How do I play blu ray dvds on iMac?

CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays are all optical discs. The full-size discs share the same physical dimensions. Many DVD drives can handle both DVDs and CDs. Many Blu-Ray drives can handle Blu-Ray discs, DVDs, and CDs.

But Blu-Ray discs are not DVDs.

Finding an external Blu-Ray optical drive will be the easy part. Finding software that will let you play back your own commercial Blu-Ray movies may be more difficult, given Hollywood's eagerness to push DRM into every nook and cranny of your computer and your home entertainment system.

If you do not know what an external Blu-Ray optical drive is, then you do not have one.

If you don't know where to begin, shop for one here: OWC External Optical Drives

You need an external Blu-Ray optical drive. Do you have one?

+1 to what John Galt posted, plus you usually have to buy Blu Ray player software/application as well. VLC May work if the blu ray is not encrypted..

John B

Maybe something like this ( if you have usb-c)

Amazon Canada link:

https://www.amazon.ca/External-Blu-ray-Player-MacBook-Desktop/dp/B07F7Y2K82

John B

Technically, a Blu-Ray disc is not a DVD. Blu-Ray can support 1080 HD format, DVD is limited to SD 480 resolution. Displays larger than 20" or so will reveal the obvious difference in image quality.

I am not sure if getting the required third-party hardware and software to play standard Blu-Ray discs on the Mac is worth the effort, especially if you might have a larger display, since the Blu-Ray format is limited to 1080 resolution, and since your Mac can probably stream movies and display them in a higher 4K resolution from some providers.

I don't know if there are any third party options on the Mac for the newer higher Blu-Ray 4K Ultra HD discs yet.

This article on best apps to play Blu-Ray on the Mac summarizes it best:

https://www.imore.com/best-apps-blu-rays-mac

"Maybe just don't. On a laptop screen, you may not be able to fully enjoy the HD splendor of a great Blu-ray picture. (And hauling around an external drive plus discs would make the experience a lot less portable.) Desktop Macs with big screens already have Netflix, iTunes, and lots of other less noisy and expensive ways to watch HD movies."

Now maybe someone can help me figure out how to play my 8-track tape on my Mac... :-)

Glen Doggett wrote:

Now maybe someone can help me figure out how to play my 8-track tape on my Mac... :-)

You don't, you donate it to the local thrift store if they'll take it.

Ah' the good old days! My Deep Purple Machine Head 8-track tape was wrinkled and spliced, but that didn't stop us from jamming it back into player for another go-around.

I guess there are no USB 8-Track players. I guess you will have to use a line in adapter and ruin that awesome 8-track audio quality.