Here we introduce 6 free DVD players for Mac with features that make each one special and awesome, covering VLC, KMPlayer, XBMC, Mac Media Player, Apple DVD player and 5KPlayer, based on online opinion polls and a complete data analysis from download sites and reviews.
Easy DVD Player. Play any Blu-ray, DVD, VCD, or MPEG movies and almost all video/audio multimedia files. The Best All Region DVD Player is a DVD player software for laptop, available for both Windows and Mac users, and works very well with all kinds of DVDs including those protected and region-restricted ones. Both Windows and Mac versions are available. Review 996 4.9: gorgeous. Download Find More. I need a Mac version →.
Despite the popularity of streaming services, many people still keep some old DVDs, buy new DVD releases, and play these DVDs. Can you play a DVD on an Mac computer? Yes, but you need to make sure that you have a workable DVD player for your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro. In this article, we put together the top 6 best DVD player for macOS Big Sur 11, Catalina 10.15, Mojave 10.14, High Sierra 10.13, etc.
Tips:
- If your Mac doesn't have a built-in DVD drive, you can check the best external DVD drive/player for Mac and choose a favorite one.
- If you want to play a DVD on Mac without a DVD drive, you can digitize DVD first with MacX DVD Ripper Pro. It can rip both homemade and commercial DVDs to whatever formats Mac computer accepts like MOV, MP4, M4V with ease, such that you can play DVD on Macbook Pro/Air, Mac mini, iMac without a DVD drive.
Top 6 Best DVD Player for macOS Big Sur, Catalina and Earlier
1. Apple DVD Player
Apple DVD Player is an app that is bundled within Mac OS X. If you have a SuperDrive on Mac, insert a DVD into the DVD drive and the DVD Player will open automatically.
It supports all the standard DVD features such as multiple audio, video & subtitle tracks as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 passthrough, DVD access URLs and closed captions.
Some people may think that Apple's DVD Player disappears with the release of macOS 10.14 Mojave, just like other 32-bit apps. But actually not. It has been updated to a 64-bit app. Simply use Spotlight, search for DVD Player, and then you'll find it at the top of the Top Hits. Double lick on the app icon and it will launch.
Comes bundled in Mac machines and is totally free to play DVD on MacBook Pro, iMac, etc.
It is fully compatible with DVDs authored by DVD Studio Pro and iDVD.
It enforces most restrictive measures of DVD technology, such as DVD region code and user operation prohibition.
It lacks a DTS decoder, which means DTS tracks cannot be played through the Mac's built in speakers or analog output.
Older versions of DVD Player won't work on external DVD drives.
How to Play a DVD Using Apple DVD Player on Mac?
You simply need to insert a DVD and the DVD Player app will start playing it automatically. If the auto-play doesn't happen, please tap the Space bar after the DVD is recognized.
2. 5KPlayer
Sometimes Apple DVD Player will not work, so you may have to download a third-party DVD player on Mac. Free 5KPlayer is one of the best choices.
It may be new for many people but it is an awesome region-free DVD player for macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, etc. Without any ads, malware or spyware, it is 100% safe to get both homemade and copy-protected discs playing on iMac 5K, Macbook Air/Pro, Mac Mini, and more with near HD quality.
The Mac-stylish UI is highly acclaimed among DVD users. Working as an all-in-one free media player, it can also play ISO image, Video_TS folder, 4K/8K UHD videos, 3D videos, etc, all at your fingertips.
Support playing DVDs protected by region codes, CSS, RCE, Sony ARccOS, Disney DRM, etc;
Not only a free DVD player for Mac computer, but also an HD/4K UHD media player, downloader and Airplay sender/receiver;
Clean and awesome skin and UI.
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How to Play DVD on Mac with 5KPlayer?
After inserting a DVD, you simply need to open 5KPlayer, click the DVD button in the main interface, and then open and play your DVD.
Download 5KPlayer for Mac here: https://www.5kplayer.com/5kplayer-download-mac.htm
3. VLC Media Player
VLC is the most popular open-source and cross-platform media player that supports physical media (DVD, Audio-CD, VCD), almost all audios and videos (H264, MPEG4, MP4, MOV, AVI, Ogg, MKV, MP3, etc). It is the best option available as free DVD player for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, etc.
