I suppose it's the same for all Blu-Ray players, but here we go. Wonder if VLC knows a way around this. Guessing no, and that without the drive's help, playback is a pain. *shrug* Need to read up on this.

Price Watch: PC Blu-ray drive, $79.99 shipped | The Cheapskate - CNET News:

You'll also need a video card and monitor that support HDCP; otherwise, Blu-ray's copy protection will prevent movies from playing.