Windows 8.1 still tin can't play DVD and Blu-ray movies out of the box. To go DVD playback from Microsoft, y'all'd have to buy the Windows eight Pro Pack for $100 and the Media Centre Pack for $x -- and that only gets you lot DVD playback, not even Blu-ray back up! Luckily, there are great free programs you can use to play DVDs without paying Microsoft another $110.

Microsoft removed DVD and Blu-ray support because many new ultrabooks and tablets don't have DVD drives, so they don't want to pay DVD and Blu-ray license fees for every Windows license they ship. Microsoft also thinks streaming services similar Netflix are the future -- but that's picayune condolement if you desire to watch a DVD or Blu-ray picture on your Windows 8 PC.

VLC

The swiss army knife of media players, VLC plays DVDs and almost everything else out there. It's completely free and open up source. Just download the VLC player, install it, and pop in a DVD disc. Open up the VLC application, click the Media carte, select Open Disc, and choose your DVD drive. When you put in a DVD, VLC will skip straight to the card or the pic itself, skipping all those obnoxious  piracy warnings and long trailers.

VLC also supports unencrypted Blu-ray discs. Unfortunately, commercial Blu-ray movies volition generally be encrypted. You can effort using the third-party AACS dynamic library to make VLC play encrypted Blu-ray discs -- if you're looking for a Blu-ray player and don't want to shell out any coin, information technology'southward worth a shot.

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Manufacturer-Provided DVD and Blu-Ray Players

Windows doesn't provide DVD or Blu-ray playback back up, so computer manufacturers have to practise the footwork. If you purchased a computer that came with a DVD or Blu-ray drive, your hardware manufacturer has already thought of this. You'll probably discover DVD and Blu-ray playback software preinstalled on your computer if it came with the appropriate drive. This software more often than not isn't "free" for the manufacturer, but they've already paid a licensing fee so you lot can use it -- it'southward included in the toll of your reckoner.

CyberLink PowerDVD is popular amongst device manufacturers, and you'll also occasionally run across other programs like Corel WinDVD Pro. Don't let the names fool y'all -- both of these programs can also play Blu-ray movies.

You can more often than not observe this software on your organisation by pressing the Windows key to access the Start screen, and so typing "DVD" without quotes. Windows will search for programs with DVD in their name. Apply any came with your computer to play the disc. If you purchased your DVD or Blu-ray bulldoze separately, yous may find DVD or Blu-ray playback software on a software disc that came with your drive.

These officially licensed programs will piece of work very well for Blu-ray discs, which unofficial programs struggle with.

CyberLink PowerDVD

PotPlayer

Daum PotPlayer is a free media role player with a devoted post-obit. It supports DVDs, but the nearly meaning feature it offers is integrated support for Blu-ray movies. Reviews are mixed on how well this works -- some people are happy with information technology, while other people feel bug. Some advanced features, such as 3D Blu-ray back up, don't work and require a commercial software solution.

This isn't surprising -- unlike officially licensed Blu-ray players, unofficial Blu-ray players similar PotPlayer and VLC with the AACS library have to reverse engineer the encryption on Blu-ray discs. Nonetheless, if you lot're looking for a free Blu-ray player, PotPlayer is definitely worth a try.

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DVDs Are Like shooting fish in a barrel, Blu-Rays Are Hard

It's easy to play back DVDs. VLC does it amazingly well -- meliorate fifty-fifty than many commercial DVD players, equally it volition skip all the "unskippable" warnings and trailers for you. There are many, many programs that volition play DVDs well.

On the other mitt, Blu-ray playback is much harder. If y'all're looking for a free Blu-ray player, there's no perfect option. Some software solutions may not exist able to play certain discs, or they may not piece of work at all on your computer. If y'all want to play back Blu-ray discs, you're better off using software that came with your computer or drive. If you lot don't take this software and the free software just isn't cut it, well -- yous may want to purchase a commercial Blu-ray playback solution like PowerDVD.

Do you lot adopt another DVD actor, or do you know another free Blu-ray playback solution that works well? Leave a annotate and share it!

Image Credit: khrawlings on Flickr