4 Easy Ways to Play Blu-ray on MacBook Pro, Air and iMac

Win 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP

Mac OS X 10.7 or above

Blu-ray Player

Apple doesn’t equip MacBooks with built-in Blu-ray drives so can’t directly play Blu-ray movies on MacBook (Air or Pro) or iMac. To play Blu-ray on MacBook, you need an external hard drive to read Blu-ray discs and Blu-ray player software to play it, especially encrypted discs. It’s easy to get a drive on Amazon. But getting a reliable Blu-ray player compatible with your MacBook and Blu-rays is not.

To save you time, we’ve tested and reviewed Blu-ray players out there and picked 4 of the best options. In this post, we will share how their features help you watch Blu-rays on MacBook Air, Pro, and even iMac, how to use them to play Blu-rays, and which one is suitable for playing 4K movies and home-made content.

Quick Flip: Need to play Blu-ray on Mac right now? Try the best pick – VideoByte Blu-ray Player. It is equipped with powerful Blu-ray decoding ability to retain lossless images as well as sound effects to deliver a theatre-like Blu-ray streaming experience to you. For more detailed information about the program, please dive down into the detailed introduction below.

Preparation Before Watching Blu-ray on iMac and MacBook Pro/Air

Before figuring out the Blu-ray playback on your MacBook, you need to prepare special equipment – Blu-ray player hardware and software. Aside from these two items, there are several other factors that need to be considered if you need a smooth and lossless Blu-ray movie playback.

Get everything ready for playing Blu-ray on Mac:

An external Macintosh Blu-ray drive. An external drive lets you connect the disc with your Mac. You can get one from online retailers like Amazon, eBay, etc. Click here for some tips.
A third-party reliable Blu-ray player software. A Blu-ray player software makes it possible to play the Blu-ray discs on your MacBook.
Stable network connection. Most DVD or Blu-ray discs are copy-protected to make sure a Blu-ray player software can decode the protection and play them on Mac successfully, so a network connection is needed.
Your Blu-ray Disc. After you prepare the things above, don’t forget your Blu-ray disc.

Now you know all the necessary items needed for a smooth Blu-ray streaming experience on Mac. Among them, Blu-ray player software is quite essential for pleasant Blu-ray playback on Mac. A good one can decrypt Blu-rays, deliver lossless quality, and play any part you like.

After comparing all Blu-ray player software, we’ve picked 4 excellent Blu-ray player software for MacBook Pro/Air and iMac. Each is suitable for different playback needs. Now, let’s grasp the ideas below.

Best Way to Play Blu-ray on MacBook Pro & Air: Using VideoByte

Excellent Blu-ray Player for MacBook Pro, Air, and iMac on macOS X 10.9 or above.

For a high-definition and smooth Blu-ray streaming experience, VideoByte Blu-ray Player can definitely be the best program with its excellent features. It can bypass DRM protections and region codes imposed on Blu-ray discs and play commercial or foreign movies. It also lets you enjoy the original videos of up to 4K resolution while keeping the best sound quality with in-built DTS and Dolby technology.

With unique hardware acceleration, the Blu-ray software can deliver a seamless and cinematic playback experience on a MacBook. If you want to skip, its intuitive navigation menu lets you skip and choose from default titles, chapters, audio tracks, and subtitles with no hassle. Better yet, you can adjust the brightness to cater to any playback scenario. Apart from playing Blu-ray discs on Mac, you can also play Blu-ray folders, ISO files, DVD discs, folders, or media files in any format.

VideoByte Blu-ray Player: Best Pick for Blu-ray Playback

Play both homemade and commercial Blu-rays: Bypass DRM protections like AACS, BD+, Cinavia, APS, CSS, ARccOS, CPRM, etc. and unlock all Blu-ray region codes.
Lossless visual and sound effects retained: Keep up to 4K Ultra HD definition and original DTS, Dolby Digital sound quality while playing Blu-ray movies on Mac.
Keep original Blu-ray contents: all detected chapters, audio tracks, and subtitles will be kept by the program, to bring you a convenient Blu-ray streaming experience on Mac.
Work Perfect, not Buggy, smooth playback: Its advanced hardware acceleration techniques ensure a smooth Blu-ray decryption and playback process without compromising quality, outperforming other apps to play blu-ray on mac.
Easy navigation to control Blu-ray playback: A clear and simple navigation menu with flexible video effect settings to help you control your own Blu-ray streaming experience in preference.

