9 Best 4K Blu Ray Players Reviews and Guide
Table of Contents
Why You Need a 4K Blu Ray Player?
Family entertainment is being redefined in these recent years. What used to be a norm for family entertainment before was to visit places and attend public events and have the time of their life. But instead, the world has brought us to the point that family entertainment is all about what our indoors can offer. It is preferred by most people to spend an evening or even a weekend within the comfort of their home. The high popularity earned by the OTT platforms in recent years has made the family TV rooms converted into a theatre and thus, people are yearning for better technology to make their living room television experience similar to a real-world one.
4K Blu Ray players have earned the spotlight with their ability to bring a theatre experience to the movie buffs. They came in as a replacement for the traditional DVD players and they are equipped with way more features than a traditional one. The biggest flaw with the traditional players was the low resolution of images that they produced. But 4K Blu Ray players have everything that the traditional players offer and even more in an upgraded manner.
These players come in various versions and models and it takes an expert to identify the best one from all these options present in the market. But despite the number of options and the possibilities that it offers to the customer, every buyer should be able to identify the perks and flaws associated with each of the models. As a Blu-Ray player can make or break your screening and watching experience, take enough time to understand the nuances of the most popular models of 4K players and settle on any model only with utmost satisfaction and conviction.
A Brief Summary
4K Blu-Ray Players have been getting mass attention for several years. The possibilities that the newest versions of Blu Ray players offer are immense. They came as a perfect replacement for the conventional DVD and CD players and have taken over the market by storm with their advanced features. They offer everything best and top-quality in the audio and video aspects. Many of them offer compatibility with online streaming and are compatible with any type and kind of DVD. The reasonable price and the convenience of use are all some of the features that make them a crowd’s favorite.
But keen attention should be provided while purchasing a 4K Blu-Ray player as there are many substandard ones available in the market. The features, pros, and cons should all be considered before proceeding to buy any one of the available Blu-ray players. The following review intends to assist you in that process and expects to provide you with ample information needed to make the best choice.
- Low-priced 4K Blu Ray Player: Sony UBP-X800M2 UHD Home Theatre 4K Streaming Blu-Ray Player
- High-clarity audio providing Blu Ray Player: Panasonic Streaming 4K Blu Ray Player
- Blu Ray Player for the best home theatre experience: Sony UBP-X700 Home Theatre Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player
- Blu Ray Player with no region restrictions: Sony Region Free UBP-X800M2 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
- 4K Blu Ray Player with advanced features: Sony 4K Ultra Blu Ray HD Player with Dolby Vision
- Amazon bestseller Blu Ray Player: SONY BDPS1700 Wired Streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player
- 4K Blu Ray Player with premium video performance: LG BP175 Blu-Ray DVD Player
- 4K Blu Ray Player with built-in wi-fi connectivity feature: Samsung Blu-ray DVD Player Full HD Upconversion and Built-in Wi-Fi
- 4K Blu Ray Player with enhanced surround sound: Sony UBP- X700M 4K Ultra HD Home Theatre Streaming Blu-ray™ Player
4K Blu Ray Players – Detailed Reviews
1. Sony UBP-X800M2 UHD Home Theatre 4k Streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player
The UBP X800M2 Blu-Ray player that is manufactured by the brand Sony is a top seller in the Disc player section for multiple reasons. It comes with a built-in wi-fi that is fast and supports almost all of the online streaming applications. Buyers can easily download the necessary applications from the program menu of the system as they are already installed in the system. It offers high visual and audio clarity for an elevated experience.
It is conceived and constructed to resist vibration while operating so that the clarity of sound is not compromised. The picture quality can be upgraded up to 60p, which is one of the premium visual qualities. It can be controlled manually and via a remote control that comes along with it. It is compatible with most video formats and thus ideal for international usage. It has a sturdy build with a reasonable weight of approximately 8 pounds. It has earned a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Amazon platform.
