Sony UBP-X700 4K UHD Blu-ray player

[Herry Dunston]

I tested Fallout: Season 1 on this player. Never owned a 4K season set before, so it had me curious. Given the segmented nature of the content, I assume the player would do a layer change inbetween the episodes to avoid being stuck. After watching episode two of disc two where it froze near the end [SPOILERS:

[Show spoiler]It was the part where Lucy's mulling it over about cutting Ben Linus' head off.

], I was wrong. Silly me, of course that's now how it works.

That being said, the player didn't froze on me for all of disc two and three. Although there are caveats for those: after disc one, I alcohol-cleaned all of the discs before putting in disc two, and I did skip the recaps and some ending credits so there might've been a layer change/freeze during those.

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by Herry Dunston

I tested Fallout: Season 1 on this player. Never owned a 4K season set before, so it had me curious. Given the segmented nature of the content, I assume the player would do a layer change inbetween the episodes to avoid being stuck. After watching episode two of disc two where it froze near the end [SPOILERS:

[Show spoiler]It was the part where Lucy's mulling it over about cutting Ben Linus' head off.

], I was wrong. Silly me, of course that's now how it works.

That being said, the player didn't froze on me for all of disc two and three. Although there are caveats for those: after disc one, I alcohol-cleaned all of the discs before putting in disc two, and I did skip the recaps and some ending credits so there might've been a layer change/freeze during those.

My first copy had so much grease I couldn't get disc 2 to stop freezing up even with multiple cleans, and disc 1 froze at the same spot you mentioned. Ended up returning it and exchanging it for another copy, which played flawlessly all the way through for all discs.

[Herry Dunston]

Quick update: I rewatched episode two on the recently cleaned disc one. There was stuttering and freezing present earlier on, but that error was my own doing; I hadn't cleaned the disc properly. One quick microfiber rub down later, and said stutters were gone. Even the freezing spot near the episode's end, which was the purpose of a rewatch, hasn't happened.

There could be variables behind why that's been resolved beyond the cleaning, but safe to say I don't have a faulty disc.

[IlCorvo]

To me, this all sounds like a major improvement.

[albabe]

Hey folks. I picked-up the Region Free Sony X700 in Dec of '24 from 220-electronics but through Amazon. And I don't think it came with the latest Firmware Update. In fact, I think the firmware was released just around the time I bought it.

I'm curious if any of you have updated yours and if you D/Led the Firmware, or let the machine do it itself... and if it caused any problems with the Region Free-ness or anything else? I remember some talk about it when I bought it, but I don't remember the resolutions?

Thanx in advance<

[paulboland]

Originally Posted by albabe

Hey folks. I picked-up the Region Free Sony X700 in Dec of '24 from 220-electronics but through Amazon. And I don't think it came with the latest Firmware Update. In fact, I think the firmware was released just around the time I bought it.

I'm curious if any of you have updated yours and if you D/Led the Firmware, or let the machine do it itself... and if it caused any problems with the Region Free-ness or anything else? I remember some talk about it when I bought it, but I don't remember the resolutions?

Thanx in advance<

Sony X700 that has the region free ICOS modification
System Update
You use update over internet to check if new firmware is available and choose if you want to install that update

Don’t download firmware from Sony website and use usb method
Use update over internet method only on the player itself



As long as you use update over internet to install new firmware it does not affect the region free ICOS modification

I not had any issues with latest firmware that’s made available on the Sony x700 that has the ICOS modification done by 220-electronics

[WhiskeyGnome]

Also, what is up with the absolutely crazed Panasonic community with players lol? I swear on Reddit these nutters are like t-shirt-wearing corporate buffoons.

The actual truth is all of these players have issues, and the fact is Panasonic players are way more expensive than they are worth at the retail prices. Even the U player here for 300 is absurd. They are quite simple devices and low cost to produce at this point.

I mean you know it's cheaply done when they don't even upscale the fonts. The idea I should pay 400 dollars and lose SACD just to get auto DV is absurd. Nevermind all the complaints they too have had lately about the quality of manufacturing.

IDK but if the U player gets low enough, 200 is the best deal in the industry for a player of this caliber. At least for audiophiles. I personally do not think any of these players are worth more than 200 for a player with a short warranty.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyGnome

Also, what is up with the absolutely crazed Panasonic community with players lol?

