How Do I Play a Blu-ray on Windows 11?
To play a Blu-ray on a Windows 11 device, it’ll need to have either a built-in Blu-ray disc drive or an external drive connected via USB and an app to play the Blu-ray disc. Once you have the drive set up and the software installed, here’s how you can use it to play a Blu-ray disc.
Why Won’t VLC Play My Blu-Ray?
VLC is a popular app for playing a variety of media files on Windows 11 laptops, computers, and tablets. In addition to supporting most video and audio file formats, VLC can also be used to play CDs and DVDs. Once configured properly, VLC can also play Blu-ray discs. Player controls will often display under the video when you move your mouse or tap the screen. These can be used to play and pause the video or skip chapters. If you can’t get VLC to play a Blu-ray disc on your Windows 11 device, there are several possible reasons behind the issue.
You’re using the wrong VLC app. There are two main official VLC apps that can be downloaded for free. VLC in the Microsoft Store app store doesn’t support disc playback while the VLC app from the official VLC website does. You need to download the codec. VLC requires the download and installation of a special Blu-ray config file to play some DVDs and Blu-rays on Windows 11. Check your disc drive. Look for the disc format symbol on your drive next to the eject button. A Blu-ray drive will support Blu-rays and DVDs but a DVD drive can’t play Blu-rays. Wrong region code or zone. Much like DVDs, Blu-rays also have restrictions placed on them that only allow them to be played in certain regions. Zone A Blu-rays should work in North America, South America, and Southeast Asia. Discs from other zones may not. Dirty or damaged Blu-ray disc. Your Blu-ray drive may be unable to play the disc if it’s scratched, damaged, or dirty. Try cleaning the disc if dirty or repairing it if damaged.
How Do I Know if My PC Can Play Blu-Rays?
If you’re unsure if your computer’s drive supports Blu-ray discs, look for the Blu-ray symbol on the front of it. It’s usually located near the drive’s eject button and looks like a lowercase B in a circle with the words Blu-ray underneath it. Another good way to check is to inspect your device’s packaging or online support manual which usually includes details on what drive you have. If the drive doesn’t have a disc symbol on it and you can’t find a manual or online listing, you can still check what kind of disc drive you have via checking your Windows 11 device’s system information. To do this, open the Start menu, type System Information, select System Information > Components, and look for any reference to CD, DVD, or Blu-ray. Alternatively, you can also open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers to check for a Blu-ray drive.
How to Play 4K Blu-Ray Discs on Windows 11
To play a 4K Blu-ray on your Windows 11 device, you will need a 4K Blu-ray disc drive. A regular Blu-ray drive will not be able to play 4K Blu-rays. If you do have a 4K Blu-ray disc drive, it should be able to play 4K Blu-rays, regular Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs.