Pros
- Comparatively lower price
- High video clarity
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- Wireless streaming
- Compatible with OTT platforms
- Universally compatible with all formats of CDs
- Built to resist vibration
Cons
- Not all the online streaming applications are supported
- After a while, the player demands to get reset now and then
2. Panasonic Streaming 4K Blu Ray Player
Panasonic brand’s 4K Blu Ray player comes at a lower price than its market counterparts but still does not compromise the quality of the system. It is equipped with the most advanced technologies like voice assistance which makes it suitable for the use of all age groups. It supports online streaming of content and it comes with several installed OTT platforms from which the users can choose accordingly.
Its high-resolution audio feature provides a top-quality audio experience for the users. You can connect the player with your sound system for a further enhanced audio experience. It supports all formats and files of content and is ideal for international travel. It comes with an analog output port and two HDMI output terminals.
Although it does not come with an instruction manual, it is extremely easy to install and use. Weighed at around 5 pounds, it comes in many color options. Ranked 12 in the top Blu Ray Disc players list, it is a top seller on Amazon too. It has rightfully got a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Pros
- Equipped with voice assistant feature
- High image quality
- High sound clarity
- Universal compatibility
- Supports online streaming
Cons
- Not all the online streaming platforms are supported
- The Voice assistant feature tends to get clumsy at times
- Technical support from the manufacturer is limited
3. Sony UBP-X700 Home Theatre Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player
The 4K Blu-Ray player manufactured by the Sony brand comes with the possibility of visual upgrading. It can be upgraded up to 1080p, which can offer top-quality visuals and colors. It comes with built-in wi-fi and a high-speed connecting cable. It also supports playing station games and a game console is not required for this model.
The USB port present in it offers the possibility of connecting the player to various smart devices like smart TV. It enables you to watch and enjoy your daily shows and programs with the high-definition video quality. It is compatible with online streaming platforms and it already provides access to more than 300 online streaming platforms for the buyers to choose from.
As long as the offline performance of this particular player is concerned, it plays Blu-Ray discs flawlessly, whereas other formats or files may not play well with it. It also comes with a remote and a power cable for further user assistance. It weighs around three pounds and is rated a 4.2-star rating out of 5 on the Amazon platform. It ranks 47 among the top-selling Blu-Ray players on Amazon.
Pros
- Wireless streaming
- Comes with built-in wi-fi
- High visual clarity
- High-resolution audio is provided
- Compatible with most games
- Easy installation
Cons
- No Bluetooth connectivity is available
- A limited number of online streaming applications are available
- When connected to the internet, it tends to get slowed down
4. Sony Region Free UBP-X800M2 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
The 4K Blu Ray player created by Sony Is ideal for all regions. It has no restrictions regarding the region and thus, plays and supports any kind and any format of content without any obstruction. This universally compatible nature makes it one of the best choices among the multitude of options for Blu-Ray players. It can be connected to any of your devices via Bluetooth, wi-fi, or the available USB ports.
Weighing around 8 pounds, it is easily one of the portable players on the market. It supports all online streaming platforms and it comes with a collection of such applications within it. The audio output is mostly high-quality surround sound, which provides a theatre-like experience to the users. It has high ratings on all e-commerce platforms. On Amazon, it has earned a 4.5-star rating out of 5 and has rightfully included in the bestseller list of the Blu Ray player section.
Pros
- No restrictions regarding the region
- Online streaming supported
- Bluetooth connectivity available
- Built-in wi-fi
- Easy to use
- Highly recommended by previous users
- High picture quality
Cons
- Switching region settings should be done manually
- Longevity is often disputed
- Limited choice of online streaming platforms
- The remote controller tends to get slow after repeated use
5. Sony 4K Ultra Blu Ray HD Player with Dolby Vision
The 4K Blu-Ray player from Sony offers high-detailed pictures and audio for its users. The surround sound that it produces is ideal for having a home theatre experience without having to buy any expensive devices. The HD images that it offers come with heavy detailing in textures, themes, and colors. It has a great color palette which enables the visuals and videos to have real-life colors and tones, making the watching a memorable one.
