INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
If care about quality and want to see the best possible picture up on your TV, then you might well be in the market for the best 4K Blu-ray
player that money can buy.While much of the world might settle for streaming video and dismiss physical discs as relics from a bygone age,
no consumer video stream can get close to the quality of a 4K Blu-ray at the moment.What's more, if you've invested in a top-notch
Netflix too, which isn't always available in 4K TVs.That means you can enjoy watching your high-resolution Blu-rays as well as streaming
content from the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Google Play TV Movies
So which 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player should you go forWhat else do I need to watch a UHD Blu-rayIn order to get a true 4K experience,
remember that you'll need a 4K Blu-ray player, a 4K Blu-ray disc and, of course, a 4K TV in order to watch it
Don't have that last one 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 images in 1080p
be noticeably different to an Ultra HD Blu-ray.Enough with the caveats
Panasonic DMP-UB700The best bang-for-buck 4K UHD Blu-ray performanceSupported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: Yes | Dimensions: 430 x 61
x 199 mm | Weight: 2.3 kg | UHD Upscaling: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes | 3D support: Yes | HDR Formats supported: HDR10Outstanding picture
performanceHi-Res Audio file playback4K Netflix and Amazon onboardNot as sexy as the DMP-UB900No Dolby Vision supportThe Panasonic DMP-U700
is the 4K Blu-ray player we end up recommending most often
It's more affordable than an Oppo deck, and still gets you the amazing picture quality of Panasonic's top-end DMP-U900
Oppo UDP-203 A premium player for your high-end A/V needsSupported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: Oppo OS | Dimensions: 16.9 x 12.2 x
3.1 inches | Weight: 9.5 pounds | UHD Upscaling: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes | 3D support: Yes | HDR Formats supported: HDR10, Dolby VisionFantastic
image qualitySupports numerous formatsExpensiveNo streaming services on boardOppo makes the best Blu-ray players in the world
Oppo announced its intention to stop making headphones and Blu-rays players earlier this year.The Oppo UDP-203 may be the most expensive
including the niche SACD, and features three HDMI ports (one for video and audio, one for audio, and another to act as an HDMI
passthrough).It even supports the premium Dolby Vision HDR standard, which is still a rarity in players.Unfortunately the Oppo doesn't
include support for streaming services such as Netflix, but if you want a premium disc player (at a premium price), this is the one for you
It's of particular interest to audiophiles.Read the full review: Oppo UDP-2033
Sony UBP-X800Great video matched with exceptional audioSupported 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 | HDR Formats supported: HDR10Superb picture
quality4K Netflix and Amazon appsSACD, DVD-A and Hi-Res audioNo analogue stereo outputNo Dolby VisionSony might have been a little late to
the Ultra HD Blu-ray party, but its first player is a great machine
Vision, the high-end HDR format that discs are increasingly offering support for, and which the Oppo UDP-203 does now support thanks to a
player, then the Sony UBP-X800 is a great choice, but if you're after something focussed solely on playing movies, then there are better or
Panasonic DMP-UB900Panasonic's DMP-UB900 is a must-have for AV enthusiasts Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: Panasonic OS |
Dimensions: 435 x 199 x 68mm | Weight: 5.29 pounds | UHD Upscaling: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes | 3D support: Yes | HDR Formats supported: HDR104K
Netflix and Amazon on boardFirst-class audio CD playbackClunky UIChassis is a fingerprint magnetThe DMP-UB900 will restore you faith in
In full 4K HDR guise it offers a level of performance that will have new 4K TV owners gasping
Ultra HD Blu-ray brings the experience of 4K digital cinema to the home, and rewards with brilliant colour fidelity, deep contrast and
almost three-dimensional clarity.Factor in solid file playback support, plus 4K iterations of Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, and you have
