How to Play Blu-ray with VLC on PC & Mac (Errors Solved)

Lafanda
10/07/2024

Blu-ray Player

Q: VLC claims to play Blu-ray on Windows & Mac. But after popping a Blu-ray disc into the computer, you only to find it fails to open or says “AACS decoding is required”. What does this even mean? Does VLC Play Blu-ray for sure? How to play Blu-ray on VLC properly?

VLC fails to play Blu-ray discs due to encrypted Blu-rays, region codes, lack of AACS dynamic library, and other reasons. If you have no idea on how to fix the VLC won’t play Blu-ray issue, we have you covered. In this post, we will start with detailed guides on downloading added files which should get your VLC to work fine.

If not, we’ll move on to all possible explanations for VLC Blu-ray playback errors to help you get VLC to play Blu-ray with solutions. At the end, we also have 2 backup plans to make sure you can enjoy your Blu-rays. Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways:

1. VLC can play homemade, burned and unprotected Blu-rays.

2. AACS Decoding can get VLC to play commercial Blu-rays except for those with the latest encryption.

3. Try VideoByte Blu-ray Player, a professional Blu-ray player with features to decrypt Blu-rays with the latest copy protections. It can play these protected and region-locked Blu-ray on Windows and Mac smoothly. With it, you can directly open any Blu-ray discs.

Can VLC play Blu-ray on Windows or Mac?

The answer depends on what type of Blu-rays you want to play. VLC can play your homemade Blu-rays discs as fine as shown in Situation 1 below. But when it comes to encrypted Blu-rays, VLC won’t play Blu-ray discs. It may require the AACS decoding just like in Situation 2, which requires extra steps and effort.

Situation 1: Play Unprotected Blu-ray Discs with VLC

You can follow the steps below to find out how to play Blu-rays on VLC:

Go to “Media” > “Play Disc“. On a pop-up window entitled Open Media, check “Blu-ray“. Choose the Blu-ray disc you want to play from the Disc device, and click “Play“. Then, you have got the VLC Blu-ray player that plays Blu-ray on computer for you.

Situation 2: Play Encrypted Blu-ray Discs with VLC

However, you may find VLC won’t play Blu-rays and another error occurs. It says you need “a library for AACS”. This means your Blu-ray is encrypted with AACS protection, which requires AACS codecs for Blu-ray to unlock. It does not mean VLC can’t play Blu-ray discs, and just reminds you of using AACS Blu-ray video library for VLC. To help you solve the problem, we will introduce the step-by-step guides to show how to install the AACS library file for VLC.

Windows users click here for the detailed guide.
Mac users follow another guide below.
For other reasons on VLC won’t play Blu-ray, click here to check if there are other causes.

How to Play Blu-ray Discs with VLC on Windows 11/10

Installing the key database and AACS dynamic library can help VLC access the library for AACS decoding and bypass the Blu-ray protection, enabling a successful Blu-ray playback in VLC. Now, follow the detailed guide below to see how to install the AACS file and solve the issue of “VLC won’t play Blu-ray discs on Windows 11/10/8/7”.

Step 1. Before we start the setup, if you have installed VLC, make sure your VLC has been upgraded to the latest version first. Go to “Check for Updates” to update your VLC.

If you don’t have VLC, go to its official website to install the latest version VLC 3.0.19.

Note: It would be better to keep the default installation path while installing VLC. Otherwise, you might not follow the steps below.

Step 2. Go to https://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/ to download the keys database and AACS dynamic library. Once completed, two files – the keys database file (KEYDB.cfg) and the AACS dynamic library file (libaacs.dll) are downloaded on your Windows device.

For other easy methods and Blu-ray players, check our post on How to Play Blu-ray on computer.

Step 3. Go to “C:\ProgramData”, and then create a new folder in it. Name the new folder as “aacs”. After that, place your downloaded “KEYDB.cfg” file into it.

Step 4. Now, go to “C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC” on Windows computer, then drop the downloaded “libaacs.dll” file into it. If your computer is running 32bit VLC, you will need to find your VLC directory in “C:\Program Files (x86)”.

Step 5. Once the process is completed, launch VLC. VLC should now play protected Blu-ray discs on Windows without any error.

Simply insert your disc and click on “Media” > “Open Disc” > “Blu-ray” in the program to get VLC to play Blu-ray on Windows 11/10/8/7!

Now you may find out how complicated it is to get the AACS file downloaded and put it in exactly the right place. Since it is the key to making VLC support Blu-ray playback, each step is necessary.

Besides, as VLC Media Player is a totally non-profit program, the app won’t be updated in time and fail to play Blu-rays encrypted with the latest types of Blu-ray protection made by Blu-ray publishers.

Quick Tips for VLC Not Playing Blu-rays Encrypted with Other Protections:

After installing the AACS decoding library on VLC, if VLC still can’t play Blu-ray discs for you, chances are that the Blu-ray is encrypted with advanced protection that is too complicated to handle with VLC. In this case, you need extra help from a professional Blu-ray player – VideoByte Blu-ray Player, which deals with all common Blu-ray protections for you. Give it a try with its free trial!

