In the digital era, as the two main media types, DVD and Blu-ray are quite popular among users. If you are a movie enthusiast, you must get access to various types of movies in both DVD disc and Blu-ray disc. However, in recent years, due to the high resolution and superior audio effect that Blu-ray disc could offer, users are inclined to select Blu-ray as the main output format as the firm choice. Furthermore, compared to a common DVD player, people are more likely to obtain a Blu-ray player which could be compatible with both DVDs and Blu-ray discs. But are the things going in the correct direction all the time? Is the Blu-ray player powerful enough to cover all the solution for all the DVD discs? Can Blu-ray players play DVDs? Now let's have a further discussion below.

Part 1: Blu-ray VS DVD

Why can the Blu-ray player play both DVD and Blu-ray discs? Why is it not applicable on the other side around? Can you play DVDs on the Blu-ray player? Before figuring out these problems, we need to have a general outstanding about Blu-ray and DVD and the main differences between them.

1. Different reading wavelengths. Blu-ray is named after the laser wavelength 405 nanometers (nm) it uses, which happens to be the blue light in the spectrum. But DVD has a 650nm red light reader, and CD has a 780nm light reader.

2. Different capacity. A single Blu-ray disc has a capacity of 25 or 27GB, enough to burn a high-definition video for up to four hours. The dual layer can reach 46 or 54GB, enough to burn a high-resolution video for up to 8 hours. The Blu-ray disc with 100GB and 200GB capacity has 4 and 8 layers respectively. While the current maximum dual layer DVD capacity is 17.0GB (dvd-18).

3. Different reading speed. Concerning the reading speed, Blu-ray's blue light will be one to two times faster, as fast as 4.5 to 9 megabits per second, than the common DVDs.

4. Different memory materials. Blu-ray discs have an unusually strong layer that protects important layers of recording inside the disc. The Blu-ray disc adopts advanced vacuum bonding technology to form a uniform safety layer and can withstand frequent use, fingerprints, scratches and grime to ensure the safety of the quality data stored in Blu-ray products. The orbital spacing of a Blu-ray DVD disc is reduced to 0.32mm, which is only half of the current red DVD disc.

Blu-ray VS DVD

Part 2: Is Blu-ray Worth It to Get

In comparison between Blu-ray and DVD, it's not difficult to find that Blu-ray can be regarded as a more advanced format. Therefore, in most cases, DVDs can be played in a Blu-ray player. However, on the opposite side, DVD player is not compatible with Blu-ray discs. Therefore, it will be much convenient and proper to buy a Blu-ray player instead of a common DVD player. Why can the Blu-ray player support DVD discs? The main reason refers to that the Blu-ray player contains both blue and red lasers so that it can play both Blu-ray discs and DVD discs. So, once you import the DVD disc to the Blu-ray player, the Blu-ray player can activate the red laser so that the DVD disc can be read by the player.

Without any doubts, if your budget is enough, you had better purchase a Blu-ray player instead of a common DVD player. It is really worth to get. Nowadays, more and more digital resources are released in the format of Blu-ray which has a larger capacity and superior picture quality. Obtaining a powerful Blu-ray player is much money-consuming and necessary to provide users with all kinds of playback solutions. In terms of the price, a Blu-ray player is not so expensive. If you have both DVDs and Blu-ray discs within your reach, you don't have to buy a Blu-ray player and a common DVD player separately once you could get a powerful comprehensive Blu-ray player.

Is Blu-ray Worth It to Get

Part 3: Can Regular Blu-ray Players Play All DVDs

Will a Blu-ray player cover all the solutions for all kinds of DVD discs? Can Blu-ray players play DVDs? Actually, for most DVD discs, the Blu-ray player can be compatible with these common DVD formats. However, a Blu-ray player doesn't support Ultra HD DVD discs. Just as majority users know, in comparison with DVD discs, Blu-ray is much advanced in its larger capacity, higher resolution and surface coating technology which is to prevent it from being easily damaged. But in order to play Ultra HD Blu-ray format, the Blu-ray player doesn't work properly.

