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One of Steve Jobs’s most memorable comments may be the way he referred to Blu-ray as “a bag of hurt” back in 2008 during a Q&A with members of the press:

“I don’t mean from a consumer point of view—it’s great to watch movies—but the licensing is so complex. We’re waiting until things settle down and Blu-ray takes off in the marketplace before we burden our customers with the cost of the licensing and the cost of the drives.”

As Macs users well know, things haven’t settled down (at least not from Apple’s perspective). Four and a half years after that comment, OS X still doesn’t support Blu-ray playback, nor has any Mac shipped with a drive capable of even reading or burning data on a Blu-ray disc. And given that few Macs even include optical drives these days, Apple’s never going to bring Blu-ray to the Mac. (The company can already sell you HD movies and TV shows directly from the iTunes Store, so why would Apple want to embrace Blu-ray?)

While Blu-ray was in its early days when Jobs made his “bag of hurt” comment, the format has come a long way, and the Blu-ray disc is holding its own in the marketplace. True, people still buy more DVDs than Blu-ray discs, but that could change in the next few years.

And even though downloading HD movies is easy, there are several reasons to buy Blu-ray discs. The picture quality is better (with higher bit rates and less compression), as is the audio (with several different mixes for multichannel systems). If you lack a fast Internet connection (or are subject to bandwidth caps from your ISP), it may be quicker and easier to buy a Blu-ray disc than wait to download a file that might top out at 8GB. Also, even with digital extras included with many movies now, you don’t get the full complement of bonus content you do with a disc. Finally, an optical disc is a good, hard-copy backup.

Sold on Blu-ray yet? Then it’s time to learn how you can watch and even rip Blu-ray discs on a Mac.

The hardware portion of the equation

The first step to be able to play Blu-rays on a Mac is to purchase a Blu-ray drive. You can get an external, USB Blu-ray drive for less than $50, though you might want to look around the $80 to $100 range to find a good one. (The cheaper models are usually from unknown vendors and often get poor reviews from users.) Many of these models are bus-powered, so you don’t need a power supply; just connect them to a Mac that has powered USB ports, and you’re up and running. You won’t need any special drivers to mount the Blu-ray discs, but once they’re mounted, there’s not much you can do with them.

MCE Technologies sells a USB Super-BluDrive for $79, which includes software that can play Blu-ray movies (the same program I’m going to look at below, Mac Blu-ray Player). OWC also offers both internal and external Blu-ray drives, but you’ll need to bring your own software to the party.

Bear in mind that a Blu-ray drive can also play DVDs and CDs. So if you’re planning to get an external drive to connect to a Mac that is devoid of such a device, think about getting one that includes Blu-ray support.

Blu-ray playback software

At first blush, there are a number of different Blu-ray playback software options for Mac users. But if you take a closer look, you’ll discover that they are often the same software but with different monikers, sold by companies with different names. I tried two such programs: Aurora Software’s Blu-ray Player ($30 for a one-year license or $40 for lifetime usage) and Macgo’s Mac Blu-ray Player ($60 for a lifetime license, but discounted to $30 until July 1).

In my testing, I found the interfaces to be exactly the same, aside from some different colors. The Preferences windows are the same; the About boxes are nearly the same, too, with just a slight difference in version numbers. This kind of similarity is common with DVD, Blu-ray, and other types of video-conversion software. For simplicity, I’ll focus on Mac Blu-ray Player. (Note that Mac Blu-ray Player is due for a 3.0 update soon; I tested version 2.8.)

First, you should be aware of a couple of things. Because the software needs to acquire the decryption keys required for playback online, you need an Internet connection for it to work. Second, registering the software imposes constraints. When I registered Mac Blu-ray Player on my laptop, I couldn’t use it on my desktop Mac. And, when I switched the registration back to my desktop Mac, the software told me I had activated it two out of five times. As the company’s website explains it:

There are five times each year for Macgo registration code activation. If registration code activation is outnumbered, it will present a tip “Registration failed. Your registration code activation limit is reached.”