How to Use VLC to Play Blu-ray on Mac

On Mac, the steps on how to install the AACS file and play Blu-ray discs with VLC are quite similar to the steps we introduced above using a Windows computer.

However, as Mac might download files in different folders, there are still some details you need to pay attention to make VLC play Blu-ray. Follow the guide below to see how to get VKC to play Blu-ray discs on Mac.

Step 1. Before getting VLC to play Blu-ray on Mac, download the latest version (3.0.19) of VLC for Mac OS X from Videolan.org.

If you already have VLC installed on your Mac, open VLC and go to “Check for Updates” to see version details for your VLC.

Step 2. Go to: https://vlc-bluray.whoknowsmy.name/ and get two necessary files.

#1. KEYS Database

Mac OS: put “KEYDB.cfg” in ~/Library/Preferences/aacs/ create it if it does not exist.

#2. AACS Dynamic Library

Mac OS: right-click on VLC, choose “Show Package Contents” and put the “libaacs.dylib” file in “Contents/MacOS/lib/” create it if it does not exist.

Step 3. When the two library files are well installed on your Mac, run VLC and insert your Blu-ray disc into the Blu-ray drive. This time when opening it with VLC, the encrypted Blu-ray movie will start playing without any error occurring!

If this solution doesn’t work, or your VLC runs into other errors, keep reading for the alternative method for playing Blu-ray discs.

Troubleshooting: Fix VLC Blu-ray Playback Errors

Using AACS decoding library and change region codes are common solutions way to get VLC to play Blu-rays. But other unexpected streaming errors still can make VLC not play Blu-ray. Therefore, this troubleshooting module will help you fix them and help VLC play Blu-ray smoothly again. Please check.

Fix 1: Errors on AACS Library

About AACS Decoding:

This Blu-ray disc needs a library for aacs decoding, and your system does not have it.

About Configuration Files:

No valid processing key found in AACS file.
Missing AACS configuration file!

The 3 notices above all are about the AACS decoding file in VLC. Therefore, if you receive them, you can check the installing steps for Windows and for Mac of this post, following the guide, and you can fix the problems then.

Result: VLC May Still Not Play Blu-ray with AACS Decoding Library

The main reason why VLC won’t play Blu-ray smoothly even if you add the AACS library file for VLC is that the library does not include the AACS key for some Blu-ray discs. Therefore, one possible solution to solve the problem is to update the AACS key and the VLC version when you meet the Blu-ray playback error on VLC media player.

Besides, there are plenty of restrictions used on Blu-rays. Apart from AACS, other protections or region codes can also lead to failed Blu-ray playback on VLC.

Solution: Turn to another Blu-ray player with features to play any encrypted Blu-rays.

Fix 2: Errors About Input File

Your input can’t be opened.
VLC can’t recognize the input’s format.

When you see the notes prompt, you can try the following workarounds:

Reset VLC preference to default.
Update VLC to the latest version.
Change file owner not playing in VLC.

VLC Won’t Play Blu-ray Normally:

Sometimes users may encounter some abnormal VLC playback issues as below:

VLC keeps Blu-ray loading but nothing presents.
VLC subtitle delay and the Blu-ray movie text is often too soon or too late.
VLC Player has no sound when playing a disc

Solution: Use MakeMKV/HandBrake to Encryt and VLC to Play:

Many Blu-ray fans introduce a universal method to play Blu-ray with VLC smoothly. That is, using freeware HandBrake or MakeMKV to rip Blu-ray to formats that VLC directly supports. Then, you can play the converted Blu-ray movies with VLC. But pay attention that MakeMKV is not always free, and HandBrake also rips encrypted Blu-rays with the help of AACS library.

While the problem that “VLC won’t Play Blu-ray” is tricky, we also prepare you with the best VLC alternative, VideoByte Blu-ray Player with a great Blu-ray disc playback function to enjoy a smooth streaming experience. The program performs excellent at reading encrypted Blu-ray discs, and delivers a theatre-like visual as well as sound effects for you to have the best experience offline.

Best VLC Alternative: Play Blu-ray Discs on PC/Mac [Easy Option]

Since VLC is an open source and free program, it is understandable the app is complicated or not working well from time to time. In this case, it is wise to try other professional Blu-ray players that can handle common copy protection, directly read encrypted Blu-ray discs, and play Blu-ray videos on Windows and Mac. Here we’d like to recommend VideoByte Blu-ray Player.

VideoByte Blu-ray Player is empowered with encryption techniques and can bypass the latest and advanced types of copy protection. Therefore, unlike VLC, it can play Blu-ray discs with ease, be it protected or not. With high definition and original sound effects, VideoByte Blu-ray Player delivers a cinema-like experience to users so they can enjoy commercial Blu-ray on the computer screen with the best experience from the comfort of their own home!

