Devices and Mac OS X version
VLC media player requires Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later. It runs on any Mac with a 64-bit Intel processor or an Apple Silicon chip. Previous devices are supported by older releases.
Note that the first generation of Intel-based Macs equipped with Core Solo or Core Duo processors is no longer supported. Please use version 2.0.10 linked below.
VLC is not Compatible with the Newest Mac Operating System. Every time a Mac system is upgraded, VLC will encounter compatibility problems, no matter macOS High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, or Big Sur. With the release of Big Sur, lots of users began to report the incompatibility of VLC. In this case, the best way to fix “VLC. VLC is not Compatible with the Newest Mac Operating System Every time a Mac system is upgraded, VLC will encounter compatibility problems, no matter macOS High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, or Big Sur. With the release of Big Sur, lots of users began to report the incompatibility of VLC. VLC media player requires Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later. It runs on any Mac with a 64-bit Intel processor or an Apple Silicon chip. Previous devices are supported by older releases. LionPlayer is a new generation of Mac platform media player, supports a variety of common audio and video formats, supports H.264 hardware decoding, automatic loading of various external subtitles.
If you need help in finding the correct package matching your Mac's processor architecture, please see this official support document by Apple.
Web browser plugin for Mac OS X
Support for NPAPI plugins was removed from all modern web browsers, so VLC's plugin is no longer maintained. The last version is 3.0.4 and can be found here. It will not receive any further updates.
Older versions of Mac OS X and VLC media player
We provide older releases for users who wish to deploy our software on legacy releases of Mac OS X. You can find recommendations for the respective operating system version below. Note that support ended for all releases listed below and hence they won't receive any further updates.
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Use VLC 2.2.8. Get it here.
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Use VLC 2.0.10. Get it for PowerPC or 32bit Intel.
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Mac OS X 10.4.7 or later is required
Use VLC 0.9.10. Get it for PowerPC or Intel.
Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
QuickTime 6.5.2 or later is required
Use VLC 0.8.6i. Get it for PowerPC.
Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar
Use VLC 0.8.4a. Get it for PowerPC.
Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah and 10.1 Puma
Use VLC 0.7.0. Get it for PowerPC.
- “Apple’s own DVD player fails to work, I tried to reinstall the Mac DVD Player. But nothing happens…”
- “I just upgraded to macOS Mojave on my 2017 MacBook Pro and found that the DVD Player app has disappeared…”
A good DVD player really matters. If you have large collections of DVD discs, you need to find a reliable DVD player to bypass Mac DVD Player not working or showing up errors. There are numerous free and paid Mac DVD player software in the market. Which one can be your best DVD player for MacBook Pro and Air? And how to play DVD on my Macbook Pro? Just read and find your answer.
Part 1: Top 5 Best Free Mac DVD Player Software
Is there a DVD player on Macbook Pro or on Macbook Air? The answer is absolutely yes. Here we will be covering top free DVD players for Mac, and you can pick up your preferred one to get a DVD to play on your Macbook. You can play DVDs on Mac for free with smooth playback experience here.
Top 1: Free Mac Blu-ray Player
You can play DVD/Blu-ray discs and movies with copy protection via Blu-ray Master Free Mac Blu-ray Player in 100% image quality. The Mac DVD player software adopts the most advanced kernel and newest playing technology. You can play any DVD with selectable chapter, title, audio track and subtitle.
Besides, you can adjust visual effects and take screenshots while watching DVD movies on Mac. The user interface is clean and intuitive. Thus, both beginners and experts can load and play DVDs on Mac with entire new home entertainment experience.
- 1. Play DVD disc, and DVD movie on Mac with customizable filters.
- 2. This DVD player also supports Blu-ray playback. (Can DVD player play Blu-ray files?)
- 3. Adopt the most advanced kernel and newest playing technology for DVD playback.
- 4. Support Dolby 5.1, DTS and HD audio to keep all audio tracks perfectly.
- 5. Play any video or audio format with great video quality.
- 6. Capture video images in one click while playing DVD movie on Mac.