How to Play Blu-ray Disc on MacBook Pro/MacBook Air with VideoByte Blu-ray Player

After the introduction, you’ve learned much about VideoByte Blu-ray Player. Here’re detailed instructions to show you how this reliable tool helps you watch Blu-ray on MacBook Pro.

VideoByte Blu-ray player offers a free trial to new users. You can get the program installed and follow the guide to find out whether it can help you watch your Blu-ray on MacBook now!

Step 1. Connect the BD drive to your MacBook Pro
Prepare a Macintosh Blu-ray drive and connect the BD drive to your MacBook Pro with the USB cable. Then, insert your Blu-ray movie disc into the drive.

Step 2. Read Blu-ray Disc and Load It
Launch VideoByte Blu-ray Player and then click on the “Open Disc” button on the main interface to load the Blu-ray disc on your MacBook Pro. Make sure you are connected to the Internet well.

Step 3. Start to Play Blu-ray on MacBook Pro
Wait a second, the main menu will pop out. Here, you can choose the chapter, audio tracks and subtitles you like. Or, you can directly click the “Play Movie” button to watch the Blu-ray movie directly. The easy navigation menu is available here to help you control the playback effects as you like conveniently.

With only 3 steps, you can play Blu-ray on MacBook Pro with lossless quality using this best Blu-ray player for Mac. As the program can also be well compatible with more Mac models, regardless of MacBook Air, MacBook, or iMac, you can install it and then enjoy a flawless theatre-like Blu-ray streaming experience at home.

If you’re not sure if it can play your Blu-rays, take advantage of the free trial. Install this brilliant Blu-ray player and give it a try!

Other 3 Blu-ray Player Software Worth A Try (Free Option Included)

VideoByte Blu-ray Player does offer brilliant streaming experience to help you play Blu-ray on MacBook and iMac and let you enjoy an advanced Blu-ray streaming with all original effects retained. Actually, there are more helpful programs functioning to help. Here are also 3 other reliable Blu-ray player software for Mac you can try!

VLC Media Player: Play Personal Blu-rays on Mac For Free

Free Blu-ray Player for MacBook Pro, Air, and iMac on mac OS X 10.7.5 or later.

VLC Media Player is an open-source and free Blu-ray player for Mac. It features a stable and fast Blu-ray playback performance with its hardware decoding technologies that have been applied. Also, it comes with a few built-in features to let you add a subtitle or audio track when playing videos. Better yet, it supports playing 3D videos in side-by-side formats and allows you to add video/audio filters if necessary.

While it’s a free Blu-ray player without any hidden cost, it doesn’t support commercial Blu-rays with DRM protections or region codes. And it doesn’t support playing Blu-ray discs in and direct way. This means you need to install plugins.

>> Check more easy-to-use options in the post: Top Free Blu-ray Players You Should Not Miss.

Pros

Cons

Free to use on different operating systems.

Play homemade discs, DVDs, and all types of media files.

Add a subtitle or audio track for video playback.

Support playing SBS 3D videos.

Enable hardware decoding technology.

Add custom video and audio filters.

Offer in-built features like recording and converting.

Do not offer a navigation menu for discs.

Cannot play discs protected by DRM or region codes.

Support videos of up to 1080p.

Tips for Watching Encrypted Commercial Blu-rays on Mac:

To watch encrypted Blu-ray discs on Mac or play them without hassle, you need a professional Blu-ray player with decryption like VideoByte Blu-ray Player. It is a premium Blu-ray player that can play Blu-ray discs with or without encryption. At present, it offers a free trial, with which you can find out whether it works perfectly for you before upgrading to its premium service.

How to Play Blu-ray on MacBook Air with VLC

Step 1. Download the latest version (3.0.19) of VLC for Mac OS X from Videolan.org.

Step 2. Install two necessary library files – KEYDB.cfg and libaacs.dll– on your Mac.

Step 3. Put them into different folders on your Mac. For the details, be sure to check our How to Play Blu-ray with VLC on Windows & Mac.

Step 4. Open the VLC and use it to play your Blu-ray disc.

Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player: Play Commercial Blu-ray Movies on MacBook

Professional Blu-ray Player for MacBook Pro, Air, iMac, Mac Mini on macOS 10.8 and above.

As the name suggests, Macgo is the Blu-ray Player software compatible with all Mac models. It is equipped with advanced Blu-ray decoding ability to read different types region-code-free Blu-ray discs and play them for you in decent quality (only reaching 1080P). The intuitive menu makes it easier to skip chapters and watch the parts you want, helping you to enjoy Blu-ray streaming flexibly in ways you like. Compared to the Leawo Blu-ray Player, Macgo works well on MacBook with fewer loading problems. And the interface is an improvement without a frame.

