Home Theater & Entertainment > DVDs, DVRs & Videos 350 350 people found this article helpful What Disc Formats Can Be Played on a Blu-ray Player? Blu-ray players are backward-compatible, but what does that mean? By Robert Silva Robert Silva Writer San Diego State University Robert Silva has extensive experience in consumer electronics and home theater product sales and sales supervision; he has written about audio, video, and home theater topics since 1998. Robert has articles published on HBO.com and Dishinfo.com plus has made appearances on the YouTube series Home Theater Geeks. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 24, 2020 Reviewed by Kayla Dube Reviewed by Kayla Dube J. Everette Light Career Center Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies. lifewire's editorial guidelines In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Upscaling Content on a Blu-ray Player How Does a Blu-ray Player Play DVDs and CDs? Standard vs. Ultra Blu-ray Players Can HD-DVD Players Play DVDs and CDs? Trending Videos Close this video player Rest assured: All Blu-ray Disc players can play DVDs. Blu-ray has long been favored for its backward compatibility, allowing users to play CDs, storage discs, and, in some cases, 3D Blu-ray discs. All Blu-ray players can also upscale DVD resolution to HD quality, and some are network-enabled, meaning you can use them to access streaming media services. Upscaling Content on a Blu-ray Player Standard DVD resolution is 480p, far less than the 1080p resolution supported by HD and UHD (4K) Blu-ray players. Most Blu-ray players can upscale the standard DVD signal to one that fits the standards of the TV and its connections. That means, with the right equipment, a DVD can be upscaled from 480p to 720p, 1080i,1080p and, on some players, 4K. Of course, you will need an HD or 4K Ultra HD TV to view those standards. And even then, the conversion is not always smooth, especially when upscaling to UHD. The kinds of discs you can play in a Blu-ray player. All Blu-ray Disc players can also play CDs. Some players may also play HDCD, SACD, and DVD-Audio, as well as writable discs like CD-R/RW. Some players allow you to rip CDs to a USB flash drive. Select Blu-ray players may also be able to play MP3 CDs, DTS-CDs, JPEG Photo or Kodak Photo CDs, and AVCHD Discs, but those formats are increasingly rare. Check the Blu-ray player's manual or product page for a complete list of supported formats and disc types. How Does a Blu-ray Player Play DVDs and CDs? A Blu-ray player has two laser assemblies: A "blue laser" for reading the microscopic "pits" that store data from Blu-ray discs. A "red laser" for reading the slightly larger pits that store data from DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray players automatically detect the type of disc inserted into it, and will select the appropriate laser needed to play it. If the disc is not compatible, the Blu-ray player will either eject the disc or display a message stating its incompatibility. Standard vs. Ultra Blu-ray Players Ultra HD Blu-ray players support real 4K resolution. Some Blu-ray Disc players are able to upscale content to 4K but Blu-ray Disc players can't play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. You will need to purchase an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc player, as well as a 4K Ultra HD TV, to enjoy the full UHD resolution. That said, Ultra HD Blu-ray players are backwards-compatible. They can play standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs, and other disc formats designated by the manufacturer. Most Ultra HD Blu-ray movies come packaged with a second disc featuring a standard Blu-ray copy of the film. This allows you to watch the standard version until you upgrade your hardware to support UHD content. If you are ready to make the jump to Blu-ray, read this list of the best Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray players. Can HD-DVD Players Play DVDs and CDs? With the exception of a few first-generation models, allHD-DVD players can upscale and play DVDs, CDs, and some other disc formats. However, the format was discontinued in 2008, so you can no longer purchase new HD-DVD movies. HD-DVD players can't play standard or Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit