expensive. So, let's turn our eyes to the regular Macgo Blu-ray Player. It can play homemade and some common DRM-protected Blu-ray discs like Cinavia in lossless quality, offers Blu-ray menus, and supports audio decoding such as Dolby Digital, DTS, etc.
However, it does have some limitations. Unlike the Macgo Blu-ray Pro, which supports 4K video playback, Macgo Blu-ray Play only plays up to 1080p HD video. What's worse, it does not support video formats such as MP4, MKV, FLV, M2TS, MPG, and Blu-ray ISO files/folders. Although it supports no-time-limited free trial, there is a watermark while playing, which is very annoying.
Macgo: Play Common Blu-ray Dsics on Mac
Here are the notable features of Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player.
- Extensive audio decoding
It supports lossless HD audio quality like DTS, DTS HD/DTS Master/DTS HD Master, etc.
- Featured Blu-ray Menu
A Blu-ray menu you can use to choose scenes, subtitles, audio tracker, etc.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Blu-ray menus support | Doesn't support 4K videos |
| Support DRM-protected discs | Watermark in the free trial |
| Limited features at a high price |
Final Conclusion
Which one is the best to choose? The answer depends on your needs and preferences. When picking which one is better for you, think about looking at it from the following perspectives. VLC might be the best free solution if you don't want to spend any money on it and do not mind the complicated steps.
If you don't need to play 4K videos, are okay with limited support for video formats, and don't mind the watermark in the free trial. Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player can be a decent option.
However, if you want to experience first-class Blu-ray audio and video effects, watch 4K videos, and want to play discs with DRM protections or region codes, then don't hesitate. VideoByte Blu-ray Player is definitely your first choice.
