There are many that proclaim optical media is dead and that streaming is the way ahead, but one look at the quality of the latest blockbuster movies on Ultra HD Blu-ray and you’ll change your mind.
With a standardised format, Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and players are now readily available, so it’s full steam ahead if you want to cast those ageing DVD players aside, retire the venerable Blu-ray player and step into the future.
Things are only getting better for Ultra HD Blu-ray, so which player do you need?
Our pick of the best Ultra HD Blu-ray players to buy today
As Ultra HD Blu-ray is still fairly niche, the selection of players is limited. Our top recommendation fuses affordability with performance, making it our top pick if you’re looking for an Ultra HD Blu-ray player.
1. Samsung UBD-M9500
The Samsung UBD-M9500 isn’t the most fully-featured Ultra HD Blu-ray player on the market – it lacks in the high-end audio stakes – but it’s one of the nicest to use because Samsung paid a lot of attention to its user interface over the past few years. This model is leaps and bounds ahead of the older K8500, especially if you want to take advantage of the smart apps that are included, like Netflix and Amazon Video.
It offers excellent performance on the video front, but is a little quirky on the design, with a curved body, so it probably won’t match anything else you have in your AV setup. You probably won’t ever get Dolby Vision support from Samsung, but you are getting a player that gives you a lot for the money, then the M9500 is worthy of your attention. If you’re completely happy with your streaming services already then you might want to look elsewhere, perhaps to the K8500 player instead.
Read the full review: Samsung UBD-M9500 review
2. Panasonic DMP-UB700 Ultra HD Blu-ray player
The Panasonic UB700 fuses a conventional design that will fit into any entertainment centre, or happily sit on display, with the essential connectivity to bring the glory of Ultra HD Blu-ray to your 4K HDR TV. There’s twin HDMI so you can separate audio into your AV receiver if you want to.
While the UB700 doesn’t have the audio focus or the connections of the UB900, it retains the same picture quality, while being much more affordable. It offers wonderful handling of the latest optical discs, it offers 4K content from streaming services (if you need them), without looking quite as strange as the Samsung K8500’s curved design. The user interface is ugly however and the remote could be better, but we can’t fault the video quality.
Read the full review: Panasonic DMP-UB700 review
4. Panasonic DMP-UB900 Ultra HD Blu-ray player
Panasonic’s pitch with the UB900 is to give you the best of everything: this is an accomplished player that goes beyond all others in offering you connectivity and granular options to control your content. Packaged into a slick box offering a substantial design, Panasonic want the UB900 to appeal as much to audio fans as it does to video. Not only does it offer exemplary audio and video performance, the UB900 comes fully loaded with 4K steaming services too, from Netflix and Amazon.
The user interface could be more refined, but there’s a substantial remote to help keep you in control. This all comes at a price, however, with the Panasonic DMP-UB900 asking top prices, while missing out on Dolby Vision support.
Read the full review: Panasonic DMP-UB900 review
5. Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player
It wouldn’t be fair to call the Samsung K8500 the “no frills” player, but it’s certainly simpler than the Panasonic or Oppo rivals, with fewer options and fewer connections. For those looking for that simpler approach, that makes it a winner, as the K8500 just concentrates on delivering stunning visuals from your Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. For many, that’s exactly the point. There’s plenty of streaming goodness, however, offering Netflix and Amazon in 4K HDR, but the user interface isn’t as nice as the newer M9500 player.
What’s less impressive, however, is the quirky curved design. That might work if you’re placing it near a curved television, but for many it’s an oddity when placed among your other AV boxes. The remote is also small and rather unsubstantial. The real advantage that the Samsung K8500 offers is that it’s one of the cheapest stand-alone players available.
Read the full review: Samsung UBD-K8500 review
6. Xbox One S
When Microsoft launched the Xbox One, it was pitched as an entertainment centre. That may have got gamers’ hackles up, but with the Xbox One S now offering Ultra HD Blu-ray playback, as well as supporting 4K streaming services, it’s a media centre with skills that are hard to rival: being able to play the latest HDR games is just one string to its bow.
The Xbox is a physically bigger box than a conventional player and unless you have the Xbox One Media Remote you’ll be using a gaming controller, so things aren’t quite as slick as a dedicated player, but then they aren’t as expensive either. In fact, for those who aren’t hardcore AV enthusiasts, the Xbox One S is a tempting all-round entertainment solution, especially as support for Xbox 360 games is now extensive too.
Read the full review: Xbox One S review