What Does a Blu-ray Player Do? | Disc Formats And More

A Blu-ray player plays high-definition Blu-ray discs, and it also handles DVDs and CDs on most models.

If you’re wondering what a Blu-ray player does, the core job is simple: it reads Blu-ray discs and sends the video and audio to your TV. The technology matters because a Blu-ray player uses a blue-violet laser to read far more data than a standard DVD player’s red laser, which is why Blu-ray movies look sharper and hold more content. Most current models also play your existing DVD and CD collection, and many add streaming apps or USB playback on top of that.

How Blu-ray Differs From DVD

Blu-ray was designed as the successor to DVD, and the format’s key advantage is storage space. A standard single-layer Blu-ray disc holds 25 GB of data, and a dual-layer version holds 50 GB. A standard DVD, by comparison, holds 4.7 GB, while a dual-layer DVD reaches 9 GB. That extra room is what lets a Blu-ray carry a full 1080p high-definition movie along with uncompressed surround sound and bonus features on the same disc.

Because the formats are physically different, a DVD player cannot read a Blu-ray disc at all. The reverse works, though: a Blu-ray player is built to handle DVDs, so upgrading to a Blu-ray player doesn’t make your old movie collection useless.

What You Get With A Blu-ray Player

Beyond playing discs, a modern Blu-ray player typically offers several other functions. Here’s what you can usually expect:

• DVD upscaling: The player takes standard-definition DVDs and upscales them to a higher resolution, like 1080p, so they look better on a modern HDTV.
• Streaming apps: Many models include Wi-Fi or Ethernet and come with built-in apps like Netflix, though app support varies by model and region.
• USB media playback: You can plug in a USB drive and play video, music, or photo files directly through the player.
• Internet features: Some players support BD-Live, a network feature tied to BD-ROM version 2 Profile 2.0 that enables interactive content when the player is online.

For the best picture and sound, connect the player to your TV with an HDMI cable. HDMI is also required for full playback on some content because of the HDCP copy-protection system that Blu-ray discs use.

Setting Up And Playing A Disc

Getting a Blu-ray player running takes just a few minutes. Plug in the power cable, connect an HDMI cable from the player’s output to your TV’s HDMI input, and insert the included batteries in the remote. Turn on the TV and select the correct HDMI input using your TV remote.

To play a movie, press POWER on the player, press OPEN/CLOSE to open the tray, and place the disc with the playback side facing down. Close the tray and playback begins automatically. If a menu appears, use the arrow buttons on the remote to select a title and press OK. For everyday controls, use PLAY, PAUSE, and OPEN/CLOSE as you would on any disc player.

There’s one compatibility trap worth knowing about before you buy. A standard Blu-ray player will not play 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs — only a dedicated 4K UHD Blu-ray player can handle that format. Similarly, a 3D Blu-ray disc requires a 3D-capable player and a 3D television. If you’re shopping and want to be sure you get one with the features you’ll actually use, our tested roundup of budget-friendly Blu-ray players covers the models that deliver solid performance without breaking the bank.

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