3 Best Blu-ray Player Software

Thanks to Blu-ray Disc and Ultra HD Blu-ray, you can enjoy your favorite movies with full HD video and 7.1-channel surround sound—if you have a good Blu-ray player.

When we say “Blu-ray player,” you likely think of the box that connects to a TV. However, Blu-ray software running on a PC offers various advantages and is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to its hardware counterpart.

Blu-ray desktop software offers an all-in-one media solution that you can easily update with the latest functionality. With Blu-ray player software, you can enjoy your movies and TV shows on the go without needing an internet connection. Using free trials, you can also test Blu-ray software before making a purchase.

However, choosing the best Blu-ray player software for your needs can be challenging. There’s no shortage of options on the market, and each one offers unique features and benefits.

We recommend CyberLink PowerDVD. This leading Blu-ray playback solution supports the latest 4K and 8K media playback, cloud storage, apps, and most Windows PCs while providing home theater compatibility for an improved home cinema experience.

Using PowerDVD, you can play Blu-ray movies across various devices. To experience these high-end features for yourself, download PowerDVD today.

• Best Blu-ray Player Software
1. PowerDVD
2. WinX DVD Player
3. Corel WinDVD
• Blu-ray Player Software FAQ
• Summary

Best Blu-ray Player Software

1. CyberLink PowerDVD

PowerDVD is a leading Blu-ray player software that offers all the features you could possibly need for at-home or mobile content viewing.

Dolby sound, lossless audio, and support for 4K and 8K media playback are just a few of the advantages PowerDVD has over other software. These features are a must-have if you want to make the most of your 4K or 8K Ultra HD (UHD) TV.

PowerDVD also has a wireless media casting function, making this software the best option for home theater integration. With this feature, you can cast Blu-ray content directly from your PC to any streaming device, including Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, or Apple TV.

Media casting is highly convenient, as your PC doesn’t even have to be in the same room as your TV, and you can keep using it for other things while casting a Blu-ray movie. With PowerDVD, you also get CyberLink’s TrueTheater video enhancement technology. These effects include:

• Auto adjustment: This effect applies TrueTheater enhancements dynamically and automatically according to mobile power settings and CPU usage.
• TrueTheater HD: Boost original video to a high-resolution version.
• TrueTheater Lighting: Dynamic brightness, contrast, and saturation adjustments.
• TrueTheater Noise Reduction: Reduce video noise, including TV signal and high-ISO noise, when playing home videos or low-resolution content.
• TrueTheater Motion: Enhance frame rates of original movie content. The smoothest frame rate is up to 72 FPS, depending on your display’s output frame rate.
• TrueTheater Stabilizer: Stabilize shaky video files, such as home movies.

After purchasing PowerDVD, you get a free one-year CyberLink Cloud service subscription, including access to 100 GB of cloud storage space. This service lets you stream cloud-based content from anywhere, using any compatible device. You can even share content links with friends.

Importing movie files into your PowerDVD library and organizing them to create sharable collections or playlists using PowerDVD is easy, too. You can also use PowerDVD to browse, play, or cast YouTube videos to your TV’s streaming device.

• 4K and 8K Ultra-HD Support
• CyberLink TrueTheater enhancement technologies
• Media casting to all streaming devices
• Playback support for ISO copies from DVDs and Blu-ray discs
• Cyberlink Cloud storage, streaming, and sharing
• Supports HEVC/H.265 video hardware acceleration

• Feature-packed Blu-ray playing software
• Intuitive user interface
• Allows for easy, wireless integration with existing home theater systems
• Compatible with Windows
• TrueTheater enhancements with Dolby sound provide a superior audio-visual experience
• User-friendly library navigation and playlist creation

• Not available on Mac

2. WinX DVD Player

WinX DVD Player is a popular and feature-rich Blu-ray media player with a wide range of valuable functionalities. Its playback controls are intuitive, and the content libraries are straightforward to navigate, thanks to its search function with filters.

You can adjust your movie’s volume, brightness, contrast, saturation, and hue using the playback interface and preview video frames or navigate to a specific point within the movie using the progress slider.

This Blu-ray player software offers a lossless video quality and Dolby 5.1 audio guarantee. WinX DVD Player delivers exceptional video quality with a high-quality video encoding engine that optimizes video playback quality. WinX DVD Player also lets you switch the audio track from AC-3 to 5.1 channel, improving the movie’s audio effects.

It is a region-free software that can play almost all media files as well as Blu-ray discs, DVDs, SVCDs, and VCDs, including:

• 1-6 DVD-5 and DVD-9 from all regions
• Copy-protected DVDs, including Disney, UOPs, CSS, and Sony ArccOS
• Home-made DVDs (DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW)
• Commercial DVDs

WinX DVD Player supports MP4, MPEG, DivX, ASF, VOB, WMF, DAT, and AVI media files. Audio formats include MP3, WMA, RMA, and more.

If you have a limited budget and want to watch content in varying formats, such as exercise videos and foreign films on your computer, WinX DVD Player is ideal.

However, unlike PowerDVD, WinX DVD Player doesn’t support 8K Ultra-HD. You also don’t get a media casting feature. If you need Blu-ray software you can seamlessly incorporate into your existing home entertainment system, PowerDVD is a better option.

