Using an external blu-ray machine with my iMac

jamiet · Aug 9, 2016

Hello,

I purchased an LG blu-ray player, a HDMI to Thunderbolt adapter and purchased Mac Blu-Ray player software, yet I am still not able to play any blu-ray disks at all. I have a 27inch iMac running Yosemite.

Could anyone please point me in the right direction please?

Many thanks!

IWT · Aug 9, 2016

Hi jamiet. A warm welcome to Mac-Forums.

I have a couple of linked articles which may help. Playing Blu Ray DVDs is not that straight forward. Various options are suggested on the Apple Support and Macworld sites, giving details of setup etc. Hope these might help.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3702667?start=15
http://www.macworld.com/article/2084815/turn-your-mac-into-the-ultimate-blu-ray-player.html

Ian

PS Why not use USB port? Any special reason for Thunderbolt? That could be the problem???

MacInWin · Aug 10, 2016

Welcome to the forum.

Are you trying to use the iMac as the display for the Blu-ray by playing the video through the HDMI into the Thunderbolt? If so, that is not going to work. The iMac doesn't have a video IN capability. You can connect the Blu-ray as Ian has pointed out and then play the BR Disks ON the iMac, but not INTO it.

jamiet · Aug 12, 2016

Hi and sorry for the late response! Have been away.

Thank you for all the advice, yes I have been trying to view blu-rays through my LG player using a HDMI to Thunderbolt adapter and I have purchased mac blu-ray player app.

The LG player has a USB port on the front, would I be able to use that as a direct USB connection to the iMac?

MacInWin · Aug 12, 2016

In a word, "no." As I said in my first post, the iMac has no video IN port. The USB on the front of the LG is for attaching more storage and not for video out. That said, you can try using the LG as a DVD drive and use some viewer on the iMac to watch the movies there. The post from Ian (number 2 above) has links to two places that describe how to do that. You'll need to install some software and then get a BlueRay player designed to be used as a disk drive (don't know if the LG fits that category). You can try getting a USB cable, attaching the two with it, put in a disk and see if the Mac sees the disk. I doubt it will because the LG will also see the disk and trigger its own software to run to display the content. And that content will NOT come out the USB port.

KevinJS · Aug 12, 2016

The USB port on the front of the LG is only for plugging in a thumb drive to access media files. It doesn't function as an output.

BluRay players also use USB thumb drives and SD cards for storing information downloaded from the Internet about movies. The Extras menu on a BluRay disk often contains links to online content.

TVBob · Aug 12, 2017

BluRay and OS

MacInWin said:
In a word, "no." As I said in my first post, the iMac has no video IN port. The USB on the front of the LG is for attaching more storage and not for video out. That said, you can try using the LG as a DVD drive and use some viewer on the iMac to watch the movies there. The post from Ian (number 2 above) has links to two places that describe how to do that. You'll need to install some software and then get a BlueRay player designed to be used as a disk drive (don't know if the LG fits that category). You can try getting a USB cable, attaching the two with it, put in a disk and see if the Mac sees the disk. I doubt it will because the LG will also see the disk and trigger its own software to run to display the content. And that content will NOT come out the USB port.

The most frustrating aspect of this issue is that mine worked prior to OS 10.12. I have a fairly extensive library of BluRay movies and television series that I wanted to make available on my Apple TV or other streaming devices. Using an LG BP50N40 and my iMac 11,1 I ripped and converted a number of them successfully. When Vudu began offering the same service (actually simpler), I used that avenue for a time. Because series and titles from some studios are not available as Vudu conversions, I attempted to rip some more; it ain't happening. The iMac no longer sees the BluRay player. Nor does my MacBook. There's not much hope for relief from Apple or LG, is there?

MacInWin · Aug 12, 2017

I think there are two different problems here, TVBob. The OP wanted to play the DVD on the BR Player and then use HDMI to go into the Mac as if it were a monitor. But the Mac has no input HDMI port, so that doesn't work. From what I can tell, what you want is to use the LG drive on your Mac as a drive, but according to LG, they don't support Apple with that drive: http://www.lg.com/us/burners-drives/lg-BP50NB40-external-blu-ray-dvd-drive

You might try what I found with a quick search. I have NO idea if it works, or if the company or website is reputable. It's just the result of a search: http://www.techisky.com/software/blu-ray-player-for-macos-sierra.html

Using an external blu-ray machine with my iMac

jamiet

IWT

MacInWin

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jamiet

MacInWin

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KevinJS

TVBob

MacInWin

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