Ultra 4K Blu-ray is a format that is different from both Blu-ray and DVD. You will not be allowed to play Ultra 4K Blu-ray discs which provide native 4K resolution content on a common or standard Blu-ray player. If you would like play the Ultra 4K Blu-ray discs, you need to purchase a professional 4K Blu-ray player which is also compatible with 3D discs. What's more, this Ultra HD Blu-ray player can be compatible with common 2D Blu-ray and DVD discs as well as music CDs.

Can Blu-ray play all DVDS

Part 4: Top 5 Blu-ray Player Software Tools to Play Blu-ray and DVD

Instead of spending a large sum of money on purchasing a Blu-ray player, you could seek the help of the third part Blu-ray players programs. Among various Blu-ray and DVD players, I have sorted out the top 5 players for your further details.

No. 1 Leawo Blu-ray Player

On the top of the recommended player list, I will strongly push Leawo Blu-ray Player in the first place. As a totally free media player, Leawo Blu-ray Player is able to support 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, CD and other more than 180 types of digital formats files with 100% original quality retained. This player can easily play discs no matter they are commercial or regular and can rip the region codes freely so as to get users to access to the movie content on both Blu-ray and DVD discs. With advanced image and audio processing technology, Leawo Blu-ray Player can be able to offer users the extraordinary movie playback and cinema-like experience at home with stereo audio enjoyment. Besides, its bonus features make it more advanced in providing personal viewing experience, including virtual remote controller, power manager, custom skin/language, snap screenshots and so on.

    Free Blu-ray Player

    – Region-free Blu-ray player software to play Blu-ray disc and DVD disc for free, regardless of disc protection and region restriction.
    – Play 4K FLV videos, 4K MKV videos, 4K MP4 videos, etc. without quality loss.
    – Play 1080P videos, 720P videos with lossless quality.

No. 2 Corel WinDVD

Another powerful Blu-ray and DVD player with comprehensive features will be introduced is Corel WinDVD. WinDVD is easily able to support Blu-ray 3D, AVCHD and DVD and all other digital formats. As a piece of simple-to-use Blu-ray player which only supports FLV, MKV and MP4, it can offer additional features, such as menu support and video customizations. This Blu-ray/DVD player is good for primary users due to its simple instructions and interfaces. However, this player is not able to support VCD and SVCD formats.

Corel WinDVD

No. 3 AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player

AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player is designed for Windows to play Blu-ray, DVD and other common digital videos on your computer. Don't be confused by its name implies, this player is not only able to support MP4 format videos, but also can support other types of digital formats. With a high loading speed, AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player can allow you to load the Blu-ray or DVD disc within several seconds. Now it has several versions which are compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10/Vista/XP. Aside from the Blu-ray and DVD discs, 1080P HD videos are also supported by it. You can set your own preferences on the audio and subtitles.

AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player

No. 4 PowerDVD

As a classic Blu-ray and DVD player, PowerDVD has been popular for many years. This is a chargeable media player that can provide you with superior solutions to Blu-ray, DVD, CD, and all kinds of digital formats. It can handle HDR TVs and 4K Disney movies with clear video quality retained. Due to the support of TrueTheater, PowerDVD can be used as an excellent player to obtain an impressive video quality with ease. Especially, if you enjoy watching 3D movies, it can take you to the virtual world easily. Overall, if you have enough budgets, this player is worth trying.

PowerDVD

No. 5 VSO Media Player

Last of all, another less popular Blu-ray/DVD player you can take a try is VSO Media Player. As a free media player for PC users, VSO Media Player is designed to play all kinds of Blu-ray discs as well as DVD discs and other common digital files including AVI, MPG and other formats videos as well as common DVDs. It is quite smooth and slick during the playing process. The direct and quick icons on the main screen are quite convenient during the playing process.

VSO Media Player

Part 5: Conclusion

Do Blu-ray player play DVDs? Well, the answer should depend. For most of the DVD discs, a Blu-ray player can offer the playback solution. But if you would like to play Ultra Blu-ray disc, you may have to buy a professional Ultra HD Blu-ray player. If you would like to make the jump from a DVD player to a Blu-ray player or even an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, you can check their prices and comprehensive features in the first place. Based on your own needs, you can select the most appropriate player. Well, if you prefer a more economical way, then Leawo Blu-ray Player can be your good option for you to play 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and other digital formats on your computer.