Executive Editor Jonathan Seff looked at Mac Blu-Ray Player about two years ago, and found it quirky and unreliable. Since then, the company has definitely improved the software. When you insert a Blu-ray disc in a drive and launch the software, it detects the disc and displays a spartan “menu.”

In watching half a dozen Blu-ray movies with the software (all recent releases, ranging from Sucker Punch to a just-released disc of Bach’s “St Matthew’s Passion”), I encountered none of those early problems with playback or stability. Video playback was smooth, with no artifacts, in both a window and in full-screen mode. Audio was similarly fine, although the app crashed once when I turned on subtitles for a movie that wasn’t in English. I tested the app on both a late 2011 Mac mini (2.7GHz Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM) and an early 2013 MacBook Pro (2.5GHz Intel Core i5 with 8GB of RAM), using my Plextor PX-B120U 4X Blu-ray drive (discontinued but still available for around $100 online).

The software offers the standard play/pause controls, but also lets you skip forward or back in 30-second chunks; change audio track and subtitle synchronization; adjust brightness, saturation, contrast, gamma, and hue; and much more. I found nothing lacking in the software’s functionality.

Ripping Blu-rays

In addition to simply playing your Blu-ray movies on your Mac, you may want to copy them to your Mac to watch on your laptop when traveling, or convert to a format you can watch via an Apple TV, for example.

[Editor’s note: The MPAA and most media companies argue that you can’t legally copy or convert commercial DVDs or Blu-rays for any reason. We (and others) think that, if you own a disc, you should be able to override its copy protection to make a backup copy or to convert its content for viewing on other devices. Currently, the law isn’t entirely clear one way or the other. So our advice is: If you don’t own it, don’t do it. If you do own it, think before you rip.]

There are two methods you can use. The first involves decrypting and copying the entire disc to an .iso disc image. This file will be the same size as the original Blu-ray—about 30GB to 40GB—so you may run into space issues pretty quickly. I used Aurora Software’s free Blu-ray Copy, and this app copied my Blu-ray discs in roughly real time; a 2-hour movie took about two hours to copy. You can then play the copy by mounting the disc image, and using Mac Blu-ray Player. In that app, choose File > Open File, or click Open File in the main window, and select the BDMV file in the disc image. You can also open BDMV files with the free VLC Media Player.

The second method is to make an MKV file (MKV is a file container format that can hold video, audio, picture, and subtitle tracks in a single file). Using GuinpinSoft’s MakeMKV—free while in beta, which it has been for several years (visit this forum thread to find the current temporary beta key)—you can decrypt a Blu-ray disc and save whatever parts you want (if you don’t need the 7.1-channel audio mix, for example, just uncheck it) into an MKV container. This takes about half the duration of the movie; when the decryption is finished, you have an MKV file that you can play back with VLC or other software. If you want more manageable file sizes, you’ll need to convert the MKV to a smaller file—in the same format, or in a different format, such as an iTunes-compatible MP4—using a tool such as HandBrake.

Into the blu

That’s pretty much all there is to it. You may encounter certain discs that don’t work due to new and varying copy protection, but in general the process is pretty easy if you’re willing to invest a little time and money.

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

The Rundown

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• Best Overall: Pioneer BDR-XD05B at Amazon, “Slim and lightweight Blu-ray writer that offers a great experience in a design that’s just 8.2 ounces.”
• Runner-Up, Best Overall:Pioneer BDR-XS06 at Amazon, “Offers fast write speeds alongside an auto quiet mode to reduce noise.”
• Best Splurge: OWC Mercury Pro at Amazon, “It’s capable of writing M-DISC DVDs and M-DISC Blu-rays, but it can also burn and play regular Blu-ray Discs.”
• Best Write Speeds: ASUS BW-16D1X-U at Amazon, “This beautifully designed device is packed with features and is more powerful than most external Blu-ray drives.”
• Best Budget:MthsTec Ultra Slim at Amazon, “Supports speeds up to 10x faster (5Gbps) over USB 2.0 (480Mbps) and no AC adaptor or drivers are required.”
• Best for Macs: Sea Tech at Amazon, “A plug-and-play package that’s just 15.2 ounces and measures 8 x 7.4 x 1.9 inches.”
• Best Design:Pioneer BDR-XU03 at Amazon, “Works with BDXL discs, Blu-ray discs and is backward compatible with DVD and CDs.”

