February 02, 2024 08:37Posted by Kevin Miller to Play Video, Media Player
If you just use the default media player to playback 4K video files, you might get the blurred video and even freeze. In order to have a nice audiovisual experience, choose a Real 4K UHD player is important for the HD TS, 1080P, 4K or 8K videos.
Part 1. Why 4K Ultra HD Player Important for HD TS/1080P/4K
Why the ordinary media player does not work well for 4K videos? Here is the comparison between HD TS, 1080P and 4K videos, which you should know the importance of a 4K UHD video player. In order to playback 4K videos, video FPS, pixels, video frame and more other details, especially the graphic card, CPU and high dynamic range (HDR) of your computer are also very important to make sure a smooth and crystal clear audio-visual experience.
| Resolution Name | Horizontal x Vertical Pixels |
| 8K/8K UHD | 7680×4320 |
| Cinema 4K/4K | 4096x[unspecified] |
| UHD/4K/Ultra HD/Ultra High Definition | 3840×2160 |
| 1080P/Full HD/FHD/High Definition | 1920×1080 |
| 720P/HD/High Definition | 1280×720 |
Part 2. 10 Best 4K Video Player Review for Windows and Mac
| 4K Player | OS | Price | Supported Formats | Play DVDs/4K Blu-rays | Support Dolby/DTS/HDR |
| Free Blu-ray Player | Windows 11/10/8/7. | Free. | Any popular video and audio.formats. | Play DVDs or 4K Blu-rays. | No. |
| VLC Media Player | Windows, Linux, macOS X, Unix, iOS, Android. | Free. | Most common media formats. | Yes, but only some DVDs/4K Blu-rays. | Yes. |
| 5K Player | Windows 10/8/8.1/7/Vista/XP, macOS X. | Free. | MP4, H.265/264, AV1, VP8/VP9, MTS, MKV. | Yes. | Yes. |
| DivX Player | Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7/8, macOS X 10.7 or later. | $19.99. | MP4, DivX, AVI, MKV, and HEVC. | No. | It has a DTS-HD plug-in. (Pro version) |
| CyberLink PowerDVD | Windows 11, 10. | $99.99. | Video formats like MP4, MKV, AVI, M4V, MOV, TS, etc. | Yes. | Yes. |
| PotPlayer | Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP. | Free. | MP4, AVI, MKV, and many other formats. | Yes, but not all DVDs/Blu-rays. | No. |
| Media Player Classic | Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP. | Free. | Common video and audio formats. | Yes. | No. |
| UFUShare | Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, macOS X 10.4 Tiger. | $43.09. | Media formats like MP4, MOV, and WMV. | Yes. | Yes. |
| DVDFab Player | Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7. | $169.99. | Formats like H264/265, MP4, MKV, VOB, etc. | Yes. | Yes. |
| KMPlayer | Windows Vista or higher. | Free. | MKV, MWV, 3GP, MOV, etc. | Yes. | No. |
1Free Blu-ray Player
Blu-ray Master Free Blu-ray Player is a free 4K video player that plays 4K videos, 1080P, TS HD and most of the video and audio files. Moreover, it also supports Blu-ray movies and DVD discs. The intuitive interface always enables you to get a silky-smooth 4K video playback.
- Support more than 200 audio and video formats including 4K MP4, 4K TS, 4K MKV, 4K AVI, 4K FLV, 4K WebM, 4K MOV, 4K MXF, etc.
- Controls 4K UHD playback for resume, fast forward, fast backward and more others.
- Different screen modes to view 4K UHD video playback in full, half, normal and double modes.
- Play 4K Blu-ray disc, folder and ISO file.
Free Download
For Windows
Secure Download
Free Download
for macOS
Secure Download
How to Play 4K Videos with Free Blu-ray Player
Step 1.Download and install the 4K Ultra HD video player. Launch the program to add the video and audio files.
Step 2.Click the “Open File” to load a 4K video into the program. Then the program will play the 4K video files automatically.
