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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Applications > I need it free. I need a Mac version. And I need it to play blu-ray movie files.

I need it free. I need a Mac version. And I need it to play blu-ray movie files.
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Ham Sandwich
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Feb 28, 2011, 09:55 PM
 
And VLC doesn't work.

No video screen appears on my MacBook 2.1 GHz when I use VLC. These are .m2ts files and I should be able to process them.

Toast 10 movie player, Quicktime Pro, and iSquint don't recognize the format. MPC-HC works but is PC only...I don't want to bring 2 computers with me on vacation. And then there is paid software, most of which is PC only.

I'm so tired of searching aimlessly for weeks to find free, Mac software that does as promised, although no one promises that VLC plays them, the requests are in.

Alright, who's got some bullet software for this? Anything else in open source perhaps?
     
ibook_steve
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Feb 28, 2011, 10:43 PM
 
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
AKcrab
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Feb 28, 2011, 11:15 PM
 
I read this earlier, and couldn't figure out where blu-ray fit in at all... .m2ts files are AVCHD files from a Sony video camera, aren't they?
     
reader50
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Feb 28, 2011, 11:39 PM
 
My usual video player checklist:

1) MplayerOSXExtended
2) Movist
3) VLC
4) QT Player

Usually a file will play properly in at least one of them.
     
X-Ti
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Mar 1, 2011, 12:14 AM
 
AVCHD files require all of the supporting folder/files in my experience. The camera I use has a different extension, but they are AVCHD files and you can not just grab on of the files and drag and drop it onto your hd. You either need to convert directly from the card or use a program like disk utility to make an dmg of the card on to you hd.
     
slugslugslug
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Mar 1, 2011, 01:34 PM
 
I think Blu-ray rips are often .m2ts files too.
     
TETENAL
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Mar 1, 2011, 01:58 PM
 
According to Wikipedia HandBrake is able to convert these kind of files.
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 1, 2011, 02:31 PM
 
iMovie can import .mts files.
     
Ham Sandwich
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Mar 1, 2011, 03:20 PM
 
Originally Posted by reader50 View Post
My usual video player checklist:

1) MplayerOSXExtended
2) Movist
3) VLC
4) QT Player

Usually a file will play properly in at least one of them.
None of these work.

MplayerOSXExtended does not show me a movie window, just 0:00:00 for the time.

Movist tells me "This file is not a movie file."

VLC does the same thing as MplayerOSXExtended.

Quicktime says "The movie could not be opened."



TETENAL: Handbrake doesn't work either, it tells me no source file found, and won't recognize the files.
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 1, 2011, 03:35 PM
 
iMovie...
     
JellyBeen
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Mar 2, 2011, 10:44 AM
 
Give MPlayerX a go. This is the new version and works really well.
It is based on ffmpeg and mplayer.

Download MPlayerX for Mac - Alternative, modern media player. MacUpdate.com
20"iMac intel 2.66 Duo: 4GB RAM : OS 10.6.6
     
PhilCat
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Mar 2, 2011, 11:26 AM
 
I thought VLC played raw AVCHD files from previous tests. And it does.

Start VLC Player
Go to AVCHD file/ BDMV/ Stream / Open Stream/ grab and drop entire content on the player.
     
turtle777
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Mar 2, 2011, 12:41 PM
 
I think it's pretty clear by now that you probably have a corrupted file.

What's the source ?

-t
     
Ham Sandwich
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Mar 2, 2011, 05:43 PM
 
I will try iMovie when I need to purchase iLife.
Also: I just want to watch the file content, not import the movies via Handbrake, MakeMKV, or anything else.


Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
I think it's pretty clear by now that you probably have a corrupted file.

What's the source ?

-t

Terminator Salvation, 2012, Ice Road Truckers Seasons 3 and 4, The Universe Season 4... would you like any more sources?


Originally Posted by JellyBeen View Post
Give MPlayerX a go. This is the new version and works really well.
It is based on ffmpeg and mplayer.
Tried it. Doesn't work, no movie window launches.


Originally Posted by PhilCat View Post
I thought VLC played raw AVCHD files from previous tests. And it does.

Start VLC Player
Go to AVCHD file/ BDMV/ Stream / Open Stream/ grab and drop entire content on the player.
I'm not sure if I'm following your directions.

I've tried opening the file in VLC through
"Open File..."
"Advanced Open File..."
"Open Disc..."
dragging and dropping the folder and the individual files.

None of these techniques work.
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 2, 2011, 05:59 PM
 
You have a MacBook but not iMovie? It comes standard.
     
turtle777
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Mar 2, 2011, 06:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by Andrej View Post
Terminator Salvation, 2012, Ice Road Truckers Seasons 3 and 4, The Universe Season 4... would you like any more sources?
Dude, these are not sources, these are movie titles

WHERE did you get them from ?
Ripped yourself ? Torrent ? Fell off a truck ?