The Panasonic players work. The 2 Sony X700's I had did not. Granted the second one was better than the first.

It's that simple. The Sony X700 has many people thinking the UHD BD format is defective simply because this is the player Walmart has in stock.

If you think the X700 works I'm happy for you and I wish you luck. I wish they would stop selling it because it makes people think UHD BDs are not reliable.

No player will play a defective disc but the X700 makes people think half the discs are defective.

I had a defective copy of Anatomy of a Murder and the PS5 was able to play it so the PS5 (original version) may be more capable than a Pansonic player. However, ... just replacing that copy solved the problem because that was a defective disc.

Back in time Sony Blu Ray players including the PS3 were the more reliable Blu Ray players in my experience. I wish they would make a good UHD BD player apart from the PS5.

[paulboland]

Originally Posted by bhampton

The Panasonic players work. The 2 Sony X700's I had did not. Granted the second one was better than the first.

It's that simple. The Sony X700 has many people thinking the UHD BD format is defective simply because this is the player Walmart has in stock.

If you think the X700 works I'm happy for you and I wish you luck. I wish they would stop selling it because it makes people think UHD BDs are not reliable.

I had no issues with the Sony X700 UHD Player and I had it since 2022

There will be sometines issues with discs but that's not due to the UHD players themselves and it's something that will affect any UHD player
Some UHD players are more sensitive to disc residue than others.

UHD discs have a residue (Which most times you won't see with a physical inspection of the disc itself) that can cause various playback issues some will be video or menu freeze or audio issues a simple fix is clean the UHD disc itself with a fiber cloth
You also need to clean the inside of the UHD case be it a SteelBook or a Amaray case as the residue can transfer to the hub area inside cases so clean both case and disc

[Telemachus]

Both my Panny and Sony players have lasted years at this point, both have small quirks, the Sony gets a bad rap because of the 100gb freezing which can be insufferable for obvious reasons, but the Panny will outright refuse to even play certain discs it doesn't like. The real solution is to own two players from two different companies and buy movies to watch and try not to stress over it all.

[WhiskeyGnome]

Originally Posted by bhampton

The Panasonic players work. The 2 Sony X700's I had did not. Granted the second one was better than the first.

It's that simple. The Sony X700 has many people thinking the UHD BD format is defective simply because this is the player Walmart has in stock.

If you think the X700 works I'm happy for you and I wish you luck. I wish they would stop selling it because it makes people think UHD BDs are not reliable.

No player will play a defective disc but the X700 makes people think half the discs are defective.

I had a defective copy of Anatomy of a Murder and the PS5 was able to play it so the PS5 (original version) may be more capable than a Pansonic player. However, ... just replacing that copy solved the problem because that was a defective disc.

Back in time Sony Blu Ray players including the PS3 were the more reliable Blu Ray players in my experience. I wish they would make a good UHD BD player apart from the PS5.

I have the X700U player guy. The new one. And there is nothing wrong with it.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyGnome

I have the X700U player guy. The new one. And there is nothing wrong with it.

I'm glad.

I considered trying that player also but I don't think it supports HDR10+ which is supported by my projector.

I have plenty of Sony things and had amazing reliability from Sony Blu Ray players but my own X700's were clearly defective. Neither one was the newer X700U so I'm extra glad if they finally fixed whatever haunted the X700.

[albabe]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyGnome

I have the X700U player guy. The new one. And there is nothing wrong with it.

Is that a new version of X700? Is it just the firmware?

My X700 works fine. Very occasionally it freezes when it changes layers on the 100GB discs but putting a Flash Drive in the port seems to fix that. Weird.

Did the latest Firmware update fix anything? Make anything worse?

[albabe]

Originally Posted by paulboland

Sony X700 that has the region free ICOS modification
System Update
You use update over internet to check if new firmware is available and choose if you want to install that update

Don’t download firmware from Sony website and use usb method
Use update over internet method only on the player itself

As long as you use update over internet to install new firmware it does not affect the region free ICOS modification

I not had any issues with latest firmware that’s made available on the Sony x700 that has the ICOS modification done by 220-electronics

Thanx. So, no one in here had a problem updating the firmware over the Internet. I got mine from Amazon, but it says it's from 220 on my receipt.