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Pioneer BDR-XD05B

Released in 2015, Pioneer’s BDR-XD05B is a clamshell-designed (opens from the top) slim and lightweight Blu-ray writer that offers a great experience in a design that’s just 8.2 ounces. Measuring 5.24 x 5.24 x .58 inches, the XD05B offers premium and proprietary features such as PowerRead and PureRead to assist in the delivery of smoother playback of both DVDs and CDs. The Pioneer will handle write speed at 6x for a Blu-ray on one quad-layer BDXL disc that can store the equivalent of around 27 DVDs.

The inclusion of Auto Quiet mode allows for the reduction in disc rotation speed to reduce noise. It switches between both quiet and performance modes depending on your needs. Pioneer includes CyberLink software for Windows, which allows for Blu-ray playback. Unfortunately, the BDR-XD05B is only compatible with Windows software leaving Mac fans to look at alternative options for Blu-ray writing and playback.

Runner-Up, Best Overall: Pioneer BDR-XS06

The Pioneer BDR-XS06 external Blu-ray writer is a solid piece of technology that offers fast write speeds alongside an auto quiet mode to reduce noise. Auto quiet mode assists in noise reduction while listening to music or watching movies, as well as when setting it too high for faster data transfer.

Measuring 5.31 x 5.31 x .71 inches and weighing 5.6 ounces, the Pioneer is powered solely by USB connection via a computer. The drive itself supports BDXL format with storage for more data in the form of 156 percent more capacity than a 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray disc.

The inclusion of Toast Lite Software allows quick and easy burning from a Windows or Mac computer, although Blu-ray playback requires the separate purchase of additional software. Both portable and fast, the Pioneer offers 6x BDR on single and dual-layer discs as well as 4x max write speed on BD-R triple and quad-layer discs.

Best Splurge: OWC Mercury Pro 16X Blu-ray, 16X DVD, 48X CD Read/Write solution

If it’s speed you crave, the OWC Mercury Pro delivers, reaching write speeds up to 16X. It’s capable of writing M-DISC DVDs and M-DISC Blu-rays, but it can also burn and play regular Blu-ray Discs.

Housed in a single piece of aluminum, this drive has a sleek, but solid design and impressive build quality. On the back, you’ll find access to the USB 3.0 (backwards compatible with USB 2.0), power and Kensington lock slot connections. Along with the drive, you get applications including Smile DiskLabel and ProSoft Data Backup for Mac and NovaBackup for PC. While they aren’t the latest and greatest versions, they will serve you well nonetheless.

Best Write Speeds: ASUS Computer International Direct ASUS BW-16D1X-U

Measuring 9.6 x 2.5 x 6.5 inches, this beautifully designed device is packed with features and is more powerful than most external Blu-ray drives. The Mac- and Windows-compatible device can write up to 16X with BDXL support that supports data storage up to 128 GB. Using USB 3.0 technology, it enables data transfer rates up to 10 times faster than those offered by a USB 2.0 connection. On top of that, it doesn’t just read and write to Blu-ray discs; it also reads and writes to both DVD and CD optical media discs.

But what sets this drive apart from others? It comes equipped with CyberLink Power2Go8 software designed to streamline the burning process and protect private files, plus professional data backup software to ensure all your precious files are backed up sufficiently.

Best Budget: MthsTec Ultra Slim

The MthsTec Ultra Slim external Blu-ray player and DVD burner combo drive offers up a fantastic value (and a host of features). It weighs 10 ounces and measures 5.9 x 5.6 x 0.6-inches, making it par for the course in the Blu-ray external drive world. Fortunately, its size hides its extensive feature set.