Step 3.When you play 1080p or 4K Ultra HD videos from Blu-ray disc or TS HD files, you can choose the chapter or title you want to play. There is a “Display Menu List” enables you navigate to the desired menu and play back the desired video with a crystal high quality.
Pros
- Play any 4K movies, including 4K videos/Blu-rays/DVDs.
- It offers a customizable window size for 4K video playback.
- You can adjust the 4K movie’s video/audio track, add subtitles, and change audio channels.
Cons
- Dolby 5.1 and DTS are only supported in its paid version.
2VLC Media Player
The open source 4K UHD video player is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. VLC Media Player has an advanced frame to play all popular media formats and even 4K video files.
- Share media content directly with the help of advanced streaming protocols.
- Play 4K Ultra HD videos from live media streams, webcams, devices, discs and files.
- Convert the 4K video or other media files to a compatible file format.
- Stream 4K video files over the Internet between different devices.
Pros
- VLC supports Dolby Vision and HDR.
- It’s free and easy to use without ads or spyware.
Cons
- It becomes laggy and even crashes when playing large-sized 4K videos.
- Many users find that VLC can’t play 4K videos and must go through many settings to fix it.
35K Player
5K Player is a media player that works with advanced hardware acceleration. The 4K video player works with both Windows and Mac with the 4K with 3840 x 2160 resolutions.
- Hardware acceleration for DXVA2, QSV, NVIDIA for 4K video playbacks.
- Support more than 180 video codec that support most of the 4K videos.
- Stream 4K videos from a computer, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and PC/Mac.
- Download 4K HEVC/H.265 video and Blu-ray/360 degree VR videos.
Pros
- You can download 4K videos from other media platforms without a subscription.
- Hardware acceleration enables less CPU and GPU consumption when playing 4K videos.
- It offers cinema-like surround sound with Dolby, RStereo, and DTS multi-channel support.
Cons
- It contains ads for other products.
- It still runs in the background process after you exit it.
4DivX Player
The program is another free 4K UHD video player available for Windows and Mac. DivX Player enable you to gain access to 4K videos along with the other media files with a high quality.
- Built to support the other web-based video files, movies, and TV shows.
- Manage the media content within the media library with ease.
- Enhance the 4K video organizations through play and loop creation.
- Provide the controls with a smooth RW/FF feature with trick play abilities.
Pros
- You can stream 4K videos to smart TVs, game consoles, and Chromecast.
- It offers the smooth FF/RW feature and chapter points to move or jump to specific scenes quickly.
- You can import the 4K videos directly via Google Drive or Dropbox.
Cons
- It supports limited formats.
5CyberLink PowerDVD
Unlike the other free 4K players, Cyberlink PowerDVD is a shareware that simultaneously manages videos and movies on Windows 10/11 and TV.
- Enhance the video quality to experience HDR TV and 4K Ultra videos.
- Professional audio experience with VR headset and finest pictures.
- Playback common videos, Blu-ray discs, 360 degree DVD and more.
- Supports Roku, AppleTV and Chromecast streaming to send any media.
Pros
- Great visual and audio effects with TrueTheater and VR mode.
- You can enjoy 4K/8K videos, DVDs, and Blu-rays with HDR 10.
Cons
- It demands higher system requirements and more memory.
- It’s more expensive than other similar software.
6PotPlayer
PotPlayer has a wide arrange of codec to play all the video formats, including the Blu-ray discs and 4K videos. You can get the 4K video players for DVD, TV and HDTV with ease.
- Maximum performance with minimum resource via DXVA, CUDA and more.
- Support various types of 3D glasses to get immersive viewing experience.
- Support different subtitle formats, SMI, STR, Vobsub, ASS, SSA, etc.
- Setup bookmark for your favorite scene or chapter for later preview.
Pros
- It has many playback options for 4K videos, such as A-B Repeat and shuffle playback.
- With an online subtitles database, selecting the desired subtitle for 4K movies is convenient.
- It offers various settings on video parameters, filters, and subtitles.
Cons
- It needs quite a lot of setups during the installation.
- The interface is outdated.
