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

[danny24]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

Since BD players do not need the streaming applications it was very good for Sony to remove the streaming applications and make the user menu focus on the playback of BD, DVD, & CD discs.

Sony's new UBP-X700U 4K HDR BD player has a very nicely improved user menu that has less clutter and loads and responds faster.

Can you post a screenshot of the user menu? I already have the X700 and want to see how improved it is before purchasing.

[Robert Zohn]

I saw Sony's UBP-X700U at a meeting I had at a dealer meeting with Sony's, but they have not launched yet.

So once our allocation arrives I take a few pictures of the menus and post them here.

[danny24]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

I saw Sony's UBP-X700U at a meeting I had at a dealer meeting with Sony's, but they have not launched yet.

So once our allocation arrives I take a few pictures of the menus and post them here.

Excellent, thanks!

[Misioon_Odisea]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

It's endemic to anything with a MT chip AFAIK. So OPPO, Sony, certain Panny models. It's not a major issue for disc playback as the amount of 1080p HEVC content on disc is very small, but for all the files I view on my OPPO it can be a minor distraction.

Oh! Thanks for bringing up the chroma bug again, and I appreciate the clarification. Last time you mentioned the bug, I don't know why I started to believe it also affected UHD disc content encoded in 2160p, which would have been devastating overall. I mean, with how optical media in general is treated with such widespread and open contempt nowadays, I wouldn't have been surprised if that was indeed the case… But at least today I learn that 2160p HEVC content is spared from this defect, which is a relief.

So, I guess that for the MediaTek players, it'd be best to continue encoding 1080p material with AVC, right?

[ij72]

Originally Posted by apollo828

Huh? $200 would've been a dream back then. I just happened to be in NYC when DVD first came to America, and was in a video store where they sold it. The prices in that link seem about right, to my recollection. Adjusted for inflation, they were above $1K. I also got my hands on the first DVD computer playback kit in '98. My recollection is that it was $400, for a drive and a passthrough video card that (IIRC) sat between your graphics card and your monitor.

It was 1999ish, when they started to hit $200 or so I want to say.

I remember an Apex player around that time frame (and price point) that had a little buzz online because it could also play MP3s!

And yes, my first DVD "player", circa 97-98, also was the Creative Labs PC kit with the MPEG2 encoder card and the PC drive. It may even still be in my basement morgue of loooong outdated PC parts...

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

There should have definitely been a $99 UHD player at this point, the Sony already feels like one. That BDP-S1700 player was like $59 once when I got it on sale, this seems like the exact same thing no wifi and in a similar body. I think the Panny 450 is the current value king.

With inflation the 2K Sony BDP-S1700 went from $59.99 to around $79.99 and dropped streaming (BDP-S1700U), the player never had WI-FI. If there was a nationwide rental market where people could rent Blu-ray discs for around $2 or $4 at a physical location like REDBOX, and if the dollar store still offered Blu-ray discs for a $1 or $1.25, and if Walmart still offered Blu-ray bargain bins for $5 or $10, then yes I would agree there should be a 4K Blu-ray player for around $99 or $149. However, the Apple TV 4K streaming box with ethernet built in costs $149 and that unit does not have an optical disc drive. Therefore, the evidence is suggesting that a 4K Blu-ray player at around $200 is a fair price for a entry level model since there is inflation and also since it will cost at least $50 more to make a 4K Blu-ray player when compared to Apple TV 4K streaming box. While the UBP-X700U costs $269 now, during the end of year holiday season it might go down in price to $199 as a sale price.

Last time I was in my local Walmart all they had was 4K Blu-ray disc new releases for around $40+. The Blu-ray format has moved to a buyers market since no more REDBOX machines and no more bargain bins at other retail stores. This means people spending $1,000 or more a year on Blu-ray discs are going to want a high-quality player that costs $500 or more. If one purchases over $2,000 in movies every year on optical discs, that means an optical disc player costing a $1,000 or more with nice features is a must have item. Most people keep there players for at least 10 years its not like people are buying a new player every year. But the market has changed and unless REDBOX or bargain bins returned most movie collectors spending $1,000-$2,000+ a year on movies do not mind spending $500-$1,000+ on a quality 4K Blu-ray player once every 10 years.

Good to see new players but we need some higher end models from Sony that offer better performance. I still like my year 2016 OPPO UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player for $549, but because of inflation and less players being made a new model that is similar costs around $1,500+.

[Telemachus]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

If one purchases over $2,000 in movies every year on optical discs, that means an optical disc player costing a $1,000 or more with nice features is a must have item.

Better to spend $2,800 a year on movies and buy a $200 player

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by Robert Zohn

Since BD players do not need the streaming applications it was very good for Sony to remove the streaming applications and make the user menu focus on the playback of BD, DVD, & CD discs.

Sony's new UBP-X700U 4K HDR BD player has a very nicely improved user menu that has less clutter and loads and responds faster.

While all prior Blu-ray players from Panasonic and Sony for the last 15 years have had built in streaming apps, this is the new norm to remove streaming apps from all new Sony and Panasonic Blu-ray players introduced. OPPO Digital Inc had streaming apps until the day they introduced the new improved UDP-203 in 2016 and UDP-205 in 2017. Removing the streaming apps and removing WI-FI keeps the cost of the player lower because of inflation. The WI-FI module costs money and also WI-FI can add interference to the printed circuit board when enabled. It costs less money to pay a programmer to only write firmware updates to the player and no streaming apps to manage. But with at least with the OPPO we got a new and improved players back in 2016 and 2017 when they dropped the streaming features. Sony is just using a small amount of hardware modification to the existing 700 and 800 series players by making them cheaper to make with no streaming and WI-FI and then raising the cost because of inflation. But the street price difference might be only $10 or $20 more when compared to the old models.