a machine that'll make your new 4K HDR TV look sensational.Read the full review: Panasonic DMP-UB9005
Dimensions: 45 x 406 x 226mm (H x W x D) | Weight: 4.19 pounds | UHD Upscaling: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes | 3D support: No | HDR Formats supported:
Blu-ray player, the Samsung UBD-K8500 (found further down the list) seems like a bit of a trial run.Its build quality was rudimental as
Samsung tried to undercut rival debut units on price
Its picture quality was OK as a starting point for a new format, but was soon overwhelmed by more heavy duty rivals
- even though a couple of deliberate omissions might frustrate some quarters of the AV enthusiast market.Read the full review:Samsung
Sony UBP-X1000ESOffering superb video and audio, this high-end Sony is a star performerSupported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: N/A |
Dimensions: W430 x H54 x D265 (mm) | Weight: 3.9 kg (8 Lbs 10 Oz) | UHD Upscaling: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes | 3D support: Yes | HDR Formats
In terms of performance and value, the latter can be considered one of the best value UHD Blu-ray players available, so clearly this more
audio performance is excellent, be it via HDMI or two channel analogue
The player is also artfully built, and incorporates a high-end 192kHz/ 32bit DAC and offers a gold-plated phono analogue audio output on the
Panasonic DMP-UB300Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: Yes | Dimensions: 193 x 320 x 45 mm | Weight: 1.3kg | UHD Upscaling: Yes |
Wi-Fi: No | 3D support: Yes | HDR Formats supported: HDR10Top notch video playbackGood compatibility modesNo Wi-FiBuild quality is
excellent, it supports a wide range of audio codecs and formats, and there's also streaming services built in if you're willing to go down
Xbox One XMicrosoft's latest console plays games and movies in 4K UHDSupported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV: Yes | Dimensions: 193 x
320 x 45 mm | Weight: 1.3kg | UHD Upscaling: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes | 3D support: Yes | HDR Formats supported: HDR10Also supports Dolby
AtmosDoubles as a game consoleHad some issues at the outsetBlu-ray player app is a bit buggyThe Xbox One X is a beast of a gaming console
It offers 6 teraflops of performance, 12GB of GDDR5 RAM and an eight-core CPU clocked at 2.3GHz
By far and away, it's the most powerful device listed on this page
But despite all that power under the hood, it's not the best 4K Blu-ray player
That's probably because the Xbox One X doesn't have the same level of picture-upscaling that some of the other dedicated media players on
While the Xbox One X might not be as good of a 4K Blu-ray player as the Oppo or the Sony, we'd like to see either one of those players
handle an Xbox One X game.Read the full review:Xbox One X9
Xbox One SThe Xbox One S might be primarily a video game console, but it's also a stellar (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 | HDR Formats supported: HDR104K/HDR streamingHDR gaming4K gaming limited to upscalingConsole interfaceNot holding the
disc drive and the capacity to run Netflix in 4K Ultra HD, Microsoft's latest iteration of the Xbox is a great 'jack-of-all-trades'
of it being able to do everything is that you'll be working with an interface designed primarily for gaming
The controller that comes with the console isn't the most efficient way to control movie playback, and the machine lacks support for Dolby
Samsung UBD-K8500 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player4K playback on the cheap Check out the UBD-K8500Supported resolution: 3840 x 2160 | Smart TV:
Samsung Smart Hub | Dimensions: 405 x 44.7 x 230 mm | Weight: 4.19 pounds | UHD Upscaling: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes | 3D support: Yes | HDR Formats
supported: HDR10Impressive 4K HDR image quality4K Netflix and Amazon onboardJourneyman build quality and noisyNot a great sounding music
playerThe K8500 is currently the cheapest route into 4K Blu-ray
It's also a useful hub for 4K OTT services from Netflix and Amazon, and while the design is a bit Marmite, you'll be consistently
impressed by its loading speed and colourful UI.You can get better image quality, support for more formats and better build quality by
the full review: Samsung UBD-K8500a677623c3f5290cf03b092666bd00fe6.jpg#