It is a universally compatible player as it supports most video content formats like Blu- Ray, CD, and DVD. The manufacturers claim that they can produce high-quality videos almost four times better than the traditional DVD players. It also supports online streaming platforms and enables the user to watch such platforms in 4K visual quality. It comes with remote control for ease of use.
The manufacturers offer a warranty of one year for this particular product. This reasonably priced product has earned a 4.5-star rating out of 5 on Amazon.
Pros
- High-quality surround sound
- Universal compatibility
- Wide array of colors
- Detailed 4K resolution
- Comes with a remote control
- Built-in wi-fi
- Highly realistic color palette
Cons
- Performance slows down when connected to the internet
- The system tends to get hot after a while
6. SONY BDPS1700 Wired Streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player
This product of the Sony brand comes as a wired model. It is ideal to play both DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. It is a comparatively older model, but it does not have universal compatibility or many other advanced options. But it still manages to produce good quality images and audio. It can still be used to stream online content and OTT platforms. It does have a collection of more than 300 online streaming sites that the buyer can choose from right away after the purchase.
It also supports games like play station 3. The menu or the user interface present in it is conveniently designed to make the switching and choosing process less complicated for the user. The visual quality of the product can be upscaled up to 1080p. It weighs less than 3 pounds, and thus, is one of the lowest weighing products in this section. It is ranked at 30 on the Amazon top sellers list and has earned a rating of 4.5-star out of 5 on the same platform.
Pros
- High compatibility with most formats of DVDs
- Supports online streaming
- Supports games
- User-friendly
Cons
- Does not comes with the original accessories
- Does not support several major online streaming platforms
7. LG BP175 Blu-Ray DVD Player
The Blu-Ray player manufactured by the reputed brand LG offers the customers, various features like HD visuals and high-resolution audio. The video quality of the product can be increased up to 1080p. It supports most video formats like Blu-Ray, CD, and DVD and thus, makes it an ideal companion to revive old DVD collections. It supports most of the major online streaming platforms like Netflix, and its surround sound feature of it ensures a theatre-like experience for the user.
One of the flaws or inconveniences is that it is wired, and thus cannot use via remote control or voice assistant. It comes with a 6-inch cable that is to be connected to the player. Weighing one pound, this Blu Ray player is extremely portable to carry around. It has earned 20th position in the Amazon bestseller list and is rated a 4.6 out of 5 on Amazon itself.
Pros
- Lightweight design
- Supports old DVDs too
- Supports online streaming
- Comes with a remote control
- Produces high-quality surround sound
- Function in all regions
Cons
- Not wireless
- Can only have up to 6 applications for video streaming
- Switching between various OTT platforms is difficult as it has to be done manually by unplugging the entire system
8. Samsung Blu-ray DVD Player Full HD Upconversion and Built-in Wi-Fi
Samsung’s Blu Ray player comes with a built-in wi-fi, which makes it ideal for streaming all the popular OTT platforms and shows without any obstruction. It comes with a high-picture quality that can further be upgraded up to 1080p. It is ideal to play Blu-Ray discs, DVDs, and CDs of any content. The HDMI feature that it has makes sure that whenever the player is connected to another device, the visual signals from those devices are optimized and upgraded to produce high-detailed pictures and videos.
As it has a wireless content sharing technology, even your mobile phones can be connected to this product for high-quality video streaming. It comes with four output slots including one USB output port. It weighs around two pounds and has a 4.3-star rating out of 5 on the Amazon platform. Amazon has also listed it as one of the bestsellers in the Blu-Ray player’s section.
Pros
- Wireless
- Built-in wi-fi
- Can be connected to any smart devices
- Premium quality visuals and audio
- Supports online streaming
- Space-saving design
Cons
- Does not have universal compatibility in terms of DVDs
- Many popular OTT applications are not supported
9. Sony UBP- X700M 4K Ultra HD Home Theatre Streaming Blu-ray™ Player
Sony has a wide array of Blu-Ray players and the X700 one is one of the most popular of the lot. It offers 4K visual clarity and quality for the users. It is a universally compatible player that supports almost all formats of content. The surround sound feature that it is equipped with, offers a real-life experience for the users. It comes with two HDMI output ports that add to the clarity of the sound. With a weight of almost 3 pounds, it is one of the easiest players to set up.