Maybe Sony and Panasonic might surprise people and launch a new 8K optical disc format sometime in 2026-2028 timeframe. Then releasing entry level lower cost 4K Blu-ray players like these in 2025 would make perfect sense.

[HDTV1080P]

Originally Posted by Telemachus

Better to spend $2,800 a year on movies and buy a $200 player

But if one likes the $500 to $1,000 players better than its better to buy the more expensive players. A family member still has a Panasonic Blu-ray player that was purchased 15 years ago in 2010, and it works perfectly fine.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

If one purchases over $2,000 in movies every year on optical discs, that means an optical disc player costing a $1,000 or more with nice features is a must have item.

Says the guy who does not even think that a 4K TV is "a must have item," despite buying and reviewing LOTS of 4K discs.

You can tell me that I must have a $1000+ 4K disc player AFTER you spend at least that much on your very first 4K TV. Until then stop telling others how they should spend their money.

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Maybe Sony and Panasonic might surprise people and launch a new 8K optical disc format sometime in 2026-2028 timeframe.

Please share what you're smoking.

[apollo828]

Originally Posted by Vilya

Please share what you're smoking.

You're braver than I am. Drugs that turn you into a hallucinatory chatbot wouldn't be what I'd want!

[Vilya]

Originally Posted by apollo828

You're braver than I am. Drugs that turn you into a hallucinatory chatbot wouldn't be what I'd want!

The request was purely in the interests of science.

[DeyoreW]

I understand no streaming. Everyone has a streamer these days and a player that does it is just unneeded redundancy for 95% of buyers.

What I don’t understand is not having auto Dolby Vision detection. Sony loves DV on all their 4k releases. I’m wondering why people would not want it engaged. I know most projectors don’t have it but certainly they could have a disable feature in the menu setting. Really head scratcher and boycott worthy to not include this if you ask me.

[Steel76]

Wish Sony would release something high-end, like their old DVD/BD players.
Their modern players looks, and have the build quality of a toy.
Not even including a display is just insanely cheap of them.

I want this kind of design and build again.


But I guess those days will never come again...

[danny24]

Originally Posted by Steel76

Wish Sony would release something high-end, like their old DVD/BD players.
Their modern players looks, and have the build quality of a toy.
Not even including a display is just insanely cheap of them.

I want this kind of design and build again.


But I guess those days will never come again...

The X1000ES and X1100ES had a display. Slim chance to none of Sony doing a 4K UHD player that doesn't have a decent amount of plastic all over it. These companies just want to cut costs now and making a player with mostly plastic is way cheaper. I agree some of those early DVD and Blu-ray players Sony made were built like a tank.

[AmishParadise]

Sony debuts refreshed UBP-X700/K UHD Blu-ray player

Pics from above article...

[HDTV1080P]

To save money websites must be deciding not to hire original writers and just getting permission to reprint new articles. This new March 18th 2025 twice article claims the new updated UBP-X700 has HDR10+, but from Sony specs and Value Electronics website we all know HDR10+ is not going to happen unless Sony changes their minds and issues a HDR10+ firmware update 6 to 12 months in the future. Boggles the mind no original articles anymore.

Quote

“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, and support for both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR, and it features DTS:X and Dolby Atmos audio support.”


https://www.twice.com/product/video/...d-and-bad-news

[chip75]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

Boggles the mind no original articles anymore.

Why would it matter? when you give ☆☆☆☆☆ to a player with serious issues, your articles are pretty meaningless. Generally speaking, tech reviews shouldn't be rushed out or at least they should have long term updates, otherwise you're just spewing out words to be first out of the gate.

Most websites seem to republish articles from other sources, due to the necessities of having new content X times a day.

[HDTV1080P]

Around every ten years there is a major new optical disc format that is released in terms of resolution improvements. In the year 1997 the DVD association launched the standard definition 480i DVD format. The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) launched the 2K Blu-ray format in the year 2006 (which was 9 years after the DVD format launched). Then in the year 2010 the BDA launched the Blu-ray 3D format which was still 2K resolution. In the year 2016 the BDA launched the 4K Blu-ray format which was exactly 10 years after the 2K Blu-ray format was launched. In the year 2026-2028 time period we should see a new 8K format launched, either an 8K optical disc format or one of the streaming providers might offer 8K streaming with lossless audio.

There is a possibility that Sony and Panasonic in the year 2026-2028 might launch a $1,000+ first generation 8K Blu-ray player that has 2TB optical discs (but in reality, might only have 200GB discs that are 4 layers with 50GB per layer). The new 8K Blu-ray players in theory would playback 4K Blu-ray discs back with the same reliability that people experience with 2K Blu-ray discs that are played back on a 4K Blu-ray player. The new 8K optical disc format should do 3D at 8K or 4K quality also. But if no 8K optical disc format then it will most likely be 8K streaming with lossless audio as the replacement for optical discs. It has been well documented that the BDA has done a lot of research and development into a possible 8K optical disc format, the big question will be will they launch first generation 8K Blu-ray players in 2026-2028 timeframe? First generation players might cost $1,000-$1,500 but third generation players might be around $500. If not then expect an 8K Roku Ultra, 8K Apple TV, or 8K Google TV box around the year 2026-2028.