Best way to play DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs on 5K iMac?

[fastmax]

I have been looking to find an external Blu-ray burner to play discs from my DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD collection on my 27" 5K iMac. It seems like a wonderful way to view some of my favorite films on a beautiful display.

So far, I have found the ASUS BW-16D1X-U drive recommended in this article by iMore: https://www.imore.com/best-blu-ray-drives-mac
The ASUS drive lists BDXL support, so it should support Blu-ray Discs all the way up to 4K UHD. It seems based on my research that standard DVDs will play through the native Apple DVD Player app and that I will need a third-party solution for playing both Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs. iMore had another article that outlined the options for software that included using VLC with MakeMKV all the way up to the paid MacGo Blu-ray Player Pro: https://www.imore.com/best-apps-blu-rays-mac

Does anyone have experience playing DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD Discs on their Mac with a similar setup and how has it worked for you? Are there any other drives I should be considering over the ASUS?

 

[mapleleafer]

I tried a commercial blu-ray programme (may have been MacGo, can't remember) a few years ago but couldn't get it to work (the company, though, did refund the purchase price). It may be better now. I looked into using VLC, but warnings for sites offering needed files put me off pursuing that possibility (maybe these files can now be obtained more securely). I ended up getting a dedicated 4K blu-ray player. I had a Mini at the time and already had a 4K monitor, which I now use as an external display for my new iMac (and for watching blu-rays). Dedicated blu-ray players are pricey (thanks a lot Steve), but I'm happy with my setup.

 

[fastmax]

So, you are using a 4K TV that is hooked up to a normal 4K Blu-ray player to play your discs?

 

[mapleleafer]

A 4K monitor, not TV.

 

[Fishrrman]

Just some thoughts...

Instead of getting one of those "cement block sized" drives, I got a smaller one, tray loader. Working fine for years now.

I would get one that is "M-Disc" capable. The one I got wasn't, but I wouldn't buy another without such capabilities.

I've only played Bluray discs a few times, but I used "Free Mac Blu-Ray Player".
As the name implies, it's free but puts a small icon in the upper left corner while running "in free mode". Whether you wish to pay to get rid of the icon, is up to you.

 

[fastmax]

The ASUS BW-16D1X-U player definitely takes up more desk real estate than some of the slimmer options. After doing some research at the MakeMKV forums, I've seen quite a few recommendations for the Archgon Blu-ray drive, which is quite slim and includes the well-regarded LG BU40N as the internal drive mechanism. Apparently, that is one of the drives that can be flashed with firmware that allows it to read and play back 4K UHD discs. But, it has to be done on Windows, so I'd just need to ask a friend who has a PC kicking around to Flash the drive on their machine.

The MPA has made it difficult and confusing to play purchased content that we own on our Macs. But they don't actually slow down pirating as people always find a way around their copy protections for both legitimate and illicit purposes. I can see why Apple never made a Blu-ray SuperDrive.