Windows 8 is the newest operating system being offered by Microsoft. It was released on public last October, 2012. Amongst all operating systems, Windows 8 has a different user interface which is primarily made to suit the increasing demands of touch-screen computers. The small icons on the desktop and start menu were replaced with metro tiles that are fully customizable by the user. However not all things about Windows 8 is perfectly awesome.
The major drawback users are ranting about this newest operating system from Microsoft is the inability to play Blu-ray discs. According to different sources, Microsoft is paying $2 for every copy of Windows being sold just for it to play Blu-ray discs. And with the decreasing number of Blu-ray users, they simply opt to remove this feature. So how can you play Blu-ray on Windows 8? Easy, install a third party Blu-ray player that supports Windows 8.
Two ways to play Blu-ray movies on Surface or Windows 8 PC
Solution 1: Blu-ray Player
More than just a media player software which features essential playback functions, the Blu-ray Player is an all-in-one media player, which is not only compatible with all versions of Windows including Windows 8, but also supports Mac OS. What makes the Blu-ray Player different amongst all is that it supports almost all kinds of Blu-ray files from homemade discs to commercially available ones. Blu-ray files including folders and ISO image can also be played as well. Additionally, playing Blu-ray movie on Windows 8 that is region-based is no problem with this convenient media player.
This software includes but not limited to the features as below:
- The Blu-ray Player supports playing different video formats such as MP4, WMV, MPG, 3GP, VOB, MOV, DVD, and Blu-ray. Also, audio formats like MP3, OGG, AAC, and more can be read.
- This player guarantees no loss of quality with support of up to 1080p resolution. Similarly, there is a deinterlaced function available for 1080i HD videos.
- The adopted advanced Dolby digital audio technology perfectly matches high quality videos with Hi-Def surround sound effects.
- Easily plays encrypted DVDs and Blu-ray regardless of protection by simply connecting to the Internet.
How to play Blu-ray discs in Windows 8 is indeed very easy with the Blu-ray Player. Moreover, you’ll get to enjoy exclusive features such as very intuitive user interface, five playback modes, option for taking screenshot and a fast working speed without playback interruptions.
Solution 2: VLC
Another software that can play Blu-ray movies on Windows 8 is VLC player. VLC is an open-source media player made by VideoLAN project. It is very free to download on the Internet and it supports a wide variety of media files like webcams, audio CDs, VCDs and streams together with different Audio/Video extensions. VLC is compatible with Mac OS, Linux, Solaris and all versions of Windows OS including Windows 8.
However, playing Blu-ray files on Windows 8 with VLC is not as easy as counting 1-2-3. You need to do a little bit workaround to make it possible. See the steps below:
- Download and install the latest version of VLC media player on your Windows 8 PC or Surface.
- You need to search and download compatible Blu-ray playback add-on and install necessary keys. Searching web will help you.
- To be able to install the correct keys, make sure to enable “view hidden files and folders”.
- Place the AACS dynamic library inside your VLC directory. Depending on your Windows 8 version, there are 32bit packs as well as 64bit zip files available.
- Try to insert a disc and check if this Blu-ray player for Windows 8 works well.
Even if Windows 8 doesn’t support Blu-ray discs as of the moment, this shouldn’t hinder you from enjoying very high quality movies. There are paid and open-source PC tools available online that you can freely choose from to bypass this Microsoft limitation. Though, how to play Blu-ray discs in Windows 8 may need a bit of technicality especially for free players but premium ones will pop right out of the box.
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