Freedom251 › Media Player Software
DVD Player
What DVD Player is
DVD Player is Apple’s free macOS software for watching DVD movies on a Mac. It plays discs from a built-in DVD drive or an external drive such as SuperDrive, and it can open DVD movie files by selecting a stored VIDEO_TS folder. Controls include play, pause, volume, seeking, disc menus, and chapter selection when available. The Viewer window can be resized, moved between displays, shown full screen, or minimised. For DVDs with multiple soundtracks, you can select an audio track and an output device, including available AirPlay devices. Subtitle support is included. Optional parental controls can require administrator approval once or each time a disc is inserted, using a password, Touch ID, or Apple Watch. Playback requires matching disc and drive region codes; the drive region can be changed only five times, including the original setting. DVD Player cannot copy and play video folders from copy-protected discs, play Blu-ray discs, or recognise video content burned onto certain DVD-RW discs. Apple’s guide covers recognition, ejection, playback, menus, and audio issues.
Who it suits
DVD Player suits Mac users who watch DVD movies from internal or external drives or play stored VIDEO_TS folders. It also suits viewers needing subtitles, soundtrack selection, or parental controls.
What it does well
- Free macOS application
- Plays discs and VIDEO_TS folders
- Supports subtitles and chapter selection
- Works with AirPlay output devices
- Parental controls available
What to know first
- macOS only
- Cannot play Blu-ray discs
- Drive region can change only five times
- Cannot play copied protected DVD folders
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| DVD Player | DVD playback on Mac | Free |
As support.apple.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
DVD Player covers standard DVD playback on a Mac, including stored movie folders and common viewing controls. Region limits and unsupported disc types should be checked before relying on it for every optical format.
Facts from DVD Player's own pages
- Audience
- The guide describes DVD Player for Mac users who want to watch DVD movies, including movies created with another app such as Final Cut Pro. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Audio
- When a DVD has multiple soundtracks, users can choose an audio track and select an output device, including AirPlay devices available to the Mac. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Copy protection limit
- DVD Player cannot copy and play video folders from copy-protected DVD discs. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Disc drives
- It plays DVDs from a Mac’s built-in DVD drive or an external drive such as SuperDrive. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Format support
- DVD,DVD movie files (VIDEO_TS) · support.apple.com, 24 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · support.apple.com, 24 Sept 2026
- License model
- free · support.apple.com, 24 Sept 2026
- Media limits
- It does not play Blu-ray discs and does not recognize video content burned onto certain DVD-RW discs. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Movie files
- It can play DVD movie files stored on the computer by opening the disc’s VIDEO_TS folder. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Parental controls
- Parental controls can require an administrator to authorize a DVD once or every time it is inserted, using a password, Touch ID, or Apple Watch. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Supported platforms
- macOS · support.apple.com, 24 Sept 2026
- Playback controls
- Playback controls include play and pause, volume, seeking, disc menus, and chapter selection when available. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Playback display
- The Viewer window can be resized, moved between displays, viewed full screen, or minimised. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- DVD Player plays DVD movies on a Mac. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Region restriction
- A DVD’s region code must match the drive, and the drive region can be changed only five times including its original setting. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Subtitle support
- Yes · support.apple.com, 24 Sept 2026
- Troubleshooting
- Apple’s guide covers disc recognition and ejection, playback errors, menu navigation, and audio issues. · support.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where DVD Player stands on Freedom251
- Media Player Software#57 of 76