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Article ID : S700023724 / Last Modified : 12/07/2018Print

A Blu-ray movie does not play on my VAIO computer

    Blu-ray technology improves on the experience provided by its predecessors and is still being expanded to integrate new features. Depending on which features a particular BD title uses, playback requirements vary. This article describes requirements and troubleshooting regarding the playback of retail movies, but does not cover problems regarding self-authored content and specific error messages.
    difficulty rating Difficulty rating:
    Advanced    		 time needed Time needed:
    Not applicable

    [Blu-ray Disc logo]
    playback requirements
    1. A Blu-ray disc with standard-compliant content. The disc should carry the Blu-ray logo.
    2. A VAIO with a built-in Blu-ray drive or Blu-ray reader DVD writer combo drive running the pre-installed operating system. This ensures that the drive itself as well as the graphics driver and playback software are compliant.
      Note: External Blu-ray drives and 3rd party playback software can be used, but this is beyond the scope of this article and support..
    [Blu-ray 3D logo]
    additional playback requirements
    1. A stereoscopic display:
      1. some VAIO models feature a stereoscopic display and come bundled with shutter glasses (e.g. VPCF21Z1E). The specifications do explicitly list 3D stereoscopic playback support
      2. some VAIO models cannot display 3D content on the built-in display, but support output Blu-ray 3D content via HDMI to a connected and compatible 3DTV.
    2. The Blu-ray movie carries the BD3D logo and is compatible with the Blu-ray 3D standard. Note: Some movies may use non-standard techniques to create a stereoscopic effect, which are not supported.
    3. The Blu-ray playback software and the graphics driver are configured to use 3D mode.
    Proceed as follows to resolve a Blu-ray playback problem:
    1. Check if the requirements for the content you want to play (see above) are met.
    2. Check the data side of the Blu-ray disc (BD) for any visible problem.
      If needed, wipe the disc with a soft cloth from the center to the edge of the disc. Then try to play the disc again.
    3. Verify that the BD's region code (as stated on the cover) matches the region code selected in the settings of your Blu-ray playback software (WinDVD or PowerDVD). Refer to the help file for these applications if needed. 
      Note: BD region codes are optional, many retail discs are region free. Europe uses region code B, discs with another region code cannot be played. A playback device's region code can be changed a few times, but is permanent once these changes are used up.
    4. Blu-ray relevant components on a computer may require updates to accommodate new BD features entering the market.
      1. Check if updates are available for the following items on the Sony Support Website:
        • Blu-ray playback software (e.g. WinDVD BD or PowerDVD)
        • Graphics driver (e.g. AMD/ATI, NVIDIA or Intel drivers)
        • Blu-ray drive firmware
      2. Install any available updates, then try to play the disc again.
    5. If playback is still not working, we want to determine if the problem is limited to playing this specific Blu-ray movie or is in fact a general Blu-ray reading problem.
      1. Can other Blu-ray movies be played? If yes, proceed to step 6.
      2. If no other movies are at hand, browse the disc that cannot be played with Windows Explorer. If you can see files on the disc, proceed to step 6.
      3. If reading BDs does not work at all, this may be due to a hardware problem or may be interference by other software installed on the computer. To exclude a software problem, perform a recovery to factory defaults. 
        • Back up all your data (documents, pictures, video, email etc.)
        • Follow the "Recovering your computer" section of the Troubleshooting Guide. This document is delivered with your computer and is available for each model on this website.
      4. If browsing files or playing multiple different Blu-ray movies does not work after performing the system recovery, contact Sony Support.
    6. Since the drive is working, but the disc still cannot be played, we assume that a feature of the disc is not supported yet. Contact Sony Support and provide the details of the Blu-ray movie that cannot be played. It may take some time until an update is released.