Why does my Blu-ray look blank after burning?

First check what the computer actually sees when the disc is back in the same writer. If it reports a blank disc there too, the problem is likely with the burn, the disc, or the software settings, not just player compatibility. Hearing the drive work for hours doesn’t confirm that data was successfully written.

Look for a successful completion or verification message in the software, and check whether it closes or finalizes the disc. Also, BD-R discs can’t be erased and reused. Only rewritable BD-RE discs can be erased, so check the type before trying that again.

There are two different things you might be making: a data disc with video files on it, or a Blu-ray video disc with the structure a movie player expects. Choosing H.264 or MPEG-4 doesn’t by itself create that structure. If you want the disc to play like a movie, make sure the software is set to author a Blu-ray video disc, rather than just burn files.

If the goal is simply to store the videos, a data disc may be fine, but whether a particular player can play those files varies. Either way, check in the computer’s file browser for the files or disc contents before testing it in a player.

Check the exact disc type and capacity against both the writer and the players. Support can differ between ordinary Blu-ray discs and higher-capacity BD-XL discs, and a device that can write a disc may not be able to play it as a video disc.

Before using another blank, try a small test burn on a standard-capacity disc and verify that the computer can read it. That should help separate a writing problem from a playback compatibility problem.