Technically, you can even use this Mac DVD player software to play encrypted DVD discs without the aid of any third party software, as long as your Mac computer has a DVD drive for you to insert and view your disc.
Great audio/video performance;
Support playback of encrypted DVDs from Disney, Sony, paramount, etc;
Support a wide range of media file types, including HD and Bluray discs.
The user interface is a little bit unlikeable, with skin options needing enhancement;
Run into problems like VLC won't play MKV, VLC won't play DVD and VLC audio sync from users feedbacks.
How to Use VLC to Play DVD on Mac?
1. Find VLC in Applications and open it.
2. Click Open media in VLC, choose Disc, and then select your DVD and hit Open. Then VLC will begin playing DVD on your Mac laptop or desktop.
Download VLC DVD player for Mac here: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html
4. KMPlayer
KMPlayer is similar to VLC, which is also a solid open-source media player that can deal with any media and subtitle formats you throw at it, ranging from VCD, DVD, AVI, MKV, OGM, 3GP, WMV, QuickTime to compressed audio album.
The bonus features enable you to play damaged/incomplete AVI file, locked files while downloading and even play movies without worrying about formats and storage on Android and iOS. Editor from CNET gives KMplayer 4-star rating. No wonder it is one of the best DVD player for macOS to play DVD movies on Mac mini, MacBook, etc.
Region Free Dvd Player Software Mac
Easy access to subtitle management, brightness adjustments and frame captures;
Handle a bewildering variety of media files;
Stream local videos to your mobile device via Wi-Fi, provided you install Connect app on Android or iOS.
A preview-heavy Mac DVD movies player that throws ads and links constantly;
Sometimes fail to play DVDs on Mac due to Region Code issue
5. XBMC (now Kodi)
Labeled as the High Definition Hub for all kinds of media, XBMC Media Center joins our top 7 best DVD players working on Mac list with no ambiguity. This free open-source media center is a pretty good contender as 5KPlayer, being easy to use, slick and supported by a large community of users. It offers a number of options and settings that allow you to play DVDs on Mac OS right out of the box from the main menu something other free DVD players cannot do yet maximize DVD playback quality.
Look great from the start with lots of skins;
Stream video over a network with no effort.
Take some time to customize for Macs.
6. Mac Media Player
Macgo Free Mac Media Player is a basic but efficient program to play all kinds of media files right on your Mac, whether they originate on your computer or on a disk. As soon as you install this program, it's ready to go, so you won't have to worry about managing complicated configurations or setups before you start playing your files. It also offers super high definition visual effects & fabulous DTS5.1 audio spectacle.
A powerful high def video player with hardware acceleration capabilities.
Has the potential to use up plenty of system resources
FAQs
1. Is there a DVD player on Mac?
Yes. It is called DVD Player. This Mac DVD Player app isn't missing with the appearance of macOS Mojave. Where is the DVD Player in Mac? There're two ways to find and open it.
- Method 1. Go to System > LibraryCoreServices/ > Applications.
- Method 2. Click the little Spotlight icon in the top right corner of your Mac's screen. Search for 'DVD Player', and then the DVD Player app's icon should show up at the top of the Top Hits. Double click on the icon, and the app will launch.
2. Why is my DVD not playing on my Mac?
There are many reasons causing this:
Cheapest Region Free Dvd Player
- System issue usually after upgrading macOS.
- Bad or damaged superdrive. If your DVD drive is damaged, the player will not be open.
- Region issue on commercial DVDs.
- DVD disc is scratched or dirty. In this case, your DVD disc player can accept discs but they do not mount or are automatically ejected.
- Unsupported DVDs such as some commercial DVDs. If your DVD discs are not supported, the player will go to a black screen and then unexpectedly quit.
Solutions: As the reasons about DVD player not working above, you can find the corresponding way to fix DVD not playing problems, such as repairing or purchasing a new DVD drive, removing DVD region code, cleaning the dirty DVD discs, fixing the scratched DVDs, converting unsupported DVD to MP4 and the like, etc.