Although it supports online streaming platforms, no such applications are installed into the product beforehand. It is one of the top players in the market and has earned 5th position on the bestsellers list of the Amazon website. It has also earned a rating of 4.5-star out of 5 on Amazon.
Pros
- Surround sound
- Easy to set up
- High-quality visuals
- Reasonably priced
- Comes in the top 5 list of Amazon bestsellers
Cons
- No Bluetooth connectivity
- Gets shut off after 20 minutes of pausing
4k Blu Ray Player Buying Guide
You might have heard about 4K when you intended to shop for a television recently. This technology is otherwise called Ultra HD or UHD. So, if you have not come across the term 4K earlier, you might have heard about UHD for sure. When you take the case of a 4K blu ray player, you can expect the player to play pictures with four times the density of pixel and resolution when compared to a normal blu-ray player. The main purpose of a 4k player is to provide users like you with the ability to watch 4K movies with the best picture quality.
The first-ever 4K blu ray player that was made available to consumers was the Samsung UBD-K8500. Following this brand, many other prominent brands like Toshiba, Sony and LG also offer this player. You might think about whether it is possible to use this player without a 4K TV? Yes, it is possible. If you use an HD TV against a UHD TV, the player will detect your TV and it will scale the picture according to your TV. In other words, you can expect better picture quality from a 4K Blu Ray Player if you have a 4K TV.
How Does a 4K Blu Ray Player Work?
For the ideal 4K movie-watching experience from a 4K blu ray player, you will, of course, need the player, a 4K TV and also a 4K movie. This movie can be in the form of a disc or even a USB flash drive. Here, you have the option to mix and match the TV and player from different brands. The reason is that irrespective of the brand of TV you use, the player will be smart enough to know what your television set is capable of. So, it will adjust the picture accordingly.
What Makes a 4K Blu-Ray Player Bring the Best Picture Quality?
A 4K blu ray player can bring wonders to your eyes because of the following reasons:
- The player can accommodate a frame rate of up to 60 frames per second
- You can expect a much better resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels from a 4K blu ray player, while the pixel resolution from a normal blu ray player will be around 1920 x 1080 pixels.
- As compared to conventional blu ray players, these UHD players can give you a higher dynamic range
- These advanced players have an increased color depth of 10-bit per color.
Together, all these features bring the clearest picture quality to your eyes on your 4K TV. Further, these players can offer up to 1080 Mbps of data. They will fundamentally use double-layer 66GB Discs. However, can accommodate 100GB of triple-layer discs as well. More and more movies are being released these days for accommodating the new 4K format. Of course, you can find 4k blu ray discs these days in huge numbers in the market to satiate your thirst for the best movie-watching experience with your family.
What Are the Benefits of 4K Blu Ray Player?
The very first reason to opt for a 4K blu ray player is the 4K clarity you can get from this player. We will throw more light on this benefit and other benefits here:
1. 4K Resolution
One of the important reasons to opt for a 4K Blu Ray Player is that you can experience 4K picture quality with clearer and sharper images than you watched ever before. This player can support resolutions of up to 3840 x 2160 pixels. This resolution is four times better than the pixels supported by a Full HD TV. As compared to standard definition televisions, this resolution is 27 times as many pixels.
2. High Dynamic Range
Another key benefit of an ultra blu ray player is the High Dynamic Range. Shortly referred to as HDR, this feature of these players makes contrasts and colors pop. It is HDR that does the wonder more than 4K. Here, dynamic range is the difference between the darkest blacks and the brightest whites on the television screen. HDR means that the scenes with high contrast can be viewed with greater detail and clarity.
