Nowadays, it's not hard to find streaming services that include 4K movies and TV shows on demand. Netflix and Amazon are in the lead, but it's only a matter of time. However, if you are the type of person who is looking for the best uncompressed image quality from your movie sessions and TV bingers, you need to invest in a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Now wait, could you say that I thought Blu-ray was the best format in terms of visual fidelity? I thought it was going to be forever and I released all my DVDs. The good news is that 4K Blu-ray players will continue to play regular Blu-ray discs. In fact, they will be even more beautiful thanks to the integrated upconversion. But better than that, buying a 4K Blu-ray player will allow you to watch a new 4K Blu-ray format that contains much more visual data than standard Blu-ray, as well as new technologies like HDR and Dolby Atmos. When it comes to the initial investment of buying another Blu-ray player, you can be sure that these players really aren't that expensive. Of course, there are some really high-end players on our list that can do it all, but most 4K Blu-ray players are under $300.
What else do I need to watch a UHD Blu-ray?
That being said, before you spend any money on a new player, make sure you already have a 4K TV to watch it. (If you don't have this, check out our guide to the best 4K TV.) If you don't have a 4K TV, your 4K Blu-ray player will still work, but it will only display 1080p images. Buy a standard Blu-ray player instead of a 4K version and it will still work at 3840×2160 resolution, but it won't be a native 4K image and will be noticeably different from an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Is your 4K TV fully set up and ready to go? Here's an overview of the best 4K Blu-ray players on sale today.
1.Panasonic DP-UB9000
The first 4K compatible with Blu-ray HDR10, HLG, HDR10 + and Dolby VisionSupported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: yes | Dimensions: 430 x 81 x 300mm | Weight: 7,8kg | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR formats: HDR10, HDR10 + Fantastic image quality. Four types of HDR support Powerful HDR display optimizer No SACD or DVD-audio playback CD playback is acebric The DP-UB9000 is Panasonic's latest flagship 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. After Oppo has started to sell off its competing devices, the new model is at the forefront of the high-end reader market. That said, beautifully designed and enviable, this flagship 4K drive is definitely a prize. The plastic and tin construction familiar from traditional Blu-ray players has been replaced with a heavy metal, luxury design. Beyond its beauty, the DP-UB9000 is also Panasonic's first UHD bridge to support all the key flavors of HDR: vanilla HDR10, its dynamic HDR10+ siblings, HLG, and Dolby Vision. The latter is included, even though Panasonic doesn't support Dolby Vision on its 4K TVs. Not only is the player more imaging capable, it also has audiophile aspirations, high-quality DACs, dual-channel and 7.1-channel analog outputs, as well as support for Hi-Res Audio. Add in a host of smart features, and the UB9000 ticks almost every criteria in the book. Naturally, all these top features don't come cheap, but, for those looking for the ideal replacement Blu-ray drive after Oppo's collapse, the Panasonic DP-UB9000 is more than enough replacement. Read the full review: Panasonic DP-UB9000 review
2.Panasonic DMP-UB700
The best 4K UHD Blu-ray performance at an unbeatable price.Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: yes | Dimensions: 430 x 61 x 199mm | Weight: 2,3kg | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR formats: HDR10 Excellent image performance Playback of high-resolution audio files. 4K Netflix and Amazon on board Not as sexy as the DMP-UB900 No Dolby Vision support The Panasonic DMP-U700 is the most popular 4K Blu-ray player we recommend. It's more affordable than an Oppo device and still gives you the incredible image quality of Panasonic's top-of-the-line DMP-U900. The streaming service's support, with HDR-capable Netflix 4K, is well worth it and the player is doing a good job with 24-bit audio. It supports FLAC and DSD files. There's no Dolby Vision support, perhaps the main reason to upgrade to the DMP-UB900. But as it is, the UB700 offers the best price/performance/AV performance ratio. Read the full review: Panasonic DMP-UB700
3. Pioneer UDP-LX500
A premium player for your high-end audiovisual needs.Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: N/A | Dimensions: 43,5 x 118 x 337mm (17-1/8 x 4-5/8 x 13-1/4 inches) | Weight: 22.7 lbs (10.3 kg) | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR Formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision, plus HDR10+ later Solid Image Quality Supports many formats. There is no streaming service on board. Although its price may seem a bit daunting, Pioneer has created a portrait of a reader with the UDP-LX500. This heavyweight home theater hero deserves to be selected by all high-end developers and can comfortably claim to be one of the best universal 4K Blu-ray players available for less than a grand. There are, however, caveats. It's not quite as bright as its main video competitor, the cheaper Panasonic DMP-UB9000, and its finish isn't quite as good. However, if music is just as important to you as movies, its appeal is great. Revisiting Bradley and Gaga, a new AV star was born. Read the full review: Pioneer UDP-LX500
4. Sony UBP-X800