Connecting to a computer via USB 3.0, the MthsTec supports speeds up to 10x faster (5Gbps) over USB 2.0 (480Mbps) and no AC adaptor or drivers are required. Overall write speed is set for a standard 6x (plus an 8x DVD-Max write speed), which means the MthsTec is backward compatible with older technology.

Best for Macs: Sea Tech

While all the Blu-ray external drives support Windows 7 to Windows 10 software, Mac support is a little more hit and miss. Realistically, Apple doesn’t officially support Blu-ray playback, but there are a host of third-party applications that do. As a CD/DVD unit, the Sea Tech aluminum external USB Blu-ray writer super drive is a plug-and-play package that’s just 15.2 ounces and measures 8 x 7.4 x 1.9 inches.

Released in 2012, the Sea Tech remains as perfectly viable today as it was back then, thanks to updated third-party software that provides a great viewing experience on both Apple desktops and laptops. Additionally, the Sea Tech provides support for M-Disc, which offers years of reliable data storage and playback. Write speed on the Sea Tech is an average 6x, while Blu-ray playback is a standard 2x speed. Unfortunately, there’s no auto-quiet feature to reduce the internal noise while playing or writing a disc, but that’s a worthy tradeoff for a drive that’s 100 percent compatible with Apple’s computer line.

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Best Design: Pioneer BDR-XU03

Slightly expensive for its standard feature set, the Pioneer BDR-XU03 price is best understood when you consider the magnesium body design that’s both futuristic and functional. Capable of standing both vertically and horizontally, the BDR-XU03 weighs 8.6 ounces and measures 5.2 x 5.2 x .5 inches. Along with a 6x writing speed, there’s support for additional features such as auto-quiet mode, as well as USB 3.0 for faster data transmission between a PC and the Pioneer itself.

The BDR-XU03 works with BDXL discs, Blu-ray discs and is backward compatible with DVD and CDs. Additionally, Pioneer includes support for PureRead to help minimize sound glitches during music playback, which provides an error-free audio performance and even helps during movie playback. And if you have a green thumb, it's even eco-friendly because the smaller design also means reduced power consumption.

Tested by

How We Tested

Our reviewers spent six hours testing one of our readers' favorite external Blu-ray drives. To get the most comprehensive feedback possible, they connected it to their laptops to see how it handled everything from playing movies to burning discs. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using this drive, from its speed to its design. We've outlined the big takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.

What to Look for in an External Desktop Blu-ray Drive

Minidisc Reader For Mac Amazon

Writing and rewriting - The most basic Blu-ray drives are only useful for playing Blu-ray movies. If you want to burn your own Blu-ray discs, look for one that’s capable of writing or rewriting. Drives that can both write and rewrite Blu-ray discs are more flexible, but rewritable Blu-ray discs can’t store as much information as regular ones.

Compatibility - There are two compatibility issues to look out for with an external Blu-ray player: port type and operating system. Blu-ray players that support USB 3.0 transfer data faster, but that doesn’t help if your computer only has USB 2.0 ports. In that same vein, some external Blu-ray drives only work with Windows, others only work with Macs, and some can be used with both.

Speed - If you only want an external Blu-ray drive to watch movies, speed isn’t a big concern. But if you want to rip Blu-ray movies to your hard drive or burn your own Blu-ray discs, a faster drive will save you a lot of time.

Test Results: Pioneer BDR-XD05B (Best Overall)

Sony Reader For Mac

What We Don't Like

• Electronic open/close button didn’t work consistently

• Not as compatible with Macs

Pdf Reader For Mac

One of our testers summed up this external desktop Blu-ray drive as a “fast, flexible Blu-ray and DVD drive that has a few speed settings and also burns disks.” Our reviewers also liked that it was quiet: “The speed and quiet rotation definitely set it apart from the cheap external DVD drive that I used in the past,” one person said. While not necessarily a negative, our testers warned that this drive requires a more extensive setup with Mac machines. One reviewer also reported that its electronic open and close button didn’t work consistently.