Sony launches its first new 4K Blu-ray player in over five years

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Important update: It appears the online article was wrong about HDR10+ and the new Sony UBP-X700/K will not have HDR10+ and instead only standard HDR10 and manual Dolby Vision HDR.

Update: Also, UBP-X700K is for the Japan market and UBP-X700U is for the USA market. There is also a rumor that the UBP-X800U might be released. The K and U models drop streaming apps and WI-FI. Its been verified that there is also a BDP-S1700U 2K Blu-ray player that drops streaming and that series of players never had Wi-Fi.


Rumors are that Sony might be coming out with new 4K Blu-ray players. While all Blu-ray players since the year 2010 from both Panasonic and Sony have had built in streaming apps. The latest Panasonic and Sony 4K Blu-ray players are dropping the 4K streaming apps and all streaming apps which is a bad thing for people with some very old TV’s more then 15 years old and people with projectors (but in many ways that is not a big deal since most people either have streaming built into their TV or purchase a external streaming box like the Roku Ultra if they want streaming).

While in theory the existing Sony UBP-X700 and Sony UBP-X800M2 chipset might be able to offer HDR10+ with a firmware update, however since there is some fees with HDR10+, Sony might decide consumers need to purchase a new 4K Blu-ray player if one wants HDR10+ instead of issuing a firmware update for older 4K Blu-ray players.

According to the latest article if correct, the new Sony UBP-X700/K model will have no streaming apps built in, no WI-FI, however it will still offer RJ45 ethernet jack. Also according to the latest article the new Sony UBP-X700/K will offer both HDR10+ and Dolby Vison HDR. If this article is correct, it will be the very first time Sony has supported HDR10+. Possible new Sony LCOS SXRD projectors and OLED TV’s might offer the HDR10+ feature in the future and some models may get a HDR10+ firmware update. This is all speculation but according to the article this new coming soon Sony UBP-X700/K 4K Blu-ray player is offering both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR (Hopefully not fake news). The big question on audiophile minds is, well the Sony UBP-X800M2 get a new model like UBP-X800/K and offer both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR? Hopefully the UBP-X800 series will still remain in production since it’s a much better player in terms of build quality, DVD-Audio, and a better audio like DSD, etc. Hopefully Sony might start offering auto Dolby Vision HDR instead of offering manual Dolby Vison HDR (but that needs to be verified). It is also reported by the article the new Sony player might cost 25% more in price even though features like WI-FI and streaming are being removed. Adding HDR10+ would add a little bit more to the price. Could be inflation or maybe when items lack streaming apps the item ends up costing around 25% more in price for various reasons.

The following are select quotes from article

“The UBP-X700/K is an updated version of the UBP-X700, which we awarded five stars back when it was released in 2018. This new model doesn't appear to be a radical departure; it sports an almost identical design, support for both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR, and it features DTS:X and Dolby Atmos audio support. It even comes with the same remote as the original version, and it supports Bravia Centre Sync audio if you have a compatible Sony Bravia TV.”

“However, in some ways, this new player looks like a downgrade from the original. It's reportedly losing network functions entirely, including video streaming services, Spotify Connect, and screen mirroring. These downgrades have been reported by Japanese publication Monohika (via FlatpanelsHD), and Sony's official website also lists that the UBP-X700/K does not have wi-fi built in.”

“Curiously, the player still features an ethernet socket for wired network connectivity, though this could be for firmware updates rather than accessing streaming services.”

“What's looking less promising regarding this new disc player is the pricing. Officially speaking, pricing is yet to be revealed, however, the player is available in Japan now with a reportedly 25 per cent higher retail price than the original model. Will we see this price rise translate to other markets? Only time will tell, as this player is set to release this April or May, depending on the region.”



https://www.whathifi.com/tv-home-cin...d-and-bad-news