How to Burn UHD Movies to 4K Blu-ray Disc on Windows & Mac?

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is the preferred choice for home entertainment enthusiasts due to its unmatched image quality and immersive sound. Despite the general decline in physical media sales, the 4K Blu-ray market has shown resilience. The fact that 4K Blu-ray Disc sales rose by 10% in 2024 while DVD and Blu-ray Disc sales fell by 26% overall suggests that consumers are drawn to high-definition content.

Purchasing a 4K UHD player and discs can be expensive for movie buffs. However, if you already own a player, you can create your own 4K Blu-ray discs from digital movie files. With the right software, you can burn a high-quality, playable disc. This guide will give you step-by-step instructions on how to burn a 4K Blu-ray Disc on Windows and Mac.

Preparation for Burning 4K Blu-ray

File Preparation

  • 4K video files: Make sure the video resolution is 4K and the format is compatible (e.g. MP4 or MKV).
  • Audio tracks: DTS-HD, TrueHD, Dolby Atmos.
  • Subtitles: SRT or PGS.

Hardware Specifications

  • 4K Blu-ray Recorder: Check whether the burner is compatible with BD-XL discs (for 4K UHD).
  • Blank Discs with Large Capacity: To get high-quality Blu-rays, use BD-50, BD-66, or BD-100 discs to burn 4K Blu-rays.
  • External Drive Compatibility: Make sure that the external burner you're using is compatible with your operating system and is USB 3.0 or later.

The disc type and capacity are shown in the following table:

Disc Type Capacity Suggested Film Length (HEVC @ 50 Mbps)
BD-50 50 GB 90-minute video
BD-66 66 GB 120-minute video
BD-100 100 GB 180-minute video

Settings and Optimization

  • Bitrate Management: Balance bitrate and file size to avoid disc space overflow or quality degradation. 40–60 Mbps is the typical goal.
  • HDR Support: If your movie uses HDR10 or Dolby Vision, make sure the software keeps this metadata during encoding.
  • Burn speed: Use 4x–6x for best stability.

How to Burn 4K Blu-ray Discs with DVDFab UHD Creator (Win & Mac)

DVDFab UHD Creator

DVDFab UHD Creator

Effortlessly create high-quality 4K Blu-ray movies from any popular video format — including 4K videos with HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
Features:
  • Burn 4K Blu-rays from 200+ 4K video formats, including AVI, MP4, MKV, etc
  • Retain HDR10 & Dolby Vision effects for 4K videos.
  • Gain 20x faster burning speed with GPU acceleration.
  • Create a user-friendly .nfo file for your media server.
  • Burn 4K videos to blank BD100, BD66, BD50 or save as ISO/folder.
  • Output 2016p Ultra HD video with DTS-HD, DTS:X, TrueHD, and TrueHD Atmos audio.

Step-by-Step Guide to Burning 4K Blu-ray with DVDFab UHD Creator

Before burning, download and install the DVDFab 4K Blu-ray burner on your computer. 

Step 1

Navigate to the UHD creator module in DVDFab 13.

Launch the 64-bit version of DVDFab 13 first, then select the UHD Creator module. Drag and drop your 4K video file into the center, or use the "+" button to select it.

Burn 4K Blu-ray Movies Using DVDFab UHD Creator

Step 2

Customize your disc

You can personalize your 4K Blu-ray before it burns, either adding external subtitles or choosing your preferred audio track and subtitles.

To change crucial settings like Processing Mode and Video Quality, click the Advanced Settings button. Pay special attention to the Output option, as it dictates the kind of disc that will be burned.

Burn 4K Blu-ray Movies Using DVDFab UHD Creator

Step 3

Begin the process of burning

The last step is to choose whether to save the 4K movie locally as an ISO image or movie folder, or to burn it straight to a blank disc.

For the BD100 2160p option, the movie can only be saved locally. For other output options, you can burn the movie to a disc. Once you're ready, click Start and wait for the process to complete.

Burn 4K Blu-ray Movies Using DVDFab UHD Creator

tips icon
Warm tips: When it comes to 4K UHD backups, you need to make sure your UHD drive is friendly. Otherwise, you need to downgrade the unfriendly firmware before copying or ripping UHDs. To achieve this aim, DVDFab UHD Drive Tool comes in handy.