• 1080p and 4K UHD support
• Blu-ray playback
• Compatible with all DVD, VCD, and SVCD disc formats
• Play various HD video formats
• User-friendly interface with library
• Compatible with Windows 7/8/10

• Blu-ray software with various valuable features
• Compatible with almost all disc, video, and audio formats
• Simple playback controls and library navigation
• High-quality video and audio output

• No 8K Ultra-HD support
• No media casting feature

3. Corel WinDVD

Corel WinDVD is a viable option for Blu-ray playback. It supports 4K Ultra-HD, HEVC, 3D videos, and DVD. In addition to high-resolution video, you can also enjoy Dolby sound. Proven upscaling technology is this software’s most notable quality and gives an HD quality to standard video.

With this software, you get color correction and lighting control, making overly dark scenes more visible. However, these correction features are not as sophisticated as the TrueTheater enhancement technology that PowerDVD offers.

Corel WinDVD also has high-end 3D viewing features with HD Blu-ray 3D playback, and you can convert a regular 2D video to 3D. Note that these conversions are not perfect, and you shouldn’t expect the result to have the same production quality as an actual 3D movie.

Like WinX DVD Player, Corel WinDVD has a straightforward interface providing optimal playback control. Using the playback interface, you can record video clips or take screenshots from movies. You can also adjust color temperature, brightness, contrast, and more.

If you need cost-effective software for playing Blu-ray and other HD videos from your PC, Corel WinDVD is a worthy option. However, unlike PowerDVD, this software lacks the features you need for the best home theater integration, online library management, and movie quality enhancements. You also don’t get 8K support.

• Compatible with Windows PCs
• Upscaling feature with color and lighting correction
• 3D playback with the 2D-to-3D conversion feature
• User-friendly playback interface
• upport for DVD, HEVC, and Blu-ray in 4K UHD

• Straightforward playback interface that is easy to use
• Support for all popular movie formats
• 3D playback capability
• Upscaling feature to give regular videos HD quality

• Only offers basic correction features
• No cloud storage or online library management
• Not ideal for home theater integration

Blu-ray Player Software FAQ

How do you choose an ideal Blu-ray player for PC?

Before choosing a Blu-ray player for your PC, consider all your entertainment needs and existing setup carefully. Then, look for features that fit your requirements.

For example, if you like playing home movies, consider Blu-ray software with an anti-shake correction feature. Likewise, find software with media casting functionality if you want a wireless connection between your PC as a Blu-ray player and your TV. When choosing Blu-ray software, other factors you need to consider include costs, usability, and audio-visual improvement features.

What input digital formats and operating system compatibility do I need?

During the Blu-ray software buying process, make sure that the product you’re considering is compatible with your operating system. For example, if you own a Mac, you can’t use Windows-only software.

Similarly, make sure your software supports the digital input formats you want to play. If your collection consists of copy-protected discs and SVCDs, you need a product that supports these formats.

What video support do I need?

The video support you need depends on your display. If you have an 8K TV, you need a Blu-ray player that supports both 4K and 8K UHD formats. A 4K TV can’t display 8K movies, which means 8K support may not be necessary.

If you plan on upgrading to a TV with an 8K resolution in the future, consider a Blu-ray player with support for this format. The higher pixel density provides greater magnification and perspective, enhancing your multimedia experience.

Do I Need Disc Description Technology?

While it is true that disc description technology does not affect movie quality, this feature can be helpful, especially if you want to build a library of Blu-ray content. Using disc description features, you can easily import and add disc information to your collections, making it easier to organize, find, and share movies.

How to make Blu-ray software compatible with a current home theater?

The conventional method of integrating Blu-ray software with a home theater system is to physically connect the PC to the TV using a VGA or HDMI cable. However, this setup can be clumsy, and most people don’t like the open laptop next to their TV.

If your Blu-ray software features media casting, you can wirelessly stream Blu-ray content directly to a streaming device, such as Chromecast. Using media casting allows you to keep and use your PC in a different location while streaming high-resolution videos.

Do I need audio-visual improvement?

To get the best multimedia experience from your Blu-ray software, you need audio-visual improvement technology. The sound and video quality of Blu-ray discs are generally sufficient, but the quality of other media inputs may be lacking.

The best audio-visual enhancement features include Dolby audio, lossless sound, and TrueTheater enhancements such as color correction, a video stabilizer, and noise reduction. These features are particularly helpful if you want to watch your home movies or older films.

CyberLink PowerDVD offers solutions for nearly all common issues PC users run into with Blu-ray playback. The software is compatible with all major digital formats. With PowerDVD, you also get video support for 4K and 8K UHD so that you can make the most of your display.

Even better, the software features media casting for existing home entertainment systems, allowing for seamless and wireless home theater integration. This software’s revolutionary disc description technology makes library organization and navigation a breeze, too.

PowerDVD offers all the audio-visual enhancements you need, including Dolby sound and TrueTheater technology, providing you with sound and video of the highest quality.

Summary

Movie enthusiasts widely regard Blu-ray desktop software as a better option than physical Blu-ray players that connect to a TV. Blu-ray software is generally versatile, easy to update, and makes on-the-go HD video watching possible.

When choosing the best media player or Blu-ray software for your needs, comparing each product’s unique features and benefits can be overwhelming. The players in this review are some of the most popular and high-performing Blu-ray software options on the market.

Overall, CyberLink PowerDVD is by far one of the best Blu-ray players available. With 4K and 8K support, media casting, and TrueTheater enhancements, this software offers everything you need and more.

To make the most of your Blu-ray collection and home entertainment system, download CyberLink PowerDVD today.