Bluray Players-Does Yours Play Bluray Data Disks?

[Alwyn]

General question to the floor: does your Bluray player play media files on data disks, that is, disk that have the files simply burnt on them, not authored and a "proper" Bluray?

If the answer is yes, what format files (eg MPEG 2, MP4) and what is the model number?

My (oldish) Panny BWT-460 will only play MPEG 2 files off a bluray data disk.

Thanks for any replies.

[johns0]

My sony bdp-380 blu-ray player would play files burned on a data disc,it would play mpeg-2 and mp4,mkv but since i just stream i dont use it anymore.

[cholla]

I do not have any Bluray blank discs right now so I can not test to see if my settop or PC BD optical drive will play a data bluray disc.

However i did experiment with creating BD5 disc a while back.
Following the guide in this topic:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/299579-How-to-shrink-a-Blu-ray-to-DVD-5-DVD-9-or-BD-25

I did the Write to a DVD +RW with the original index.bdmv & then with the AVCHD.Patcher ( to make it PS3/Blu-ray compliant).
Both worked the same as far as I could tell.

It does not play from my PC BD optical drive when selecting "Play with VLC media player".
If I open VLC & navigate to the D:\BDMV\STREAM\0000.MTS file the "main movie" file size 4,335,186KB.
Select it. VLC plays it fine.
My settop BD player sees the folders in the BDMV folder but all of the folders show as "Empty".
Even the STREAM folder.
So it is a NO on my settop LG Model BD611 manufactured 2011.
It is getting old & has some problems so It might be the fault of the player.

[JoeS99]

My OPPO UDP-203 does but OPPO doesn't make Blu-Ray players anymore and any ones up for sale are expensive.
I usually rip discs with MakeMKV and play with my Zidoo Z30 Pro these days.

[Alwyn]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It seems that playing MP4s burnt straight onto a bluray disk is probably not go to be a reliable method of playing them.

[johns0]

You can burn the mp4 to disc and extract them to play through usb.

[Alwyn]

Do you mean copy them from the disk to a USB stick them play them?

[johns0]

Yup,at least you will have a copy of videos that wont get lost.

[Alwyn]

Got it, thanks.

[johns0]

That's what i do with my blu-ray discs,i use makemkv to rip them and burn them to a blu-ray disc and copy them to usb when i want to play them on my xbox series x through usb but as i said already i watch streaming more often.

[Alwyn]

Thank you.

[cholla]

@ Alwyn,
I bought a new Bluray player. Panasonic DMP-BD90.
It played the BD5 but like the PC did.
It had to navigate to the BDMV\STREAM\0000.MTS file.
My old LG would not recognize files on the BD5.

I also created a DVD +RW data disc with some .mp4 videos on it.
My new player recognized the .mp4 files & I could select any one I wanted to play.

I ordered some bluray blank discs 25GB from Amazon.
Unfortunately there are no rewritable bluray discs.
When I get them I will write a data disc.
I'm sure this will work as a backup for some .mp3s & some movie .mp4s I have.
I hope it will play in my BD player from the disc.
Even if it does not it should work as a backup I can access with my PC so not a waste.

I had been intending to replace my old LG anyway as it had been failing to play some things.
Especially USB videos. I actually used it for that more than playing discs.
It did this fine for many years but had started to have pauses or would outright freeze & have to be unplugged to start the video over.
It would do the same on some discs even DVDs. It was a 2011 so I got a lot of service out of it.

[cholla]

@ Alwyn,
I got my bluray discs in & burned a Data BD.
I did have to open the disc with Windows Explorer to get a list of the movies.
From there I could select the movie I wanted.
Or from the players Select file menu but not the by selecting the drive or whole disc.
The BD data disc played with VLC & MPC-BE on my PC.
But as above it would not directly open the disc.

My settop BD player had a list for me to select from.
I had .mkv & .mp4 movies of various resolutions.
All that I checked played fine.
It has 16 movies on the BD.
This is the disc information:

Media Type: BD-R Sequential
Media ID: VERBAT-IMe-7D
Speeds: 12x
8x
4x
Layers: 1
Capacity: 23.1 GB
Sectors: 12119744
Content Type: Data (Mode 1)
Tracks: 1
Sessions: 1
Bootable: No
Volume Label: MOVIES
Creation Date: 5/23/2025 10:24:49 PM
Modification Date: 5/23/2025 10:24:49 PM
Publisher:
Application: IMGBURN V2.5.8.0 - THE ULTIMATE IMAGE BURNER!
Volume Label: Movies
UDF Version: 1.02
Recording Date: 5/26/2025 2:24:49 PM
Directories: 1
Files: 16

[Alwyn]

Thanks Cholla, it seems that the capability to play files off the disc depends on the BD player; it appears to be a bit hit and miss and probably not a reliable method of viewing them.

[cholla]

@ Alwyn,
I believe the bluray disc is good storage as a backup.
I bought a fairly inexpensive new "panny".
Model: Panasonic DMP-BD90 It was in stock at the local Walmart.
It meets my needs & had no problem playing the .mp4 & .mkv files on the bluray.
Most are AVC x264 video & Audio in either aac or ac3.
I did not think to test burning some mpeg 2 .vob files.
I should have. Just to see how they would play,

[Sharc]

Thanks Cholla, it seems that the capability to play files off the disc depends on the BD player; it appears to be a bit hit and miss and probably not a reliable method of viewing them.

Less of a hit and miss if one downloads and reads the manuals which usually specify the media, formats and codecs which are supported, and list the exceptions and restrictions which apply.

[Alwyn]

Thanks Cholla.

Less of a hit and miss if one downloads and reads the manuals which usually specify the media, formats and codecs which are supported

I'll get Grandma to do that.

[Sharc]

Thanks Cholla.

Less of a hit and miss if one downloads and reads the manuals which usually specify the media, formats and codecs which are supported

I'll get Grandma to do that.

Maybe ask her to buy you 10 players for your hit and miss game

Edit: But oh yes, I understand that Grandma is an option for those who can't read