How to Burn 4K Blu-ray Movies Using Ashampoo Burning Studio (Win)

With support for 4K Ultra HD and other high-resolution video formats, Ashampoo Burning Studio is a potent disc burning program for Windows. You can use it to burn your UHD movies to BD-R, BD-RE, and BDXL Blu-ray discs. It's perfect for people who want to burn 4K content to physical media quickly, even though it lacks full Blu-ray authoring features like interactive menus and scene navigation.

Features of Ashampoo Burning Studio:

  • Allows 4K video files encoded in H.265/HEVC to be burned onto BD25 and BD50 discs
  • Compatible with standard Blu-rays, CDs, DVDs, and high-capacity BDXL Blu-ray formats
  • Compatible with a variety of digital formats including MP4, MKV, AVI, and others
  • Automatically compresses or adjusts your video to fit the selected disc type

Step-by-Step Guide toBurning 4K Discs with Ashampoo Burning Studio

Step 1

Install and run the program

On first launch, you will be asked to provide your email address upon initial launch in order to obtain a complimentary activation key. To activate the trial version, check your email and enter the code you received.

To begin, open the application, choose "Video + Slideshow," and then click "Create Movie/Slideshow Blu-ray." Click "Next" to continue after selecting your TV system (PAL or NTSC).

Burning 4K Blu-ray Discs with Ashampoo Burning Studio

Step 2

Add your 4K video footage

Click "Add Movie" to import your 4K video file on the following screen. Once the file has loaded, you can use the editing tools to crop, add text, trim, and preview the video. Click "Next" to proceed once you've down with the settings.

 How to Burn 4K Blu-ray Discs with Ashampoo Burning Studio

Step 3

Personalize the menu for the 4K Blu-ray

Ashampoo will prompt you to select a disc menu template. For direct playback, you can either bypass the menu completely or select from a number of pre-designed styles.

Step 4

Select the output location

Next, decide if you want to save the video as a folder for later use or burn it straight to a blank Blu-ray disc. Lastly, check your settings and click Next to begin burning.

 How to Burn 4K Blu-ray with Ashampoo Burning Studio

DVDFab vs. Ashampoo: Which is the Better 4K Blu-ray Burner

It is important to make decisions based on the unique features each program offers for you to choose the best 4K Blu-ray burner. In this section, we compared DVDFab UHD Creator and Ashampoo Burning Studio and examine functions related to 4K Blu-ray burning, including HDR support, menu options, and compatibility with BD100 discs. The side-by-side comparison table below will help you select the tool that best fits your 4K Blu-ray burning needs.

Feature DVDFab UHD Creator Ashampoo Burning Studio
HDR Retention ✅ HDR10/Dolby Vision
Menu Options Basic menus Template-based menus
BD100 Support ISO/folder only
GPU Acceleration
Platforms Windows & Mac Windows

FAQs About Burning 4K Blu-ray

1. Why won't my burned disc play?

Your burned 4K Blu-ray disc may not be playing for a number of reasons. Here are some typical ones:

  • Disc Compatibility: Not every disc format is supported by every player. Make sure your Blu-ray player should be compatible with the common disc format (such as BD-R or BD-RE) at least.
  • Player Compatibility: Check to see if your Blu-ray player is compatible with 4K Ultra HD discs. Newer 4K formats might not work with some old-version Blu-ray players.
  • Burning Errors: Check whether any mistakes occurred during the burning procedure. Make sure the burn process is successful by using trusted software.
  • Region Code: See whether your disc's and your Blu-ray player's region codes match.
  • Update the firmware on your Blu-ray player: This can eliminate many bugs and enhance compatibility with new disc formats.
  • Disc Quality: Look for any obvious dirt, scratches, or other flaws on the disc that could be preventing it from playing properly.
  • Correct ISO Format: If you've burned an ISO file, make sure it was created in the appropriate format for Blu-ray playback.

Check the list above and take action to fix it by looking at these variables.

2. Why can't I burn BD100 directly?

Saving your data as an ISO file or as a folder first ensures proper formatting and organization in accordance with Blu-ray guidelines. Creating an ISO or folder streamlines the burning process and makes it easier to handle large volumes of data. But please be sure that the BD100's three-layer 100 GB capacity is supported by your burner and software.

Conclusion

I believe burning 4K movies to discs that play smoothly on your home theater or Blu-ray player has been much easier for you after you reading this blog. In summary, orofessional tools like DVDFab UHD Creator make the task easy and efficient. Give it a try and enjoy high-quality 4K playback on advanced devices.