While streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ present quick and convenient ways to indulge in your favorite films, a 4K Blu-ray player is still one of the best ways to watch movies. A 4K Blu-ray disc is able to hold up to around 100GB of data and doesn’t rely on an internet connection for playback. It truly is a plug-and-play component, and some players even come with an HDMI cable!
Most 4K Blu-ray players are optimized to run the latest HDR and surround codecs, including formats like Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Some models can even decode hi-res music formats. Of course, you may be wondering what company makes the best 4K players, which is why we’ve put together this roundup to highlight all the best 4K Blu-ray players you can buy right now.
Panasonic has a long and healthy track record of producing some of the finest mid- to high-tier Blu-ray players, and the UB420 is the latest in its lineup of connoisseur-style hardware. The UB420 comes loaded with the latest premier video codecs, including HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG formats. Colors and overall vibrancy are taken a step further by Panasonic's Hollywood Cinema processor, which delivers a chroma-enriched 4K image.
For those who are looking to ditch the remote control, Panasonic has got you covered. The Buy at Best Buy is compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant. Just connect the player to Wi-Fi and you'll be able to play/pause, stop, rewind/fast forward, and view media menus using nothing more than your voice.
It’s hard to find a 4K Blu-ray player for less than $200, but if you’re trying to make as frugal of a player purchase as possible, we recommend the Sony UBP-X700M. This model covers all the basics, including Dolby Vision and HDR10 support, and can decode sound formats all the way up to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. You’ll also be able to play everything from 4K and traditional Blu-ray discs to DVDs and CDs.
Should you decide to use the X700M for streaming, you’ll be able to access popular apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video once the player is connected to Wi-Fi (or hardwired to your router via Ethernet). Do keep in mind that while you’ll be able to stream 4K content through the Netflix and Prime Video apps, the only app to feature HDR support is YouTube.
The X700M even includes a front-facing USB port if you want to connect a flash drive with photos, videos, or music on it. While more advanced 4K players are more adept at decoding hi-res audio (the X700M doesn’t support any lossless formats), if you’re looking to get a great 4K Blu-ray player for less, this is the model you should buy.
There was a lot to like about the original Sony UBP-X800, but most notable was its use of both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X alongside Sony's excellent Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HX), which allowed it to offer cinema-level sound in your home. Combined, these traits offer unmatched audio.
The only problem was the lack of Dolby Vision support, but Sony corrected that mistake for the newer UBP-X800M2, making it a high-octane option that needs to be in any serious home theater setup. You'll pay handsomely for the upgraded fidelity, but it's worth the peace of mind knowing your UHD Blu-ray collection will always look and sound its best.
With the aforementioned DSEE HX support, the Buy at Best Buy is the best option for those who like to pipe a lot of music through their home theater system. The Blu-ray player neatly unpacks compressed audio formats like MP3 and FLAC, among others, to deliver hi-fi sound that's far more abstract than others are capable of. It almost makes us forget that Oppo's UDP-203 ever existed. Almost.
The Xbox Series X is the quintessential all-in-one box that can take over a living room. You can play video games at resolutions up to 4K with HDR10 for lifelike color, and then grab some popcorn to wind down and watch your favorite movies in stunning detail.
You might think that a gaming console would skimp on connections, but the Series X features three USB 3.0 ports, 5GHz wi-fi, an Ethernet port, S/PDIF ports, and a single HDMI 2.1 port.
Unlike most other Blu-ray players, the Xbox Series X never stops evolving. It has tons of streaming apps in the Xbox Store, all regularly updated with the latest user experience and features. Netflix offers Dolby Vision support, for instance, which not even the Blu-ray disc player inside can yet claim. System updates also come in more regularly than traditional Blu-ray players, often with sweeping changes that only add to the experience such as when Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos eventually showed up (albeit in limited form).
While we consider it perverse not to pair your beautiful 4K TV with a console that takes full advantage of it, you may also want to check out the PS5. A competitor to the Xbox Series X, the PS5 features a built-in 4K Blu-ray drive, along with impressive hardware specs, speedy performance, and gorgeous next-gen graphics.
Similar to the Panasonic DP-UB420 Blu-ray player on our list, but takes it to the next level with support for Dolby Vision and, of course, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG as well. It's a step down from Panasonic's flagship $980 DP-UB9000, but has the same digital processing features, meaning the color and contrast are stunning, especially on Dolby Vision Blu-ray discs. Panasonic's HCX (Hollywood Cinema Experience) processing is here, too, which can take the 4:2:0 color from your Blu-rays and reproduce in incredible 4:4:4 color content, which, again, equals an amazing picture.
The DP-UB820 also supports high-res audio with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that delivers up to 32-bit/192kHz audio for great audio, and it even supports a bunch of audio formats for listening to music, such as WAV, FLAC, MP3, AAC, WMA, and AIFF. Your streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, can be accessed through the UB820, and it even works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands.