-t
     
PhilCat
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Mar 2, 2011, 06:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by Andrej View Post
Originally Posted by PhilCat
Start VLC Player
Go to AVCHD file/
I've tried opening the file in VLC through "Open File…"
"open through" never mentioned.
VLC running.
Go to finder / Go to AVCHD file, etc.
AVCHD was guessed by another as possibility of what you were trying to play.
This file type is video of current camera's.

Stated file, Ice Road Truckers is not AVCHD, right?
Post 1 title from file showing ext.
Ripped, and not .mp4,.m4v, will not play period.
     
Ham Sandwich
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Mar 2, 2011, 07:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by turtle777 View Post
Dude, these are not sources, these are movie titles

WHERE did you get them from ?
No, they ARE sources, because they are the blu-ray movies that contain the .m2ts files, located in their BDMV/STREAM folders. Geez.

Originally Posted by PhilCat View Post
"open through" never mentioned.
VLC running.
Go to finder / Go to AVCHD file, etc.
AVCHD was guessed by another as possibility of what you were trying to play.
This file type is video of current camera's.

Stated file, Ice Road Truckers is not AVCHD, right?
Post 1 title from file showing ext.
Ripped, and not .mp4,.m4v, will not play period.
I'm confused by your post. I don't see a "Go to AVCHD" option anywhere. What is AVCHD?
     
AKcrab
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Mar 2, 2011, 07:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by Andrej View Post
No, they ARE sources, because they are the blu-ray movies that contain the .m2ts files, located in their BDMV/STREAM folders. Geez.
So this thread is truly about watching blu-ray on your mac? This can't be done. You'll need to rip them with MakeMKV, and then either leave them in that format (at about 50GB each) or then handbrake them down to another format.
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 2, 2011, 07:56 PM
 
I am so confused. I thought we were talking about .m2ts which is a format used by cameras that record in AVCHD.
     
AKcrab
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Mar 2, 2011, 09:04 PM
 
Yeah. I'm still not sure what he really wants.
     
Ham Sandwich
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Mar 2, 2011, 09:54 PM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5 View Post
I am so confused. I thought we were talking about .m2ts which is a format used by cameras that record in AVCHD.
The thread is about "blu-ray movie files." Nothing to do with cameras.

Originally Posted by AKcrab View Post
So this thread is truly about watching blu-ray on your mac? This can't be done.
Oye that stinks.

Guess I'll be using my folks' Sony Viao when I go on vacation.
Yeah, the irony.

And if anyone does have a solution, feel free to bump this thread whenever.

(Not a total wasted purchase, however, my old P.O.S. aluminum brick-style Lacie DVD writer can't read half my discs anyways.)
     
PhilCat
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Mar 2, 2011, 09:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by Andrej View Post
What is AVCHD?
Originally Posted by PhilCat
Again
AVCHD
"""This file type is video of current camera's."""" See ZS3 model. Have 6 of them.
I don't have bluerays at this location to test your theory of their file type.

You can go to OWC, where they sell BR players for computer.

Note
Apple software currently does not support Blu-ray drives, but the DVD and CD burning/reading portions of the OS do function. It is expected a future release of the OS will add Blu-ray support and the ability to display HD Blu-ray video
     
turtle777
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Mar 2, 2011, 10:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by imitchellg5 View Post
I am so confused. I thought we were talking about .m2ts which is a format used by cameras that record in AVCHD.
How do feature movies end up in a format used by video cameras ?

A mystery.

-t
     
reader50
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Mar 2, 2011, 10:37 PM
 
The blu-ray files do not play because the studios encrypted them with AACS DRM. The AACS licensing terms are terribly restrictive - Apple would have to lock down OSX, so that Mac owners do not fully control their own computers. Microsoft had no problem doing this to Windows users, but Apple has so far refused the terms. Hence, no official players on Mac.

3rd parties have partially broken the encryption, though they still need player keys. The studios periodically invalidate keys that have been made public, so movies released later need a later key to play. Until someone manages to extract a later key, and the cycle repeats itself. This will likely continue until the AACS master key leaks or is deduced.

In the meantime, you need to decrypt the files, and play them. To my knowledge, no Mac app combines both functions. Mplayer has experimented with it, but BR decryption has yet to make it into a released build. VLC has talked about it, but they lack the expertise to implement it soon.

You could boot into Windows and use an official player or AnyDVDHD. Or you can rip the files, convert to smaller size, and use a normal player. Or you could read a book on the trip instead. Or work on your pickup lines.
( Last edited by reader50; Mar 2, 2011 at 10:50 PM. )
     
imitchellg5
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Mar 2, 2011, 11:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by Andrej View Post
And if anyone does have a solution, feel free to bump this thread whenever.
DVDs.
     
PhilCat
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Mar 2, 2011, 11:26 PM
 
Here's a little more.

M2TS File Extension - Open .M2TS files

*
M2TS File Extension Video file saved in the high-definition Blu-ray BDAV format; used for saving video data on Blu-ray discs; based on the MPEG-2 transport stream and supports 720p and 1080i formats.

BDAV stands for "Blu-ray Disc Audio/Visual," while the M2TS extension refers to "MPEG-2 Transport Stream."


