Member Avatar for rproffitt

I've been asked many times how to play Video DVD and Blu-Ray (BR) on Windows for years.

Until now I've always lamented the lack of free BR player software. But last week the CNET Cheapskate published a freebie player. I'll try it in a few days.
Link -> https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-watch-dvds-for-free-in-windows-10/

Most of us know VLC Player will handle Video DVDs and unprotected Blu-Ray but so far in years I've yet to find an unprotected Blu-Ray title.

Be sure to watch for what media you want to play when you first launch this player. Many folk miss that and gripe later about it taking over the audio duties.

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Short, practical update and troubleshooting notes that build on ’s find and ’s ownership point.

Commercial Blu‑ray playback on Windows still hinges on two things: whether a disc uses studio access controls and whether the player you pick includes licensed support for those controls. The open Blu‑ray libraries used by free players intentionally do not include DRM‑circumvention code, so many commercial titles won’t play “out of the box.” (images.videolan.org)

Options that work in practice (tradeoffs up front): licensed commercial players (the simplest, most reliable route for protected discs) — e.g., PowerDVD — or vendor‑advertised “free” players that claim region/all‑disc support (verify vendor claims and EULA). Community workarounds (community AACS key databases, libaacs, or using tools that decrypt/stream to a player) are technically documented and often used, but they are fragile to key updates and may raise legal issues. (techhive.com)

Installer/default‑app and audio “takeover” trouble is common — heed ’s warning. During install decline any “make default” prompts. If the player already grabbed audio/file associations, undo it: Settings → Apps → Default apps (or choose by file type), use Windows’ “App volume and device preferences” to pin a player to a specific output, and disable “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device” in the Sound control panel if the player locks audio. Those steps stop most surprises. (support.microsoft.com)

Legal note answering : owning a disc is not the same as a right to bypass its access controls. U.S. law (DMCA §1201) restricts circumvention, though the Copyright Office periodically issues narrow exemptions — check current guidance before using circumvention tools. For a low‑risk, reliable experience, use a licensed player or your standalone Blu‑ray player. (copyright.gov)

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Member Avatar for rubberman

Why I don't use BluRay. When you buy it, you don't own it. You are only renting it!

Member Avatar for rproffitt

, I hear you. While I don't own a lot of Blu-Ray discs it was great to finally find a player that I could install for free.

Physical media here is pretty much on its way out much to the alarm of some folk.

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