[WhiskeyGnome]

Originally Posted by albabe

Is that a new version of X700? Is it just the firmware?

My X700 works fine. Very occasionally it freezes when it changes layers on the 100GB discs but putting a Flash Drive in the port seems to fix that. Weird.

Did the latest Firmware update fix anything? Make anything worse?

It is the new version of the player, no apps on this one. It's brand new basically.

[sherlockjr]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyGnome

It is the new version of the player, no apps on this one. It's brand new basically.

Doesn't look like it's brand new at all.

From that model number and specs it appears that it's the same 4K player as the previous X700 without a U, but with streaming app capability removed (no loss at all in 2025) as well as WiFi capacity removed given no streaming. There is still an ethernet port however for Internet firmware updates.

Some people have long claimed that turning off WiFi and streaming helps stop the player from freezing, etc. No idea if that's really true--correlation does not equal causation--but perhaps it is true and Sony recognizes it. Or perhaps the WiFi capacity was a pain in the neck to engineer for newer WiFi standards and Sony decided to drop a little needed facility and save a few bucks while keeping the player in productiton.

[WhiskeyGnome]

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

Doesn't look like it's brand new at all.

From that model number and specs it appears that it's the same 4K player as the previous X700 without a U, but with streaming app capability removed (no loss at all in 2025) as well as WiFi capacity removed given no streaming. There is still an ethernet port however for Internet firmware updates.

Some people have long claimed that turning off WiFi and streaming helps stop the player from freezing, etc. No idea if that's really true--correlation does not equal causation--but perhaps it is true and Sony recognizes it. Or perhaps the WiFi capacity was a pain in the neck to engineer for newer WiFi standards and Sony decided to drop a little needed facility and save a few bucks while keeping the player in productiton.

I mean nobody has opened the player up, but yes they are being manufactured as new because it is a new product. Chipsets are often similar, but nobody has any clue exactly what is in the system until somebody opens it up.

I don't understand these posts trying to make it out like this is just an old player with new packaging. It is their new product and a revised version. It is new. This is not up for argument. Specifics are speculation right now.

I have not had a single issue with it outside a very small hitch on one layer transition from Blown Away.

Yes, wifi and apps can interfere with processing power no doubt about it. But the player is still new. It entered manufacturing this year.

That means that somebody made a new player.

[saxomaphone]

All I can say about this player is that U.S. 4K discs freeze all the time. And I clean my hands before handling any of my discs. EU 4K discs rarely freeze if ever, I honestly can't remember the last time it did.

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by saxomaphone

All I can say about this player is that U.S. 4K discs freeze all the time. And I clean my hands before handling any of my discs. EU 4K discs rarely freeze if ever, I honestly can't remember the last time it did.

Clean the discs with an isopropyl solution, even if they already look clean. The freezing caused by an invisible grease on the discs which throws off the laser refraction. US discs are mostly made at that one factory in Mexico which has poorer quality control than EU manufacturers.

[y2jman]

well despite 4k was working just fine last year i attempt to watch last week from the beginning of movie but freezing and skipping despite i try to clean microcloth nada

i try to order standard 4k target since i had the target package back in 2020 nada i say to myself ok perhaps target issue i try 1 last time order walmart got yesterday same thing

that's it 3 times a charm just like what happen to bad boys for life 4k it chapter 1 4k's i give myself 2 or 3 try's in hopes 4k will work then i gave up got standard blurays actually i got it chapter 1 steelbook from gruv from walmart i would done bluray steelbook rise of skywalker cost too much

what so funny is that few weeks ago i had to order prequels and star wars a new hope 4k from walmart<-they were skipping and stuff however they are good again plus fact force awakens 4k i got target with rise skywalker 4k was mess up but then i remove disc an hour later put back in working thank god i didn't have to rebuy

so needless to say this is my 3rd 4k i can't get to work anymore on my bluray player and had to reduce myself to bluray<-i just got over game exchange paid 10.96 btw



it makes me mad that i can't get rise of skywalker 4k to work anymore i think something to do with BD-66 dual-layer disc or 3 layer data or something like that