Budget-pricing doesn't necessarily have to translate to a product's suite of features. This is especially true in the case of the Panasonic DP-UB150, a formidable player with the savvy shopper in mind. Right off the bat, the UB150 is capable of decoding three leading HDR codecs — HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG — ensuring that most of your HDR viewing will be top-notch. Additionally, Panasonic's 4K Chroma processing and HDR Optimizer are onboard to take picture quality to the next level. We also love how well the player handles 4K upscaling.
The UB150 is a decent player for audio playback, too, thanks in part to Panasonic's High-Res Audio Playback, designed to land you smack-dab in the middle of all your favorite songs and movie soundtracks. While there's no Dolby Vision support and a lack of streaming apps for those concerned with web content, the Buy at Amazon gets you more than just the bare necessities, functioning more like a mid-tier 4K player than a low-priced budget option.
As you can guess, not all 4K Blu-ray players are created equal, so it’s important to know what features and specifications are important to you when shopping. We recommend keeping an eye out for the following:
4K Blu-ray players are incredible at delivering the kind of picture and sound the filmmakers who made your favorite movie would want you to hear and see (in most cases). Still, if you’re looking to use the player for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, or hi-res audio, you’ll want to be extra mindful when it comes to format support. Even some of the best 4K Blu-ray players don’t support every single single modern AV codec.
HDR10 should be your bare minimum for HDR support, and the player you purchase should at least be able to handle both Dolby and DTS traditional surround formats. If FLAC is important to you, you’ll want to pull up the player specs to make sure this format (and others) are covered by the player you want to buy.
When it comes to wiring up your 4K Blu-ray player to your TV or AV system, it’s essential to know what kinds of ports you’re dealing with. Ideally, you’ll grab a 4K player with at least one HDMI 2.1 connection for the absolute best picture and sound. HDMI 2.0 might be okay for some setups, though, especially if you’re running older HD or UHD hardware.
If you have advanced audio needs that require separate audio outputs, you’ll want to make sure the player you’re interested in has whatever digital or analog ports you’re looking for. Some advanced models even carry a second HDMI port for splitting your audio and video connections. And if you plan on hooking up a USB flash drive to view photos or play movies or music, you’ll want to confirm the 4K player has a USB port, too.
While most modern TVs, game consoles, and dedicated streaming devices give you access to apps like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube (and we’re willing to bet you own one or two of these components already), Blu-ray players are another class of hardware with web-connected capabilities.
If you’d like to use your 4K player for streaming, you’ll want to make sure the player you’re looking to buy supports the apps you want to use. You’ll also want to keep this in mind: not all built-in Blu-ray player apps support 4K and HDR streaming. Lastly, if you’re planning on hardwiring the player to your router for faster internet, you’ll want to make sure the player actually has an Ethernet port.
We here at Digital Trends have years of AV expertise under our belts. While we haven’t officially tested most of the 4K Blu-ray players on our list, our experts have put hundreds of TVs, soundbars, streaming devices, and other AV peripherals through rigorous evaluations. And many of these devices share the same core features and specifications that you’ll want to look for in a 4K Blu-ray player.
We did test the Xbox Series X, though, which is a great 4K Blu-ray player option that also doubles as a cutting-edge game console!
Derek Malcolm is a contributing editor and evergreen lead for the A/V and Home Theater section of Digital Trends. Derek joined the DT team in 2020, spending his days wrangling the movie and TV streaming guides before getting the chance to nurture his obsession with the latest audio/video gear. A former musician and practicing vinyl nerd, his passion for sound can be found in his writing, whether it’s a guide to the best speakers and turntables, or a review of a party speaker that’ll blow your roof off.
Derek studied journalism at Toronto’s Humber College, graduating in 1999. He started his career writing about music, movies, and TV, back when people still read things on paper, working at such magazines as TV Guide and celebrity mag Hello! Canada. Derek counts Matt Damon, Britney Spears, and Coldplay among his favorite interviews.
From 2006 to 2018 Derek was the editor-in-chief of Canadian tech and entertainment magazine Connected, where he steered the publication through the invention of the iPhone and the rise of streaming to the demise of BlackBerry and the print industry.
One of two Canucks on the Digital Trends A/V team, Derek is based in Toronto where he lives with his wife, daughter, two cats, and his prized vintage Marantz stereo receivers.
When Derek isn’t cussing at the labyrinthine setup menus of the latest projectors, he can be found at home listening to records or counting the days to ski season.
You can find Derek on Threads and sharing his vinyl exploits on Instagram.
Michael Bizzaco has been selling, installing, and talking about TVs, soundbars, streaming devices, and all things smart home for the better part of 15 years. He even knows a thing or two about how to fix this stuff when it starts misbehaving (because no tech is perfect!).
Mike has been writing for Digital Trends and several other publications since 2020. Fortunately, he’s still able to write after he got his index finger stuck in a vending machine at the Ramada Inn the summer before fourth grade! From hands-on reviews to best-of roundups, Mike does his best to share his expertise in a friendly and informative way with all readers, and loves staying on top of the latest AV and smart home trends.
When he’s not thanking his father for dislodging his finger from that vile vending machine in New Jersey, Mike enjoys playing guitar, reading, and indulging in horror films with his girlfriend.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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