3. Why Apple DVD Player says 'Not Permitted'?
If this error message pops up for certain DVDs, it may be because it doesn't support the DVD protection or DVD type; if this error appears for every DVD, the problem might be the settings. For more details, you can read 'How to Fix Apple DVD Player Not Permitted Error on Mac'.
4. Why does DVD Player say 'supported disc not available'?
This message appears when there is no disc in the DVD drive or when it can't recognize video content burned onto certain types of DVD-RW discs. You can burn the content into a DVD-R disc. For more details, check article 'How to Fix Supported Disc Not Available'.
5. Why does DVD Player say 'skipping over damaged area'?
This is because your DVD is scratched. Check 'How to Fix Scratched DVD'.
6. Why does Mac automatically eject DVD?
It happens because you insert a DVD whose region is different from the one the DVD drive is set to, and you don't change the region code when prompted, or when you have reached the maximum number of region changes.
7. How to play DVD on QuickTime?
Many users wonder how to play a DVD on QuickTime. But actually, QuickTime can't play DVD. You can either use the dedicated DVD Player app on Mac or a third-party program.
I have lived in many countries and have collected many DVDs of various regions. But I'm in a fret over the inability to play all these DVD movies on my DVD player. Any solution to remove region code from DVD? Or can I put the DVD files onto my thumb drive to be able to play on a plane while traveling so I do not have to carry the DVD drive? - Jack
As always, DVDs that are sold have region codes, which restrict the DVDs to be played on DVD players in other regions for the sake of letting film distributors control aspects of a release, including content, release date and price. For instance, if you got a DVD sold in France and a DVD player sold in America, you'll probably fail in playing it and get an error'This disc is not formatted to play in this region.' This is because your DVD has a region code of 2 while the DVD player comes with a region code of 1, which are of total difference. Generally, the DVD world is separated into the following geographical regions.
Convert Region 2 DVD to Region 1, You Need
MacX DVD Ripper Pro is the best DVD region code remover and changer that can:
- Unlock and remove region code from DVD;
- Make disc region code (1-6) to region 0;
- Convert region 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 DVDs, e.g. region 1 to region 2, etc unlimitedly;
- Rip RCE/regional DVDs (in PAL or NTSC) to Mac, PC, MP4, MOV, AVI, H.264, iPhone, iPad, Android etc. No quality loss and 36X faster speed.
DVD Region Code Overview
| Region Code | Geographic Region(s) Used |
|---|---|
| Region 0 | Discs that bear the region 0 symbol either have no flag set or have regions 1–6 flags set. Region 0 is commonly referred to as 'Region Free', especially when talking about DVD and Blu-ray Disc players. |
| Region 1 | United States, Canada, Bermuda, U.S. territories |
| Region 2 | Europe, Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Greenland, French Overseas departments and territories |
| Region 3 | Southeast Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau |
| Region 4 | South America, Central America, Caribbean, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and much of Oceania |
| Region 5 | Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Africa (except Egypt, South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho), Central and South Asia, Mongolia, North Korea |
| Region 6 | China |
| Region 7 | Reserved for future use, MPAA-related DVDs and 'media copies' of pre-releases in Asia |
| Region 8 | International venues such as aircraft, cruise ships, etc. |
| Region ALL | Region ALL discs have all eight flags set, allowing the disc to be played in any location, on any player. |
Why do we have region codes on DVD?
Shortly, money. For instance, Hollywood film distribution companies need to protect their profits to the maximum degree. Picture this, a movie is released in the U.S.A in January, and its DVD version comes to the public in the U.S market in September, 2017 while it makes its debut in Spain in October, 2017. So what will happen if an American friend sends the DVD version of this movie to his friends in Spain? No doubt the box office will flop in Spain. Hence, to avert the box office loss, they come up with the region code protection for DVD discs. Of course, it does work. Yet, it also brings incovenience for those who just wanna watch DVD movies themselves in different regions, no illegal distribution purpose. In case, you just need to clear region code for your convenience, below solutions are helpful.
Method 1 - How to Bypass Region Code from DVD, Make DVD Region Free on Windows/Mac
It has been highlighted that DVD region-coding has been a major inconvenience for travelers who wish to legally purchase DVDs abroad and return with them to their countries of origin, students of foreign languages, immigrants who want to watch films from their homeland and foreign film enthusiasts according to The Washington Post. Although people can get the DVD played on the DVD player successfully as long as they set the geographic area correspondingly to the disc, the limited number of times (at most 5 times) for changing the DVD player regions can be irritating. What's worse, some so-called multi-national DVD players like Sony DVD Player (cost at $34.99) only plays region one DVD. They're expensive while delivers poor performance.
Now with a professional DVD ripper software MacX DVD Ripper Pro, you will no longer reset DVD player region or worry about the remaining region changing times, because the region free dvd ripper can disable code from DVD to make the DVD region free, change region codes 1 to 6, and rip regional DVD to MP4, MOV, FLV, MKV, HEVC, H264, AVI for playback on iPhone, iPad, Android, etc with 100% quality retained.
Besides the ability to take region code off DVD, this program is also versed in decrypting DVDs with other copy protections, no matter CSS encryption, RCE, Disney New DVD Copy Protection or Sony ARccOS DVD protection. Below are steps to break region code and convert region 2 DVD to region 1 with this DVD region converter.
Step 1: Load DVD you want to convert by clicking 'DVD Disc'
Free download and run the DVD region code removal program on Mac (macOS Big Sur), click 'DVD Disc' button to import the DVD files. You don't need to do anything else, cuz this application can accept whatever you feed it, region code 1 DVD, region code 2 DVD...In short, any region code DVD disc can be automatically detected. Also, you can download the Windows version to get rid of region code for DVD ripping.
Step 2: Choose output format
After you imported DVD source, this DVD region code killer will directly remove region code from DVD without any third party help or complicated steps.
Here you can select the output format as you desire, like DVD to MKV, DVD to FLV, DVD to MOV, DVD to iTunes, DVD to iMovies, DVD to Fianl Cut Pro, etc. Or you can directly choose to rip DVD to iPhone XS, iPad Pro, Galaxy edge, HTC 10, Sony Xperia Z5/4, Surface Pro 4, PSP, Xbox One, etc, so that you can play any DVD movies on your gadget wherever you are.
Step 3: Select output folder Mac os rainmeter skin.
Specify output folder on your computer to save the output files. Click the 'Browse' button to choose the path where you want to save the output files in.
Note: As for the newly released copyright protected DVDs, you will never experience any error, thanks to its advanced title check mechansim. It enables you to make a digital copy of latest tough DVD without any DVD ripping crash, bad sector, output copy video audio out of sync issues.
Step 4: Start Override Region Code and Rip DVD
Click 'RUN' to start to remove DVD Region Code and rip DVD to Mac. after a fraction of seconds, you can play your new DVD movies on Mac without taking along DVD player.
Method 2 - How to Change DVD Region Code on Windows (10/8/7)
Besides the above method to once-and-for-all make regional coded DVD to region free, you have another solution - change DVD region code on Windows 8/7. Follow the steps below without breaking much of a sweat.
Step 1: Open Device Manager.
To open Device Manager, click Start→Control Panel→Performance and Maintenance→System→ Device Manager.
Step 2: Double-click DVD/CD-ROM drives, right-click the DVD drive for which you want to change region settings, and then click Properties.
Step 3: On the DVD Region tab, make the Region Code changes you want. Until now, the job is done.
Note:
The DVD Region Code can be changed in limited time, a total number of 5. And when the change time is left to the last one, you need treat it very prudently, since after that it is fixed with the last region.
If you are a Mac user and wanna change DVD region code on MacBook/iMac, you can refer to the DVD region code change guide for Mac guide.
And if you want to playback the DVD content on mobile devices after removing disc region code, you can apply MacX MediaTrans to transfer the ripped DVD video from computer to iPhone iPad iPod. What's more, this iPhone file manager also can aid you to copy photos from iPhone iPad iPod to Mac, export music from iPhone to Mac, download eBooks from iPhone to Mac, etc.
Notice: We only advocate using those best Mac DVD rippers to copy and rip DVDs under the concept of Fair Use and do not encourage any illegal reproduction or distribution of copyrighted content. Please abide by the local DVD copyright law before doing it.