free blu ray player?

I am fed up with Cyberlink DVD: it came bundled with a bluray player for my PC

practically every time I use it, it gets stuck in a loop where it tells me I need to update the software before I can play anything. very annoying

is there a basic, free application that will play blu ray discs on my PC?

thanks

 

FWIW I am trying to play David Gilmour's new release

it keeps telling me the bluray disc signature is not recognized. Even after updating powerDVD


what a pain in the ass

 

I'm not sure that there is a free app for direct playback (I'm sure someone will chime in if that's not the case). Probably the simplest way to do is to rip the disk into a media file using something like MakeMkv.

If it's a DVD rather than a Bluray, you can view it without ripping with VLC media player. Here's a reference.

 

Have you tried VLC?

 

VLC won't play blurays. There are some dubious plugins, but I hear they're not super reliable.

 

Will it play any blu rays at all?

 

No, not by itself - I assume the question was directed at me.

Another option for the OP is, if the player is asking for updated software, to actually try to update it and see if it makes a difference.

 

How do I update the bundled version of PowerDVD that came bundled with my PC?

 

Thanks guys...I have tried the VLC mod ( keys database + AACS dynamic library ) but it didn't work either:

Also updated powerDVD...it made me uninstall the old version, and install a new one. still no luck

deeksy I'll check that link out as well

 

http://www.leawo.com/blu-ray-player/

 

HALLELUEYAH


or however you spell that word...

it works.

Deesky that downloaded an entirely different version than it told me to "patch" to before: looks like it's V12 now

Thanks!

 

thx Brad I will give that a shot too! I'm fed up with powerDVD even though it's working now, I suspect I'll have to go thru this all again soon

 

I'll try the one Brad linked to as well, but what I want is a free player that does screenshots/screengrabs like the VLC dvd player does, if such an animal exists.

 

yep VLC is my main media player. great features!

too bad that bluray hack didn't work for me

 

You should try Media Plater Classic Home Cinema. It also plays everything, including bluray (.m2ts) files. I actually prefer it to VLC.

 

You know, this thread is fascinating to me. I bought a new Lenovo desktop about a year ago and was hoping to get it with a Blu-ray drive just so I could have some kind of Blu-ray player. Couldn't make the feature set work, but now I realize the main thing I would have used it for -- watching BD movies -- would have caused all kinds of headaches. Heck, even the DVD causes some headaches, since it's one of the newer ones where you have to pick a region code up to 5 times.

 

Wouldn't be easier just to buy a blu ray player? They don't cost much

 

I saw a clearance model player at CVS (a drug store of all places) for $17.49 a couple of weeks ago. I don't recall the brand, but it wasn't a "never heard of" item, maybe a Samsung. I almost bought it just to say "I bought a blu-ray player for less than $20!" Then I figured if my wife was going to see me dragging a new piece of gear through the front door it should probably be something I really want.

 

There is no free BD playback software. VLC can only play some Blu-ray discs, while most Blu Ray discs are protected by AACS. Cyberlink is the best PC Blu-ray software for PC, but if the program cannot work well for you, you can try another brand Windows Blu-ray Player software named MacGo. This player is also a powerful BD playback program for Windows 10. Some about $30 or $40, I am not so sure.