7Media Player Classic
If you need some light weighted 4K video player, MPC-HC is another well-known media player with extended support to most of the audio and video files.
- Support movies on any SSE CPU, even for the computer with old system.
- Customize the 4K media player for Windows with a wide variety of tools.
- Compatible with common videos/audios as well as H.265 video playback.
- All-rounded player that can be used as a 4K Blu-ray player.
Pros
- It’s a lightweight 4K player and can run on an old computer.
- Its K-Lite Codec Pack allows users to watch almost any 4K video.
- It’s translated into 42 languages and is free to use.
Cons
- It hasn’t been updated since 2017.
8UFUShare
UFUShare is another 4K media player that supports content from 1080P Blu-ray, Ultra HD videos and even 4K Blu-ray disc with immersive audio effect and clarity for visuals.
- Compatible with Blu-ray ISO, folders and disc without any restriction.
- Playback any audio and video formats, including 4K UHD and HD videos.
- Provide excellent HD video quality as well as lossless audio effects.
- Select multiple subtitles and audio tracks with a better processing.
Pros
- It’s a region-free 8K/4K video/Blu-ray/DVD player.
- It supports Dolby, TrueHD, and DTS to ensure immersive audio effects.
Cons
- It can’t play 3D videos in 4K resolution.
9DVDFab Player
DVDFab Player is a 4K video player provides smooth playback experience for 4K, UHD and HEVC. Moreover, you can also enjoy the amazing content appearance.
- Enjoy the longest time on-board classified content for free.
- Allow you to perform operations on the video while spinning or flipping.
- Boast of an advanced routing list of options with Blu-ray vision.
- Create and manage the playlists for playing 4K UHD videos.
Pros
- It can play 4K videos/DVDs/Blu-rays/UHD discs.
- You can preview the scene by hovering the mouse over the playback bar.
- It supports HDR, DTS, and Dolby.
Cons
- The price is less affordable compared with other 4K players.
- It takes up too much storage space and RAM.
- It requires a live Internet connection.
10KMPlayer
Different from the other 4K players mentioned above, KMPlayer has the built-in external and internal codecs to play DVDs, Blu-ray discs and even 4K movies with a high quality.
- Modify the user interface with accessing customizable toolset.
- Capture audio and video that you can save to the format you want.
- Support multiple formats, RTS, MPEG1/2, AAC, WMA7, WMA8, OGG, etc.
- Full control over DVD selections, movie/audio menus, subtitle menus, etc
Pros
- You can download 4K videos directly from YouTube by entering the URL.
- It allows you to adjust 4K videos, like resizing and adding effects.
Cons
- It doesn’t support HDR, Dolby, or DTS.
- It contains many ads.
Part 3. FAQs of Playing 4K Videos on Computer
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Do you need a 4K player to play 4K movies?
Surely. To watch a 4K Ultra HD video, you will need a 4K player. Many media players can play 4K videos like VLC Media Player, 5K Player, Divx Player as we mentioned in the article. But if you are particular about the quality, you are recommended to play 4K movies with a 4K player like Blu-ray Master Free Blu-ray Player.
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Which media player is best for 4K video?
We have summarized the top 10 4K video players for Windows and Mac. According to the functions, Blu-ray Master Free Blu-ray Player is recommended video player that plays 4K/1080p/TS HD videos and more.
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Does VLC play 4K video?
VLC Media Player supports playing all popular media files, even 4K videos. But most of the case, users can’t play 4K videos with VLC. However, you can convert the improper 4K video to compatible file format with VLC.
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Can a Blu-ray player play 4K UHD?
Yes, Ultra HD Blu-ray players can play Blu-ray discs, DVDs, DVD-Audio, SACDs and Redbook CDs. Actually, most standard Blu-ray discs and DVDs can play 4K UHD videos.
Wrapping up
When you get some 4K UHD videos, the article shares the top 10 best 4K players on Windows and Mac. Just learn more about the features of these programs and choose the desired one according to your requirement. If you have any other query about the programs, you can share more details in the comment.