- 7. The Mac DVD player freeware works with Mac OS X 10.5 or above.
Top 2: VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is a free and open source DVD Player for Mac, Windows and other platforms. You can play not only DVD, but also CD, VCD, general video and audio files with VLC. The Mac DVD player freeware is capable to play encrypted DVDs. However, when you play a DVD with VLC on Mac, you may encounter VLC not working on DVD and other related issues.
Top 3: MPlayer
The latest MPlayer 1.4 version was released in April, 18th, 2019. It is compatible with the latest FFmpeg release and current FFmpeg development version. You can play DVD, Blu-ray disc, CD and video CD with MPlayer on Mac, PC and Linux. The open source Mac DVD player is free to use.
However, there is no way to save playlists. When you try to access the menu, the DVD movie will pause automatically. Meanwhile, MPlayer will be unstable for several minutes.
Top 4: QuickTime
QuickTime is the default media player for Mac. You can play DVD on MacBook Pro and other devices with ease. Well, QuickTime has been superseded by QuickTime X. It requires regular update. If you want to edit and convert video files, you need to upgrade to QuickTime Player Pro version first.
Top 5: KMPlayer
KMPlayer is also an open source multimedia player that can play most video and audio files, including DVD discs. You can experience the 3D home cinema entertainment with the 3D format playback function. The DVD player for iMac and other Apple computers takes low CPU memory. The multi-core decoding and subtitle support are also powerful. Since KMPlayer is an adware, the ads pop up constantly. The bundled programs are also annoying.
Part 2: How to Watch DVDs on Macbook Pro with Best Free DVD Player Freely
Launch Mac DVD player
Download and install the free DVD player for Mac. Launch the program to get its main interface. Then insert your DVD disc into the DVD drive.
Play DVD on Mac
Click the “Open Disc” option. Select the name of your inserted DVD. Click “OK” to confirm and move on. The program will start to play DVD movies on Mac instantly.
Adjust visual and audio effects
Unfold the “Control” list on the top toolbar of the Mac DVD player freeware. You can choose your favorite DVD title and chapter freely. Moreover, you can play, stop, forward, backward, volume up and down DVD video with one click.
Furthermore, you can customize audio track, audio channel, audio device, video track, subtitle track and screen size from the “Audio” or “Video” drop-down menus.
Videolan Vlc Media Player Mac
Take a snapshot of DVD movie
Click the camera-like “Screenshot” icon near the bottom to capture the DVD video image. You can click the folder icon besides to access the screenshot directly.
These are good Apple DVD player for Mac alternatives you can use for Mac DVD player app missing, not working and other problems. You can play DVD discs with free Mac DVD players smoothly and effortlessly. If you want to play encrypted DVDs on Mac for free, you can free download Blu-ray Master Free Blu-ray Player to have a try.
The high video and audio quality can keep all details with the best visual experience. Its user interface is clean, safe and intuitive. Thus, you can find all advanced features and support directly. What’s more, you can play Blu-ray discs on Mac for free within Free Blu-ray Player too.
Part 3. FAQs of Playing DVD on Windows and Mac
1. How can I play a DVD on my Mac?
With Blu-ray Master Free Blu-ray Player for Mac, you can easily play a DVD on Mac and Windows. Get and run Free Blu-ray Player on your Mac. Insert the DVD disc to the DVD drive, and click Open Disc to choose the DVD disc. Once the DVD disc is loaded, your DVD file will be automatically played on Mac.
Vlc Movie Player Mac
2. Can I play a DVD on a Blu-ray Player?
Yes, you can play a DVD on a Blu-ray player. All Blu-ray players can play standard Blu-ray discs, or even 3D Blu-ray discs. Since manufactures have enabled DVD disc playback on Blu-ray player, Blu-ray player can play DVDs without problem.
3. Can VLC play DVD disc?
Vlc For Mac Os
VLC Media Player is a free and open source DVD player that plays DVD, VCD, CD, and popular video and audio files. Sometimes, VLC may not play DVDs for some errors. In this case, you can convert DVD to VLC supported file format with Free DVD Ripper.