HTC Vive is the best virtual reality experience on the market, bar none. Like other VR headsets, the Vive has the arduous task of completely immersing you in a video game by producing two images simultaneously. However, unlike PS VR and Oculus Rift that use a single camera to track your head and extremities, HTC Vive has two base stations, which sit on the wall attached to the included wall mounts or a high shelf and help map track your movements as you walk around in the 3D world. Once you buy an HTC Vive headset, what you want to do firstly? For me, it's definitely to watch movies, especially watch 3D Blu-ray movies.
Is It Possible to Watch 3D Blu-ray Movies on HTC Vive?
As far as we know, there is no native Blu-ray Disc drive in VR HTC Vive, so if you want to play 3D Blu-ray Disc Movie on HTC Vive, the only way is to covert Blu-ray to MP4/MKV in 3D side-by-side or top-to-bottom format.
The task can be done effortlessly with the help of 3D Blu-ray to HTC Vive converter like Pavtube BDMagic, which can effortlessly remove most 3D Blu-ray copy protection, support any 3D Blu-ray movies, output multiple 3D videos, best of all, you even can create your own 3D library by converting 2D Blu-ray to 3D videos.
Plus, to get better 3D visual effects on HTC Vive, you are allowed to choose between full SBS or half SBS and full TAB and half TAB. The full SBS or full TAB format offers noticeably higer quality but take up more hard drive space and also more graphics power to play. If you are not satisfy with the 3D depth perception, you can drag the slider bars to change the 3D video depth. By checking “Switch Left Right Image” option, you will also be able to change the image display order for 3D SBS movie on HTC Vive.
If you are using a Mac, you can get Pavtube BDMagic for Mac to convert 3D Blu-ray to HTC Vive.
Guide: Rip/Convert 3D Blu-ray to HTC Vive for Watching
Windows Version Pavtube BDMagic taken as example, Mac Version share the same steps. Just keep in mind you have download the right version, Windows platform .exe files cannot be installed on macOS – and vice versa.
Step 1. Load 3D Blu-ray Files
Run this 3D Blu-ray Ripper on your PC. Click "File">“Load from disc” to load your 3D Blu-ray disc to the program. Blu-ray folder and Blu-ray ISO image ar also accepted at here.
Step 2: Output HTC Vive Accepted 3D Format
From the official data, we know that HTC Vive accepts 3D SBS and 3D Top and Bottom videos. Just click “Format” bar on the interface then navigate to “3D Video” to choose “MP4 Side-by-Side 3D Video (*.mp4)”, or “MP4 Top-bottom 3D Video (*.mp4)” as the output format.
Step 3: Adjust 3D profile settings
Click “Settings” to open “Profile Settings” window, here you can adjust the 3D depth, change image display order for 3D SBS movie, you can also make a choice between full sbs/tab and half sbs and tab according to your own needs.
Step 4. Start 3D Blu-ray to HTC Vive Conversion
Hit the "Convert" button, this converter will start to convert 3D Blu-ray to SBS/TAB 3D MP4 for HTC Vive. After conversion, you won't have any problems to watch converted 3D Blu-ray movies on HTC Vive.
When watching 3D video on HTC Vive, you need a 3D video media player, like: Vive Video, a cross-platform video player designed for desktop VR headsets, mirrors your desktop to your VR headset and provides you have access to a compatible video file format, the application supports 2D, 3D, 180-degree and 360-degree video, you can follow these steps to play converted 3D Blu-ray movies on HTC Vive.
1. Install and open Vive Video.
2. Find the downloaded file on your PC using the inbuilt file picker.
3. Click the file thumbnail to begin playback.
4. Select the eye icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the player, labeled Select Viewing Mode.
5. Configure the on-screen options around your video format.
6. Click Done to confirm your changes.