MakeUseOf - Blu-ray

The 8 Best Sites to Download Free DVD and Blu-ray Covers

Joe Keeley — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 17:00:12 GMT

There's something special about having a physical collection of movies. The fact that you can admire your shelf and conjure up memories of what you've seen, or show friends and family your movie tastes with ease, it's a feeling that digital distribution hasn't been able to replicate.

The 10 Best Tools for Ripping DVDs and Blu-rays to Your Computer

Dan Price — Wed, 19 May 2021 14:24:35 GMT

Despite the prevalence of free and paid streaming services, DVDs and Blu-rays persist. So, if you've got shelves full of DVDs and Blu-rays waiting to be ripped, we've got the tools you need to digitize your collection.

Physical vs. Digital Movies: Are Blu-rays Better Than Downloads?

Dan Helyer — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 18:00:42 GMT

One of the biggest questions facing movie fans today is whether they should build a physical or digital movie collection. We'll explore the main talking points for each option to help you answer this question for yourself.

The Best Region-Free Players for DVD or Blu-Ray Discs

James Frew — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 11:05:13 GMT

Although most of us now use a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon Prime, physical media still has a place in many homes.

Where to Score Cheap Movie Rentals and Discounts: The 5 Best Options

Ben Stegner — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 19:00:00 GMT

While it's very convenient to buy or rent movies online, if you're not careful, it can become an expensive habit.

The Basic Parts of a Computer and How to Upgrade Them

Christian Cawley — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 19:00:18 GMT

You know how to use a computer, but how familiar are you with what's inside?

How to Fix Common CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray Drive Errors

Joe Keeley — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 21:00:35 GMT

It can happen that your CD, DVD, or Blu-ray drive or player will go on the fritz. Perhaps it won't read the disc, stop skipping, or the drive won't eject.

What Is Upscaling? How Does It Work? Is It Worth It?

Philip Bates — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 22:00:00 GMT

You're upgrading your home entertainment system or your computer screen. But you're bombarded with meaningless jargon. One of them is "upscaling".

10 Great Gifts for Movie Lovers of All Ages

Dan Price — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 17:15:00 GMT

Christmas is a great time to be a movie lover: there are countless re-runs of classic films on television, lots of "Special Edition" Hollywood flicks being released on DVD and Blu-ray, and near-endless discounts on movie merchandise in stores.

Can the Xbox and PlayStation Consoles Play Blu-ray Media?

Ben Stegner — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 12:30:25 GMT

While modern video game consoles obviously play games, they also double as entertainment devices. You can watch movies on physical discs, stream using Netflix or other services, or just check out YouTube on your console.

Movies Anywhere: What It Is and Why You Need It

Dan Price — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:00:00 GMT

If you've been staying abreast of cordcutting news, you'll know that cinema-goers were given a boost in mid-2017 thanks to the relaunch of the movie ticket subscription service MoviePass.

How to Read Scratched CDs or DVDs in Windows

Dan Price — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 04:40:57 GMT

Have you ever had a CD or DVD that contained critical information but you could not get to it? Does your disk have a huge scratch running through it? Maybe it's a little chipped or cracked? Don't throw it out there might still be hope!

May The Fourth Be With You: Celebrating Star Wars Day [UK]

Amazon UK Deals — Thu, 04 May 2017 10:00:45 GMT

You may have thought that "May The Fourth" was a reference Margaret Thatcher's ascendance to UK Prime Minister. Luckily you can forget such things because it's actually Star Wars Day, where fans of the franchise celebrate Lucasfilm's space opera saga around the world. Only seems fitting that there would be some great Star Wars deals to kick the day off. So, without further ado…

Sunday Deals: This Week's Best New Releases [UK]

Amazon UK Deals — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 16:30:34 GMT

Depending on your stance, Sunday is either the end of the week or the start of a new one. Either way, let's take a look at the best new releases from the past seven days. As always, all items are available on Amazon Prime's Next Day Delivery (if you haven't signed up, here's a reminder why you should) which you can try with their 30 day free trial.

How to Play Blu-ray and DVD Movies on Linux

Moe Long — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 22:00:00 GMT

Linux distributions have loads of benefits. Most are free, they're generally lightweight, and boast lots of customization. However, there's usually a bit of required tweaking to get Linux running. Unfortunately, certain out of the box features aren't native in Linux. Notably, DVD decryption isn't standard. In fact, watching DVDs on Linux, may technically be considered illegal.

Save on Personal Video Headset, Mattresses, and More [US/CA]

Amazon Deals — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 21:30:53 GMT

We're officially rolling into November, which means Black Friday season is upon us! As such, Amazon is going hard on the deals with discounts on a personal video headset, memory foam mattresses, board games, TVs, and much more!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens... To Buy or Not to Buy?

Mihir Patkar — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 19:30:00 GMT

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the most anticipated movie of 2015, had some high expectations to live up to. For most fans, director J.J. Abrams managed to give them a new hope (almost literally) for future episodes in the saga.

Everything You Need to Know About Ultra HD Blu-Ray

Mihir Patkar — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 16:00:00 GMT

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the focus this year was mainly on virtual reality headsets and smart connected appliances, but was also on the world of TVs and home theater technology. In fact, a new buzzword made its way around the expo in no time: Ultra HD Blu-ray.