3. Pricing is Affordable
When 4k Technology was introduced, it was not easy to reach for many consumers. But, now this technology is into the market for a long. So, you can confidently opt for a 4K blu ray player as you can get this player at an affordable price. Apart from buying the player, you can also find plenty of movie discs with this resolution in the market now. Even, nowadays, the cost of blu ray discs has reduced a lot as compared to what it was earlier.
4. Wide Color Spectrum
Further, with an ultra blu ray player, you can get the opportunity to watch pictures with brighter and more vivid colors. This player can display more than 75% of the visible color spectrum. This is called the wide color spectrum. This is more than double the color range of the present digital televisions.
5. Old Titles Get New Life
With more and more people owning ultra blu ray player, nowadays, many favorite old films of your favorite stars are made available in the form of Blu ray discs. So, you can get to watch your old favorites with the utmost picture quality when you have this player at home. You will get the experience of watching your favorite old movie entirely for the first time with this player.
6. Impressive Sound Quality
You might ask whether you will get something like 4K sound quality from a 4K blu ray player. But, there is no such thing as 4K audio. But, with the technology that these players come with you can expect to watch 4K movies with the higher quality audio. You will be using 4K discs on this player. Nowadays, most of these discs offer advanced audio formats like DTS-X and Dolby Atmos. You cannot find these audio formats in regular Blu-ray discs. With the best sound quality, the player can heighten the realism of the movies you watch.
How to Choose a 4K Blu Ray Player?
When you intend to shop for the ideal 4K blu ray player, you will have to consider different features to make sure that you make the best buy. Here are a few of them for your information:
1. Smart Functionality
You will presume that an ultra 4K blu ray player will come with smart TV functionality automatically. Most people these days wish to stay tuned to online content via apps like Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime. So, it is better to check whether the player can offer seamless support to streaming applications. With this functionality, it will be easy to open different 4K libraries with easy access to your favorite content online.
2. Wi-Fi
At times, you might want to watch 4K content straight from the internet. To allow this facility, it is better to check whether the ultra blu ray player has Wi-Fi connectivity. Nowadays, most players work on a much-crowded 2.4 GHz standard. But, some models do offer a 5Ghz frequency band. So, do consider this facility before you shortlist a player.
3. USB Ports
Some players support the addition of USB devices like a keyboard or a mouse and other USB devices. With this facility in a 4K blu ray player, you can stay confident about ease of operation and less mess of wires. Nevertheless, most of the blu ray devices including players extend support to FAT, FAT32 and NTFS files. When looking at the USB ports, it is better to go for a player with these ports placed on the front side as against the backside. The reason is that ports present on the front side will be easy to access as compared to those present on the backside.
4. SD Card Slot
When you find that the ultra 4K blu ray player has the ability to extend its memory, it will be an added advantage as you can save some content for watching later. For this purpose, some players come with extendable memory space with High Capacity SDHC and Secure Digital Cards. Most Blu Ray players these days are designed for handling SD Cards such that you can get the stored collection of videos and images transferred to your television screen with ease.
5. Remote Control
Without any doubt, the type of remote control used in an ultra blu ray player can make or break your overall experience. First, check whether it has a collection of standard buttons so that you can use the remote with ease. Further, the buttons should have appropriate labeling that assists with easy operation. It would be better to have a remote control that can handle operations on your television or A/V receiver for a better advantage. The most important thing to check in remote control is the presence of backlit keys. With this feature, you can make sure that you can operate the player without any difficulty even when you are in a dark room or a room with dull lights.
6. HDMI Audio Output
You can expect better flexibility if you go for a 4K Blu Ray player with a separate HDMI output. This HDMI audio output will come in handy when you intend to connect your player with a video product without using your TV. In this case, you can connect the HDMI audio output to your soundbar or A/V receiver when connecting your HDMI Video out for the transfer of video signals.
