How to Play Blu-ray on QuickTime (Mac & Windows)

QuickTime Player does not support Blu-ray discs natively, but you can still watch your movies in it by converting the disc to a format QuickTime can open. This guide walks you through ripping a Blu-ray to an MP4 or MOV file and then playing that file in QuickTime on both Mac and Windows. You will need a Blu-ray drive, a ripping program, and enough free hard drive space for the converted file.

What You’ll Need

• A computer with a Blu-ray drive (internal or external USB). Standard DVD drives cannot read Blu-ray discs.
• A Blu-ray disc you own.
• Ripping software: MakeMKV (free while in beta, works on Mac and Windows) or HandBrake (free, open source) for conversion.
• If the disc is encrypted with AACS or BD+, MakeMKV handles decryption automatically. HandBrake alone cannot read encrypted discs, so you will need MakeMKV first.
• QuickTime Player (preinstalled on macOS; on Windows, download it from Apple’s website—note Apple stopped updating the Windows version, but it still runs).
• Free storage: a 2-hour movie in MP4 at moderate quality is roughly 2–4 GB.

Step-by-Step

1. Install MakeMKV. Download it from the official MakeMKV site and install it on your Mac or PC. Launch it once to accept the license. The beta key is posted on their forum and is free to use.
2. Insert the Blu-ray disc into your Blu-ray drive. Wait for the system to recognize it. If an auto-play window pops up, close it—you do not need it.
3. Open MakeMKV. Click the disc icon in the toolbar or go to File > Open Disc. Select your Blu-ray drive and click OK. MakeMKV will scan the disc; this can take a minute or two.
4. Select the main movie title. MakeMKV shows a list of titles. The longest one is usually the main feature. Check the box next to it. You can also deselect unwanted audio tracks (like foreign language dubs) and subtitles to keep the file smaller.
5. Choose an output folder at the bottom of the window. Click the folder icon and pick where to save the MKV file.
6. Click the Make MKV button (the red arrow). Ripping starts. Wait until it finishes—this can take 10–30 minutes depending on disc speed and movie length.
7. Find the .mkv file in your chosen folder. QuickTime cannot open MKV files directly, so you must convert it.
8. Install HandBrake if you do not have it. Download from the official HandBrake site and install.
9. Open HandBrake. Click Open Source and select the MKV file you just created.
10. Choose a QuickTime-compatible preset. In the Presets sidebar (right side), select Fast 1080p30 or Very Fast 1080p30. These use H.264 video and AAC audio, which QuickTime plays well. If you want a smaller file, choose Fast 720p30.
11. Set the output container. In the Format dropdown (top right), choose MP4 (or M4V). QuickTime supports both. Do not use MKV here.
12. Check audio settings. Click the Audio tab. Ensure the codec is AAC and the mixdown is Stereo or 5.1. QuickTime handles AAC fine.
13. Click Start Encode at the top. HandBrake will convert the file. This takes longer than ripping—often 20–60 minutes for a full movie.
14. When done, locate the MP4 file. It will be in the same folder as the MKV unless you changed the destination.
15. Open the MP4 in QuickTime. On Mac, double-click the file; QuickTime opens by default. On Windows, right-click the file, choose Open With, then QuickTime Player.
16. Enjoy the movie. You can now use QuickTime’s playback controls, full screen, and even AirPlay on Mac.

Common Mistakes

• Using HandBrake directly on the disc. HandBrake cannot read encrypted Blu-ray discs. You must rip to MKV first with MakeMKV.
• Leaving the output as MKV. QuickTime does not play MKV. Always convert to MP4 or MOV.
• Choosing a preset with incompatible codecs. Some presets use HEVC (H.265) or VP9. Older QuickTime versions do not support these. Stick to H.264.
• Selecting the wrong title. Some discs have multiple 2-hour titles (e.g., theatrical and extended cuts). Check the duration and audio tracks to pick the main feature.
• Not enough disk space. The MKV and MP4 together can take 8–10 GB. Check free space before starting.
• Forgetting to update MakeMKV. The beta key expires every few months. If the program says the key is expired, get the new one from the MakeMKV forum.

Tips

• Rip only the main movie. Deselect extras, menus, and bonus features to save time and space.
• Keep the MKV until you confirm the MP4 works. If the conversion fails, you can re-encode without re-ripping the disc.
• Use a wired connection or keep the laptop plugged in. Ripping and encoding are CPU-heavy and drain batteries fast.
• For better quality, use the Slow 1080p30 preset. It takes longer but produces a sharper image.
• Subtitles. If you need subtitles, burn them in during HandBrake encoding (Subtitles tab, select Burn In). QuickTime cannot display soft subtitles from MKV.
• On Windows, QuickTime is old. If it crashes, try the free VLC player instead—it plays MP4 and even MKV directly, skipping the conversion step entirely.

Troubleshooting

• MakeMKV says “No disc inserted” or cannot read the disc. Ensure the disc is clean and the drive is working. Try another Blu-ray. If it is a 4K UHD disc, MakeMKV may need a special drive firmware—check their forum for supported drives.
• MakeMKV shows many titles and you cannot tell which is the movie. Sort by duration. The longest title (usually 90–180 minutes) is the main feature. If two are similar length, pick the one with the most audio tracks.
• HandBrake encode fails halfway. Usually a corrupted MKV. Re-rip the disc with MakeMKV, then encode again. Also make sure your hard drive is not full.
• The MP4 has no sound. In HandBrake, check the Audio tab: codec must be AAC, not AC3 or DTS. QuickTime cannot play AC3 on older versions.
• QuickTime says “The file is not compatible.” The video codec is likely HEVC or the file is MKV. Re-encode with H.264 and MP4 container.
• Video plays but is choppy. Your computer may be too slow for 1080p. Re-encode at 720p using the Fast 720p30 preset.
• QuickTime on Windows crashes on launch. This is a known issue with modern Windows versions. Use the Open With method and try VLC as a fallback.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can QuickTime play Blu-ray discs directly? No. QuickTime has never supported Blu-ray playback, and Apple does not provide a plugin. Converting to MP4 is the only way to use QuickTime.

Is it legal to rip a Blu-ray I own? In many countries, making a personal backup copy is legal, but the law varies. This guide is for personal use of discs you own. Do not distribute the files.

Why do I need two programs? MakeMKV decrypts and extracts the disc to MKV. HandBrake converts MKV to MP4 because QuickTime cannot open MKV. Some all-in-one tools exist, but these two are free and reliable.

Will the quality be the same as the disc? If you use a high-bitrate preset like Slow 1080p30, the quality is visually indistinguishable from the disc for most viewers. The file will be smaller than the disc’s original stream.

Can I play the MP4 on my phone or TV? Yes. MP4 with H.264 and AAC is the most compatible format. You can copy the file to any device or stream it with Plex or similar.

Does this work for 4K UHD Blu-rays? Often not. 4K discs use a different encryption (AACS 2.0) and many drives cannot read them. MakeMKV supports some 4K discs, but it requires a compatible drive and firmware. Standard 1080p Blu-rays work as described.

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