Throughout the process of conducting research, and through spending over 20 hours testing 4K Blu-ray players, we found that many showcase the same picture and image quality when viewing 4K content. However, with our pick, the Sony UBP-X800, non-4K Blu-ray discs and non-4K DVDs are given a noticeable boost in clarity and quality because of the player’s image scaling feature. The Sony UBP-X800’s menus are highly responsive and its disc-loading speed is solid which makes it the best 4K Blu-ray player for most people.
Our runner-up pick, the Samsung UBD-M8500, offers a sharp, user-friendly interface and is a good choice for an alternative should the Sony UBP-X800 go out of stock. The Samsung UBD-M8500 doesn’t support 3D Blu-ray discs and it doesn’t perform as well as our top pick with non-4K discs, but it gets very close. Its disc loading speed is just as fast and it comes equipped with streaming services that can accessed via Wi-Fi.
The Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player is our upgrade pick, and rightfully so as it offers Dolby Vision, the best image scaling, and the most added hardware features. This pick is ideal if you want the absolute best DVD and Blu-ray image quality, and if you’re willing to pay the additional price that comes with it. The Oppo UDP-203 supports more types of content and can adapt to a wider range of home theaters.
How we picked and tested
In searching for quality 4K Blu-ray players, we made sure that contenders came equipped with dual HDMI outputs. This ensures that our picks can be used with older receivers that don’t have the ability to pass 4K signals via audio.
While 4K resolution isn’t a brand new concept, the combination of High Dynamic Range (HDR), a wide color gamut (WCG), and 4K or Ultra HD, is a newer offering. While a 1080p HDTV offers 1,080 lines of resolution, you’re getting twice as many lines of resolution with 4K Blu-ray players. HDR deals with contrast ratio and the techniques that are used to showcase dark and bright screen areas. A wide color gamut feature allows a wider range of colors to be shown on screen.
TVs, streaming boxes, and Blu-ray players with these supported features will offer the best overall image quality. The combination of WCG and HDR support is what enables non-4K DVDs, non-4K Blu-ray discs, and other HD content to be upconverted to 4K quality.
With the majority of 4K Blu-ray players that we tested, there wasn’t much variance in their presentations of 4K content. Because of this, we also focused on the players’ ability to upconvert non-4K content formats. As 4K discs aren’t the most popular just yet, the capability to upconvert significantly contributes to overall performance.
Other important criteria for testing included: ease of use, interface responsiveness, supported streaming services, and performance while playing both Blu-ray and DVD content. We also took the design and build of the 4K Blu-ray players into consideration.
Our pick: Sony UBP-X800
Aside from the fact that it has a solid build, we like the Sony UBP-X800 because its Blu-ray and DVD upscaling is top notch, its discs load quickly, and it has an interface that’s responsive. Its metal frame gives it more weight and makes it feel more stable than competitors. It’s Wi-Fi enabled and supports upwards of 20 built-in streaming services, including Netflix and YouTube.
If largely you have a collection of DVDs and Blu-ray discs that aren’t 4K, you won’t feel like the quality is worse when you watch them with this 4K Blu-ray player. The Sony UBP-X800 is the best 4K Blu-ray player because it makes non-4K content look better than most other players. Its upscaled content also surpasses the scaling capabilities offered by most 4K TVs. If you aren’t watching DVDs or Blu-ray content, you may be better off considering a 4K TV. We outline some of the best picks in our full 4K TV on a Budget guide.
When we tested the Sony UBP-X800, we noticed that DVD and Blu-ray content was shown with smoother curves, and text that was clear and legible. When it came to edge enhancements, this 4K Blu-ray player showed images with fewer artifacts.
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You won’t have to wait around for discs to load, or for the player to respond to commands from the remote. The entire process to begin viewing is quick and painless. The player’s settings are outlined for easy guidance and its main screen showcases everything from streaming services to source options.
If you’re particular about picture quality as it relates to subsampling, the Sony UBP-X800 offers both YCbCr 4:2:2 and YCbCr 4:4:4 options for video playback. It has a USB port and integrated Bluetooth which allows you to connect Bluetooth speakers, or watch movies and listen to them using Bluetooth headphones. When we tested this feature, the player’s audio matched the on-screen picture and we didn’t catch any signs of an audio lag.
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