7. DSD Audio Decoding
DSD is nothing but Direct Stream Digital. This is a technology developed originally by Sony and Philips for delivering high-resolution audio content on super audio compact discs. This technology works based on a single bit type sampling rate that can be anywhere between 2.8 and 5.6 MHz. When you buy an ultra blu ray player that is DSD capable, it does not essentially mean that it can read SACD content as well. However, you will get the choice to purchase DSD format music content online. Then, you can store it on a NAS box for quick playback.
8. Know about DLNA Compliance
When you intend to shortlist a 4K blu ray player, you should check whether the manufacturer has stated it to be DLNA compliant. This standard works for streaming media files. With this compliance, you can render audio content, videos and photos on your player from other devices that are connected to your home network. The terminal is often referred to as a computer or just the network-attached storage box.
9. Analog Encoding
It is possible to compress audio signals via lossy and lossless compression algorithms. In the case of the former, some information from the real content is removed. You might have heard about MP3 compression, which stands as an excellent example of this compression. On the flip side, in the case of the latter, it will just get rid of redundant information from the input signal. Here, you can consider the example of the zip file that encompasses all details in its original form. It is better to opt for an ultra blu ray player that assures lossless compression as compared to the one that assures lossy compression. Some of the lossy audio clip formats include MP3, M4A, OGG and WMA. The lossless audio files encompass APE and FLAC to name a few.
10. Audio Capabilities
All Blu ray players support 5.1 channel surround sound. Even, many offer 7.1 channel audio from blu-ray discs. Most new players will support multichannel and high-resolution audio formats like DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD. However, some players can internally decode audio signals, while some pass the signals to capable receivers for decoding. To experience true DTS-HD or Dolby TrueHD, you should use an HDMI Connection. This should be done unless a player has a multichannel analog output or internal decoder. Some new models even support DTS:X or Dolby Atmos immersive audio soundtracks that you can find on 4K ultra HD Blu-Ray discs.
With these features, you can expect the best motion picture and sound experience from a 4K Blu ray player.
Conclusion
Upgrading from a regular DVD player to a 4K Blu Ray Player comes with many perks. The high picture quality that the Blu-Ray system offers is incomparable. Many normal Blu-Ray players face inconsistencies with the picture quality when it is connected to internet sources. But 4K Blu Ray players make sure that your favorite online platforms are streamed consistently with high image quality. The 4K Blu Ray players also offer an opportunity to revive the old DVD collections as it supports discs of most formats along with web streaming.
Also, if you are looking for a home theatre set-up, 4K Blu Ray ones are the most ideal companions. The high-quality surround sound that they produce makes it feel like real theatre. The budget-friendly options make sure that it isn’t costing you a fortune to have a decent entertainment experience. Even though it fits the budget, it should be carefully considered as to which one should be chosen from the endless number of options that the market offers to you. Make sure you place the bid on the best option only by referring to this article.
We are adding some of the handpicked options from the above list based on their performance and unique features below. Make sure you don’t miss these particular ones while considering buying a 4K Blu-Ray player.
- Best wireless 4K Blu Ray player: Samsung Blu-ray DVD Player Full HD Upconversion and Built-in Wi-Fi
- 4K Blu Ray player with built-in wi-fi: Sony UBP-X800M UHD Home Theatre 4K Streaming Blu-Ray Disc Player
- Easily installable 4K Blu Ray player: Sony UBP-X700 Home Theatre Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player
- 4K Blu Ray player with high-quality surround sound: Sony 4K Ultra Blu Ray HD Player with Dolby Vision
4K Blu Ray players are a great addition to your entertainment console due to the sheer possibilities that they offer. They are the best companions to stream both online and offline content with high-quality audio and video features. In the present world, where a new normal is being established, investing in home-based entertainment devices is a necessary move and 4K Blu Ray players are one of the best options that you can purchase for your home. Make sure you go through the necessary features and guarantee guidelines before proceeding to purchase one. Make the best use of the above reviews to settle on any one of the best models available in the market and we ardently hope that you find the perfect Blu-Ray player for your family and you get to create your very own pocket of happiness in your living room.
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