However, the playback on this software may get laggy and sometimes you may find it drops frame and get stuck, as it is not equipped with any acceleration technique like our first pick VideoByte Blu-ray Player has done. Furthermore, for Blu-ray movie lovers, the Mac Blu-ray software doesn’t support 4K and DTS or Dolby sound. To unlock this advanced feature, you will need an extra charge to subscribe to this program.

Pros

Cons

Support DRM-protected discs.

Enable hardware acceleration for smooth playback.

Play the original video without data loss.

Support a virtual navigation menu.

Support macOS X 10.8 and above.

Cannot play Blu-ray of higher definitions like 2K, 4K, and 8K.

Drop the frame or get unresponsive somehow.

How to Play Blu-ray on iMac with Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player (Pro Version) Step 1. Download the app’s Pro Version on the computer. Drag its icon to your Application folder. Step 2. Connect the external Blu-ray drive with your iMac via a USB cable. Insert the Blu-ray disc in the drive. Step 3. Go to “Launchpad” to find and click Mac Blu-ray Player Pro. It will automatically load and play the disc for you. Don’t know which Blu-ray player is suitable for your MacBook? Click here to find out the differences and features of the 4 Blu-ray players in the post.

Leawo Blu-ray Player: Play Blu-ray Discs in 1080P on Mac

Decent Blu-ray Player for MacBook Pro, Air, and iMac on macOS 10.10 – 13

Leawo Blu-ray Player is one of the free Blu-ray players for MacBook and iMac. Compatible with macOS 10.10 – 13, it enables Mac users to easily play Blu-rays at home on iMac or outside with MacBook. Similar to our first pick VideoByte, Leawo also plays Blu-ray discs encrypted with different DRM protections and region codes. With a virtual control panel provided, it would be effortless for you to get control of the Blu-ray streaming, like selecting titles, scenes, subtitles, and audio tracks without affecting the viewing during the playback, giving you a flexible experience of playing Blu-ray on Mac.

However, for users wishing to play Blu-ray in 4K definition, Leawo Blu-ray Player may let you down. The program only supports up to 1080P and doesn’t support 4K Blu-ray streaming at all. This drawback makes Leawo suitable for playing 1080P Blu-ray movies, and TV shows on MacBook Pro, Air, and iMac. For more free Blu-ray players, head to our reviews of Free Blu-ray Player for Mac.

Pros

Cons

Support playing protected Blu-ray discs.

Play local video and audio videos of various formats.

Provide a virtual control panel during playback.

Ensure great listening with advanced audio technology.

Support macOS X 10.10/10.11/10.12/10.13/10.14/10.15.

Only support streaming Blu-ray at up to HD 1080p.

Do not customize video effects.

Do not support 3D videos.

An out-of-sync problem may occur sometimes.

Pricey Pro Version starts at $44.95/year.

How to Play Blu-ray on MacBook Pro with Leawo Blu-ray Player

To use Leawo Blu-ray Player to play Blu-rays on Mac, you need to install the software and insert your Blu-ray disc. Open the software, and click “Play Disc“. For more details and step-by-step instructions, check our post on Leawo Blu-ray Player Review – Play Blu-ray/DVD on Computer Freely.

Comparison: 4 Best Blu-ray Players to Play Blu-ray on MacBook

Don’t know how to sort out the best Blu-ray player software for MacBook? No worries. The following comparison table gives you an overall idea of the differences among these 4 MacBook Blu-ray Player. Before making a decision, you may want to check it out first.

	VideoByte	Leawo	Macgo	VLC
DRM Protected	√	√	√	×
Bypass Region Code	√	√	×	×
Video Quality	4K	1080p	1080p	1080p
Navigation Menu	√	√	√	×
Adjust Video Effect	√	×	√	√
Compatibility	Windows, Mac	Windows, Mac	Mac	Windows, Mac, Linux
Drop Frame	×	√	√	√
Out of Sync	×	√	√	√
Cost	Starting at $29.95	Starting at $44.95	Starting at $19.95	Free

Tips for Picking A Blu-ray Player Software for Your MacBook Pro, Air, and iMac:

1.Free Blu-ray player software often comes with buggy playback and lack of features to play commercial Blu-rays with encryption. But the free option is perfect for playing homemade Blu-ray discs.

2.Premium Blu-ray players like VideoByte and Macgo are recommended because they offer every feature you need for watching Blu-ray on MacBook. You can download them and compare which one works great for you.