7 Home Entertainment Trends to Watch Out for in 2016

Joel Lee — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 20:00:00 GMT

Earlier this year, we saw a lot of cool new products at CES 2016, including a Segway robot, a competitor to Google Glass, and even innovations to virtual reality. However, we also saw noticed several other reveals that showed us where home entertainment will be heading.

How to Play DVDs & Blu-Rays on Windows 10, Even Without a DVD Drive

Christian Cawley — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:00:00 GMT

With the removal of Windows Media Center from Windows 8, and the pulling of support for the software in Windows 10, it has suddenly become more difficult to play DVD and Blu-ray discs on your computer.

5 Alternatives to Windows Media Center for Windows 10

Christian Cawley — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 17:00:00 GMT

Windows 10 is coming, and with it a bunch of new features. But wherever you find new features, you'll also find holes, where old favorites have been deprecated.

How Smartphones Have Ruined Movies Forever

Ben Stegner — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 20:00:00 GMT

While smartphones have had some awesome effects, it's not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to our pocket devices. Some people are addicted to their phones, and some argue that smartphones are ruining users' lives.

5 Clever Things You Can Do with HandBrake

Brad Jones — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 17:00:00 GMT

Want to turn your DVDs and Blu-rays into media files you can watch on your computer? HandBrake can do just that — plus plenty more.

7 Technologies That Came and Went in the Last 15 Years

Mihir Patkar — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 17:00:00 GMT

Nostalgia turns cold hearts into poets. A few bars of a song, a wafting scent, a random sentence, and we're off in our own world, reliving a time gone by.

Rip Your DVDs & Blu-Rays With Absolute Ease With MakeMKV [Cross-Platform]

Mark O'Neill — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 21:00:00 GMT

A while ago, I began a huge project to rip my DVDs and Blu-Rays, and make a media center on my computer. The digital copies would also serve as a backup, in case the original disk was damaged, stolen, or lost.

3 Free Ways to Play DVDs and Blu-Ray in Windows 8.1

Chris Hoffman — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 22:00:00 GMT

Windows 8.1 still can't play DVD and Blu-ray movies out of the box. To get DVD playback from Microsoft, you'd have to buy the Windows 8 Pro Pack for $100 and the Media Center Pack for $10 -- and that only gets you DVD playback, not even Blu-ray support! Luckily, there are great free programs you can use to play DVDs without paying Microsoft another $110.

Create DVDs and Blu-ray Disc Backups Effortlessly With DVDFab Copy Suite [Giveaway]

Mihir Patkar — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 22:30:00 GMT

There is nothing worse than buying an expensive DVD or Blu-ray disc of your favourite movie or TV show, only to damage it down the line. And while Blu-rays are less susceptible to damage with age, DVDs will get scratched to a point where you simply can't use them anymore. One of the best practices you can have is to create backups of physical disc that you own -- and enjoy viewing the digital copies while keeping the originals safe.

What You Need To Know About Watching Blu-Ray On Linux

Danny Stieben — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 22:31:56 GMT

If you've been using Linux back since DVDs first came out, you might remember just how long it took before DVDs were somewhat supported. Heck, even now, if you want to play an encrypted DVD, you’ll need to add an extra repository and install a few extra packages just to be able to replay them with barely acceptable quality.

Why Won't Windows Play My DVD Or Blu-ray Disc?

Justin Pot — Sun, 05 May 2013 00:30:50 GMT

You insert a DVD into your Windows 8 computer – you want to watch a movie. Nothing happens. You try opening Windows Media Player. It can't play the disk. What's going on with Windows 8 and DVDs? And for that matter, Blu-ray discs? You're not the first person to ask this, and you won't be the last. The answer, basically, is that Windows 8 cannot play DVDs or Blu-Ray disks out of the box.

CDBurnerXP - A Great Burning Tool For CDs DVDs, Blu-Rays & ISOs [Windows]

Tina Sieber — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 04:31:48 GMT

Optical discs are not forever, but although they are losing significance, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are still a great medium for long term backups, given you store them right and don't use them as your only backup method. In other words, do keep a backup of your optical discs.

5 Ways To Get 3D Content For Your New 3DTV

James Bruce — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:00:43 GMT

So, lucky you - you got a new 3DTV for Christmas, eh? May I be the first to say, congratulations - you obviously understand that 3D is most certainly not a passing fad, and at the end of this article will be armed with the know-how to suitably impress your friends with all the 3D content you'll have.

How CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Copy Protection Software Works [Technology Explained]

Matt Smith — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:31:46 GMT

Ah, copy protection. This technology, also known as Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a necessary but often overdone part of our digital world. In theory, DVD or CD copy protection software is a tool that protects the content creators from losing sales to piracy. In reality, it's a sometimes obtrusive technique that can alienate customers.

How To Optimize Your Notebook For Blu-Ray (& Other HD) Movies

Matt Smith — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:31:19 GMT

High definition movies are becoming the norm, particularly for those watching content on a notebook PC. Blu-Ray drives are now available in a number of models, and those who don't have a Blu-Ray drive can easily download high-definition content from a number of online stores and free streaming sites.

Blu-Ray Technology History and The DVD [Technology Explained]

Steve Campbell — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:31:26 GMT