Why VideoByte Blu-ray Player is the Best Alternative to VLC

Easiest Blu-ray Playback– Play encrypted Blu-ray disc/folder/ISO image without downloading any extra file (unlike VLC).
Powerful Protection Removal-Support bypassing region codes and copy protection to play Blu-ray steadily and smoothly.
Best Viewing Experience – Guarantee fluent Blu-ray playback and crisp, natural-looking picture with up to 4K resolution and DTS & Dolby Digital support.
Ease to Use– Easy access to the disc menu and control playback as you like.
Tech Support & Updates– Offer Lifelong technical updates and prompt technical support.

You can check the video first to find out that VideoByte Blu-ray Player makes the Blu-ray playback easy and smooth on Windows 10.

Unlike VLC which requires trick file installments and steps, VideoByte Blu-ray Player only takes 3 simple steps to play a Blu-ray disc on Windows or Mac. Here are the picture steps for you.

VideoByte Blu-ray Player Main Interface — Launch VideoByte Blu-ray Player

Bonus: Play Blu-ray on VLC After Ripping to Other Formats

Instead of getting VLC to play Blu-ray by walking through the complicated AACS file installation and finally still ending up with failure, converting Blu-ray to regular video formats supported by VLC can perfectly fix the VLC won’t play Blu-ray error.

To decrypt protected Blu-rays and convert them to the formats supported by VLC, VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper is highly recommended to you. As a professional Blu-ray ripper, it will retain great images, excellent details, and dynamic expressive sound to bring a theatre-like high-quality Blu-ray movie streaming experience to your home.

The program also offers 300+ formats to select as you wish, so you only need to choose the ones well-compatible by VLC. When you get Blu-rays converted to regular video files, VLC can play Blu-rays even without using any other Blu-ray player software!

Find out how VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper helps you convert Blu-rays easily:

Convert all types of Blu-ray/DVD to multiple digital formats (MP4, MKV, MOV, etc.).
Bypass various copy protection (APS, CSS, ARccOS, CPRM, AACS, BD+, and Cinavia).
Provide lossless-quality Blu-ray videos.
Preserve all subtitles & audio tracks for convenient playback.
Fast ripping speed that can reach 6X and faster.

Now let’s see how to use VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper to rip Blu-ray to digital formats to play Blu-ray on VLC for you:

Rip to Option — Rip to Video/Audio/ISO/Folder

Step 3. Click "Rip All" to Start Ripping DVD/Blu-ray Disc

Why can't VLC play Blu-ray?

When you discover VLC can’t play Blu-rays, consider whether you are running into issues like these which stop a successful VLC Blu-ray playback:

Your computer is installing the old version of VLC, which can’t open Blu-ray discs.
Both the key database and AACS database are placed wrongly in different folders.
The VLC AACS decoding library is not included in the key database.
The VLC Blu-ray codes are not compatible with your Blu-ray discs.

To fix the VLC won’t play Blu-ray error, please return to the former part (Windows users for
Part 1, Mac users for Part 2) for the corresponding solutions.

Bonus: Why stick to VLC when many free Blu-ray players out there, check this post of Best Free Blu-ray Player for Windows & Mac of the Year for more free options.

Does VLC Play Blu-ray ISO?

Yes or no. Usually, VLC cannot open Blu-ray ISO directly, and you need to mount the ISO file first. It’s not an easy step. Therefore, if you want to play Blu-ray ISO smoothly, VideoByte Blu-ray Player is still a good alternative.

Can VLC Also Rip Blu-rays?

Yes, VLC can rip Blu-rays. This media player can not only play Blu-ray but also rip Blu-ray to MP4 or other formats. But do note these processes take a bit of work and it’s possible to encounter some errors. If you do run into errors, you can turn to VideoByte BD-DVD Ripper for help. It can easily rip Blu-ray to multiple digital formats for you.

Is It Possible to Change the Region Code of VLC?

Unlike region-free Blu-ray players that can directly play Blu-rays, when you play Blu-ray discs with VLC, you may need to change the region code manually. When this happens, a notice may pop up that tells you there is a mismatch between your Blu-ray disc and VLC region code. Just follow the steps below to change the region code on VLC:

Step 1. Choose “Tools” on the menu bar, and click “Preference“.

Step 2. On the pop-p window, check “All” at the bottom-left corner. Then, find “Input/Codecs” in the left sidebar, and choose “Access Module“. Then, select “Blu-ray“.

Step 3. After you select “Blu-ray“, you can see the region code options on the right. Now, just choose the code you want to change to and play Blu-ray with VLC smoothly!

Final Words

VLC can play unprotected Blu-rays and some encrypted blu-rays after installing the AACS file on VLC. Though the process takes a bit of work, the step-by-step guides to get VLC to play Blu-ray discs are offered here.

Some of you may find it troublesome to follow, or frequently encounter with VLC errors when playing Blu-ray. If you watch Blu-rays frequently, it’s probably not worth the hassle of dealing with VLC errors and failures. Try another reliable and efficient software – VideoByte Blu-ray Player. It offers direct and easy access to play encrypted Blu-ray with the best definitions. At present, it offers a free trial for you to try its features. Why not download it below and try it free now.