Question about recorded Blu-ray

[carlyas]

Hello, it seems like my question might cross a few topics so I'm posting it here.

I have a few Blu-rays of television programs that a friend in Japan recorded for me. I'm unable to play them and I'm not sure where the compatibility issue lies.
- The discs play on my friend's Blu-ray player in Japan
- I used to be able to play them with no problem on my ex's PS3 (purchased in the US)
- I have a Sony BDP-S3200 Blu-ray player that will not read them
- I have 2 Macs and an external Blu-ray drive. I've tried every downloadable Blu-ray player for Mac I could find, and none read them
- MakeMKV, which I typically use to back up my commercial discs, won't read them

I have no problem purchasing something, either hardware or software, but I don't want to make a blind purchase and I don't know what would work (other than a PS3, which I would rather not buy just to watch these discs). It shouldn't be a region issue, and the Japanese player/PS3 would lead me to believe the discs are fine. I know recorded DVDs from Japan have copy protection that prevents them from being played elsewhere, but again, after watching the Blu-rays on a US PS3 (which I could not do with DVDs recorded by the same friend) I'm not sure that's the case with these? My video tech knowledge is really basic.

I would really prefer to rip them so I don't have to store the discs. Something that works with my Mac would be most convenient but I also have access to a PC if that helps. If ripping is not possible though, I'll take any solution that lets me watch them.

Thanks for the help!

[Baldrick]

Recorded with what? A standalone blu-ray recorder(they might have some special protection) or burned with a computer blu-ray drive?

Can you browse the blu-ray with finder in mac osx? Do you see any files?

[carlyas]

I'm pretty sure they were recorded with a stand-alone Blu-ray recorder (I can ask and confirm the brand if that would be helpful info). I do see files when I browse the discs. The large ones are m2ts files in a folder labeled STREAM.

[Baldrick]

That sounds like a normal blu-ray (see https://www.videohelp.com/hd#filestruct )

Have you tried open any m2ts with VLC Media Player?

[usually_quiet]

In Japan and other countries where broadcasters use a copy-once flag to restrict a viewer's ability to record and subsequently copy some content, DVD recorders use CPRM/Copy Guard to copy protect burned DVDs. An Internet search turned up nothing like CPRM for BD-R and Blu-ray recorders.

Are these discs perhaps BD-R LTH? The recording layer in this type of disc is dye-based like DVD, and degrades more quickly than than the inorganic phase-change material used for the recording layer in ordinary BD-R discs.

[carlyas]

@ Baldrick: I have tried playing the m2ts files directly in VLC to no avail.

@ usually_quiet: Would it have that info written on the disc? One of them says TDK BD-R 25BG 1-4x, others say That's BR-D for Video 25BG 1-4x. I don't see anything about LTH.

CPRM was my first thought, but the fact that a US PS3 worked is throwing me off.

[usually_quiet]

@ usually_quiet: Would it have that info written on the disc? One of them says TDK BD-R 25BG 1-4x, others say That's BR-D for Video 25BG 1-4x. I don't see anything about LTH.

I don't use LTH media, so I am not sure if LTH would be on the media itself. The packaging it comes in normally has "LTH" on it somewhere because LTH media is not compatible with many early Blu-ray players and some early Blu-ray burners. The recording surface for my ordinary BD-R media is either metallic brown (Panasonic) or metallic dark gray (Verbatim). The recording surface for at least some LTH media is supposedly pale green, but I don't know if the recording surface of all LTH media is the same color.

CPRM was my first thought, but the fact that a US PS3 worked is throwing me off.

Since these were at one time playable by a PS3, I also doubt these disks used something like CPRM.

[gunnet]

I also have issue with my sony blu ray player that it does not read disc but i solve it through Sony BDP-S3200 Manual by comparing following conditions with my device:
that the disc has been inserted properly into the player.
the DVD player is connected properly to the TV.
Check that the TV where the DVD player is connected to is set to the right input.
examine the disc for any cracks or scratches that might be interfering with playback.
Make sure the DVD disc is compatible with the player.

[october262]

try using dvdfab