Excellent video associated with exceptional sound.Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: MediaTek platform | Dimensions: 17 x 2 x 10.5 inches | Weight: 8.4 pounds | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR formats: HDR10 Excellent picture quality 4K apps Netflix and Amazon Audio SACD, DVD-A, and Hi-Res No analog stereo output No Dolby vision Sony may have come a little late for Ultra HD Blu-ray night, but his first record is a great machine. It's solid, and its overall image quality is excellent. As a bonus, the player also supports a wide range of audio formats, it can read SACDs and even DVD-As. So why is the player moving to third place on our list? Unfortunately, the Oppo UDP-203 doesn't support Dolby Vision, the high-end HDR format for which discs are offering more and more support, thanks to a firmware update. It's also more expensive than our top pick, the Panasonic DMP-UB700. If you want a UHD player that doubles as a high-performance music player, the Sony UBP-X800 is a great choice. However, if you're looking for something that focuses only on watching movies, there are better or less expensive options. Read the full review: Sony UBP-X800
5.Panasonic DMP-UB900
The Panasonic DMP-UB900 is a must have for AV enthusiasts.Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: Panasonic operating system | Dimensions: 435 x 199 x 68mm | Weight: 5.29 lbs | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | HDR Formats Supported: HDR10 4K Netflix and Amazon on board Top-notch audio CD playback Clunky user interface The chassis is a fingerprint magnet. The DMP-UB900 will give you confidence in physical media. In full 4K HDR mode, it delivers a level of performance that will thrill new 4K TV owners. Ultra HD Blu-ray brings the 4K digital cinema experience into the home, and rewards it with brilliant color fidelity, deep contrast, and near-4D clarity. If you support reading large files, plus iterations of Netflix 4K and Amazon Instant Video, you've got a machine that will give your new 900K HDR TV a sensational feel. Read the full review: Panasonic DMP-UBXNUMX
6. Sony UBP-X1000ES
With excellent audio and video quality, this high-end Sony is a featured artistSupported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: N/A | Dimensions: W430 x H54 x D265 (mm) | Weight: 8 lbs. UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR formats: HDR10 Excellent 4K UHD performance Advanced audio player Premium build quality UBP-X800 is the best value The UBP-X1000ES is Sony's premium 4K Blu-ray offering, a benchmark for the UBP-X800 . In terms of performance and value, the latter can be considered as one of the best value for money UHD Blu-ray players. So it goes without saying that this more expensive sibling must be special enough to deserve a premium. To that end, the UBP-X1000ES provides immaculate UHD Blu-ray images and its audio performance is excellent, whether via HDMI or two analogue channels. The player is also artistically designed and incorporates a high-quality 192 kHz/32-bit D/A converter and a gold-plated phono analog audio output on the back. In the end, the X1000ES is considerably more expensive than the UBP-X800 and still doesn't have the feature list of the Oppo UHD-203 compatible Dolby Vision/MQA, and if you're looking for a UHD player with audio. comparable (although drive compatibility isn't universal), Panasonic's DMP-UB900 offers less expensive competition. Read the full review: Sony UBP-X1000ES
7.Panasonic DMP-UB300
Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: yes | Dimensions: 193 x 320 x 45mm | Weight: 1,3kg | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: No | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR formats: HDR10 Premium video playback Good compatibility modes No Wi-Fi Build quality is poor. You'll make some compromises if you want to take advantage of the affordable DMP UB300—it doesn't have Wi-Fi built in, for example, and the rear ports are impossibly small—but luckily the machine doesn't skimp where. What Matters Picture quality is excellent, supports a wide range of codecs and audio formats. There are also streaming services built in if you're ready to go the wired Ethernet route. Read the full review: Panasonic DMP-UB300
8. Xbox OneX
Microsoft's latest console plays games and movies in 4K UHDSupported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: yes? | Dimensions: 193 x 320 x 45mm | Weight: 1,3kg | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR formats: HDR10 Also supports Dolby Atmos. Double as a game console Had problems early The Blu-ray player app is a little buggy. The Xbox One X is a beast of a game console. It offers 6 teraflops of performance, 12GB of GDDR5 RAM, and a 2,3GHz octa-core processor. By far, this is the most powerful device listed on this page. But for all that power under the hood, it's not the best 4K Blu-ray player. Sure, it can play 4K UHD discs, and it even supports Dolby Atmos audio, but you won't be wowed by the visuals it produces. This is probably because Xbox One X doesn't have the same level of image conversion as some of the other specialized media players on this list. Although the Xbox One X may not be as powerful as a 4K Blu-ray player like the Oppo or Sony, we'd like to see one or the other of these Gamers handle an Xbox One X game. Read the full review: Xbox One x
9. Xbox One S
The Xbox One S may be primarily a video game console, but it's also a great (and cheap) 4K Blu-ray player.Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: New Xbox Experience | Dimensions: 17 x 11.4 x 4.4 inches | Weight: N/A | UHD Upscaling?: Yes | Wi-Fi?: Yes | 3D support?: Yes | Supported HDR Formats: HDR10 4K Streaming / HDR HDR Gaming 4K Gaming Limited to Luxury Console Interface Not upholding the "proper Blu-ray player" title doesn't stop Xbox One S from being a great, cost-effective way to play Blu-ray discs -ray 4K. With a Blu-ray disc drive and the ability to use Netflix in 4K Ultra HD, the latest Xbox from Microsoft is a great machine for all your UHD disc needs. The last console game released for the system. The downside of being able to do everything is that you will be working with an interface designed primarily for gaming. The controller supplied with the console is not the most effective way to control movie playback, and the machine does not support Dolby Vision. Regardless, if you want a machine that can handle your gaming and home theater needs, the Xbox One S is the perfect console. Read the full review: Xbox One S
