If you don’t have a PlayStation 3 or a Blu-Ray player, then you may be missing out on the whole HD video phenomenon. While Blu-Ray players (and PlayStation 3’s for that matter) have dropped down in price substantially over the last few years, we’re going to show you a cheaper solution. Today, we’re teaching you how to play Blu-ray discs on your computer.
Step 1) Make sure you have an HD monitor
Your entire journey will be pointless if you don’t have an HD monitor. HD monitors come 2 resolutions: 1280×720 (also known as 720p), or 1920×1080 (also known as 1080p or full HD). HD monitors aren’t too expensive, and while 1280×720 might have been enough a few years ago, it doesn’t look much better than standard resolution today. For that reason, you may want to consider buying a larger full HD monitor, which can often be found for under $200.
Once you’ve ensured that your monitor can run at either of the 2 resolutions listed above, you can proceed to the next step.
Step 2) Buy a Blu-Ray optical drive
While many of you will already have HD monitors, not everybody will have an optical drive that can play Blu-Rays. If you purchased your computer within the last 2 to 3 years, then you may have opted for the Blu-Ray player upgrade. However, if you didn’t, then there is no need to panic. Installing a Blu-Ray disc player on a desktop PC is surprisingly easy. You should be able to find a decent Blu-Ray disk player with DVD and CD technology included for under $100.
A Blu-Ray disc player fits into one of the slots on your computer’s tower. If you already have a CD drive, then you can install your Blu-Ray disc player right below it. To attach it to your motherboard, you will need to open up the case.
If you have a laptop, then you may be able to find external Blu-Ray players that will connect to one of the external slots in your system. Or, to make one yourself, buy an internal Blu-Ray player and insert it into an external 5.25” enclosure.
Step 3) Install the software you need
Once you have Blu-Ray playing capabilities on your computer and an HD screen resolution, you’re ready to begin downloading Blu-Ray software. There are a few different options here, and sometimes, your Blu-Ray disc player may come with software on it already.
However, there is one clear winner in the Blu-Ray player software market. That program is called VLC Media Player, and it’s one of the most powerful and versatile media playing applications in the world. Download it for free from the official VLC site by clicking HERE.
Once VLC is installed, you’re good to go. Simply insert your Blu-Ray disc into the drive and let VLC do the rest of the work for you. In some cases, VLC may be able to auto-run a Blu-Ray disc with no user involvement, but other times, you’ll have to manually explore the disc in order to find and play the Blu-Ray video file.
If you have any questions about upgrading your PC with Blu-Ray capabilities, or about any other types of PC hardware upgrades, leave a comment below!