free help: Recommend me a blu-ray player software for Windows 7? - Help.com

Well, there are not actually too many options. PowerDVD and TotalMedia Theatre seem to be the best choices. There is another player WinDVD and something like a plugin for Nero products.
There are not fully capable free Blu-ray players cause there are license fees for every product related to the Blu-ray technology. Because of this, maybe the situation won’t change soon. This is also the reason why Microsoft do not offer Blu-ray playback in their WMC.

You can check this link http://www.reviewmaze.com/2012/02/3d-…
Seems like recent version and I used their last year reviews when I was looking for a player myself.

You also have the option to rip the disc and play it for free but it depends on whether this is a convenient option for you.

Windows Mediaplayer and Windows Media Center of Windows 7 support Blue-rays

Zirbel wrote:
Windows Mediaplayer and Windows Media Center of Windows 7 support Blue-rays

Are you sure? I’ve never heard of anyone succeeding in this without some additionally integrated application in WMC like the ones mentioned above.

Zirbel wrote:
Windows Mediaplayer and Windows Media Center of Windows 7 support Blue-rays

Actually Zirbel, neither WMP nor WMC play them natively (as for example, in a clean Windows installation). Microsoft chose not to include the necessary codecs since Blu-Ray is a patented technology and Microsoft didn’t feel like paying royalties.

Once third party Blu-Ray capable software is installed, the necessary codecs will also be installed alongside and only then both WMP and WMC are able to support Blu-Ray discs.

It is a shame, but I guess Microsoft was short on money. :)

Melodia wrote:

Zirbel wrote:
Windows Mediaplayer and Windows Media Center of Windows 7 support Blue-rays

Are you sure? I’ve never heard of anyone succeeding in this without some additionally integrated application in WMC like the ones mentioned above.

But it depends on the DRIVE of your computer/laptop!
See also:
See:
· http://www.windows7news.com/2009/10/1…
· http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/2…

@Zirbel Actually there is nothing about a dependence on the drive at the sources you’ve mentioned. The playback depends on the software. And WMC is not software capable of Blu-ray playback out of the box. Actually this is a smart decision (although unpleasant) cause otherwise Microsoft should pay royalties for every copy of Windows which does not make sense having in mind that most of their customers probably won’t use this feature.

@Melodia - It’s not really unpleasant. But I agree it is indeed a smart move. The fact is that in order to play a Blu-ray, the computer needs to have a Blu-Ray compatible drive, which usually will also be a DVD burner.

Since those already ship with software (PowerDVD, WinDVD, etc) that have the necessary codecs included and that Windows will be able to use (giving the false impression that it has native support), Microsoft saves the necessary royalty fees and most users won’t even notice a difference.

Cheap? Yes. Smart? Yep!

@Yunikat There is another unpleasant fact related to the whole Blu-ray thing. A lot of changes happen quite often (especially protection related) and software (as well as hardware) manufacturers should often update their players. But for example CyberLink do not support more than the last few versions they’ve released and they release new versions of PowerDVD probably twice per year. Since many of the Blu-ray drives come with older versions it happens that you buy a drive with some software included but that software could not play the most recent Blu-ray movies. And because you have a version that is already not supported you have to buy a newer one.
Now this is probably a smart move coming from some of the Blu-ray software manufacturers. :)

@Melodia - Now that is something I did not know. It sure is a d***** move from the manufacturers and third party software. Hardware manufacturers should at least be providing firmware updates and software providers free updates for their software. However even if they do it is unlikely the common user will be knowledgeable enough to do it, ending up spending money on new hardware/software. D^**** move indeed. :/