MTS File Extension - Open .MTS files

*
MTS File Extension, High-definition MPEG Transport Stream video format, commonly called "AVCHD;" used by Sony, Panasonic, and other HD camcorders; based on the MPEG-2 transport stream and supports 720p and 1080i HD video formats.

AVCHD stands for "Advanced Video Codec High Definition." The format was jointly established by both Panasonic and Sony in 2006. MTS files can typically be opened and edited using the software included with Sony and Panasonic HD camcorders.


For example, one of my AVCHD clips.
Select single STREAM component 00008.MTS one of the 9 used to make up the stream and info of is MPEG-2 Transport Stream.
These Nine components make up a single 750mb AVCHD stream using 00000-00008 and are file size from 15mb - 350mb.

AVS Video Converter
Platforms:  Windows 7, XP, 2003, Vista (no Mac OS/Linux support)
Create Personal DVD/Blu-ray Videos

Hope it clears up some of it.
     
voodoo
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Mar 3, 2011, 08:34 AM
 
Originally Posted by reader50 View Post
The blu-ray files do not play because the studios encrypted them with AACS DRM. The AACS licensing terms are terribly restrictive - Apple would have to lock down OSX, so that Mac owners do not fully control their own computers. Microsoft had no problem doing this to Windows users, but Apple has so far refused the terms. Hence, no official players on Mac.
Not really, Steve Jobs just complained (a long time ago) that the BD licensing was "a bag of hurt" and not worth it until the legal issues were ironed out. Then when they were, he called BD a "dead technology" and left it at that.

Neither Apple nor Steve have any problems at all locking down the Mac OS to ensure draconian DRM, in fact Apple already has regarding the iTunes video store DRM.

Apple has no qualms putting in system wide restrictions so Mac owners can't fully control their own computers. In fact that's what Apple is quite famous for.
I could take Sean Connery in a fight... I could definitely take him.
     
Salty
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Mar 6, 2011, 08:41 PM
 
So what you're saying is... you're not smart enough to figure out how to play the files you got... but you're not willing to go with an easier solution like using one of the many file formats that can hold HD content and play easily on your Mac?

What I don't get is why on earth people are bothering to help you. Obviously if you got these files onto your Mac you didn't use a Blu Ray drive so you probably pirated them, at which point you should probably just go back and pirate an MKV... or just use a freaking Blu Ray player connected to a TV!

It sounds like you just want to play Blu Ray files because you heard they're "better."
     
turtle777
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Mar 6, 2011, 11:06 PM
 
^^^ FTW

-t
     
P
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Mar 7, 2011, 07:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by voodoo View Post
Apple has no qualms putting in system wide restrictions so Mac owners can't fully control their own computers. In fact that's what Apple is quite famous for.
The Protected Video Path required by AACS licensing is beyond the sort of locking down that Apple has implemented.

The fact that noone on the FOSS side has bothered to implement a fully free Bluray player yet shows how low the interest in Bluray is. I have a player - a Sony model that is really quite good - but it's not even plugged in at the moment. Why bother?
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
Ham Sandwich
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Apr 2, 2011, 04:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by Salty View Post
So what you're saying is... you're not smart enough to figure out how to play the files you got...
Are you kidding me? Did you not see the many threads I've posted with regards to all the things I've tried to get them to play?

So, what you're saying is, you're not smart enough to read my posts...

Originally Posted by Salty View Post
but you're not willing to go with an easier solution like using one of the many file formats that can hold HD content and play easily on your Mac?
What does that have to do with blu-ray movie files? It's not like I can just ask the makers of XYZ and say "Hey, can you re-release this film using .mov files for your blu-ray content?"

Originally Posted by Salty View Post
What I don't get is why on earth people are bothering to help you.
What am I supposed to do: scratch my scalp until I go bald trying to figure out a solution by myself when someone else might have an answer?

What I don't get is: why are people bothering to help you when you sound like a mean jerk? Sue me because I ask a forum!!!!

Originally Posted by Salty View Post
Obviously if you got these files onto your Mac you didn't use a Blu Ray drive so you probably pirated them,
I JUST SAID that they were blu-ray movie files!
How the f*** could I have pirated them if I bought the damn discs????????
Explain that to me!
They can't possibly have been pirated. I can't make that any clearer.
Go back and read my other posts.

Originally Posted by Salty View Post
at which point you should probably just go back and pirate an MKV... or just use a freaking Blu Ray player connected to a TV!
Yes I do have "a freakin Blu Ray player connected to a TV," but I can't bring my damn 46" television with me on vacation!

Originally Posted by Salty View Post
It sounds like you just want to play Blu Ray files because you heard they're "better."
Well obviously THEY ARE! Otherwise they wouldn't come out with the product.
     
AKcrab
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Apr 2, 2011, 04:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by Andrej View Post
Also: I just want to watch the file content, not import the movies via Handbrake, MakeMKV, or anything else.
You CAN'T.
Blu-Ray > MakeMKV > done... OR continue to convert with handbrake.
     
   
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