>> More to Explore: Ultimate List of Free Blu-ray Players for MacBook Pro/Air/iMac.

Apart from a reliable MacBook Blu-ray player, it’s also a great idea to rip Blu-ray discs to digital formats and then you can enjoy videos without external Blu-ray drives Mac. If you have no idea, you should get the rope in the following extra tip.

Extra Tip: Play Blu-ray on MacBook Pro by Ripping Blu-ray to Digital

Instead of taking the external Blu-ray player hardware everywhere, you can directly rip Blu-ray to digital formats, saving great effort and trouble. This method also saves you the trouble on selecting a Blu-ray player for Mac.

To rip Blu-ray, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper is a magic tool with powerful features equipped. It can digitize commercial and homemade DVD/Blu-ray discs to over 300 DRM-free formats while keeping all titles, chapters, subtitles, and audio tracks. Better yet, it ensures lossless video and audio quality for the best flow experience. After ripping the disc, you can enjoy flexible playback anywhere at any time without an internal or external Macintosh Blu-ray drive on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, etc.

DRM-Protection Removal –With edge-cutting DRM decryption technology, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper can easily decrypt and rip DVD/Blu-ray discs protected by DRM or region codes.
1:1 Ratio Lossless Ripping –This dedicated software can keep lossless video and audio quality for the best playback along with default titles, chapters, subtitles, audio tracks, etc.
3 Output Modes Available –You can digitize Blu-ray discs to popular formats like MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI, etc. Also, you can rip them to Blu-ray folders/ISO files with ease.
Various Default Presets – There are in-built presets for all kinds of devices and social platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Lasso, Likee, etc. to save you a lot of effort.
Flexible Parameter Settings – Except for default presets, you can fully customize a desired preset with flexible parameters including an encoder, resolution, bitrate, frame rate, and so on.

How to Rip Blu-ray to Digital for Easy Playback on MacBook Pro Retina

It’s totally a piece of cake to digitize Blu-ray discs with the help of VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper in 3 steps. Once getting the digital Blu-ray copies of the discs, you can then play Blu-ray on Mac with any media player without restrictions anymore!

Try VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper’s free trial, download the software and follow the guide below. Let’s find out how it converts your Blu-ray collection to digital videos for easy movie playback on MacBook Pro, Air and iMac:

Step 1. Insert your Blu-ray disc into a Macintosh Blu-ray drive that is connected to your MacBook Pro.

Step 2. Launch VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper and click Load Blu-ray > Load Blu-ray Disc.

Step 3. Select the titles you want to rip and click Rip All to to choose a preset or output format. Now, hit the Rip All button to start digitizing videos from the Blu-ray disc to MacBook Pro.

Select Format and Quality to Rip Blu-ray on Mac

Extended Reading - Pick A Cost-effective Blu-ray Drive for Your Mac

To get Blu-ray playback on MacBook Pro, a Macintosh Blu-ray Drive is essential. However, you might get lost when there are thousands of external Blu-ray drives Mac-supported available on the current market. If you don’t know how to choose a good Blu-ray drive for Mac, the following part will offer you some best external Blu-ray drives for smooth playback.

These excellent recommendations have features including but not limited to smooth operation, good encryption, support for reading multiple disc types, etc. Just go ahead and find your best Mac Blu-ray drive:

Mac Blu-ray Player Hardware	Introduction
ASUS BW-12D1S-U Lite	Equipped with strong Blu-ray decoding ability and password control to safely manage Blu-ray streaming on MacBook Pro.
Samsung SE-506CB/RSBD	Designed with a really lightweight body but great function to read and write quad, triple and dual-layer Blu-ray discs.
Sea Tech Aluminum	Provide decent quality and smooth experience to play Blu-ray discs of different types in affordable pricing.
LG BP50NB40	Well capable of different device systems to deliver a restriction-free Blu-ray streaming experience to more users.
Pioneer BDR-XS06	Equipped with USB 3.0 and 2.0 interfaces with a buffer size of 4 megabytes to make Blu-ray playback faster and smoother.

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Best Blu-ray Players for MacBook Air: Tested and Reviewed

Final Words

After reading the whole post, which one pops into your mind as the best Blu-ray player for MacBook Pro, Air, and iMac? If you want a free MacBook Pro Blu-ray player, the VLC media player is a free option to consider but it doesn’t support directly playing discs with DRM protections or region codes. If you want to play protected Blu-ray discs with excellent sound effects, VideoByte Blu-ray Player stands out as the best choice for you. Now, give it a shot and immerse into the Blu-ray world at home.