Should I keep or not keep my Sony UBP-X700?

[steferrari]

Hi everyone!
I own a Sony UBP-X700 but it's suffering from the well-known freezing issues.

Some days ago we was watching the 4K Blu-Ray of No Time To Die and the movie was skipping already during the early minutes.
It eventually started playing the disc ok, but when the film reached the 1 hour and 40 minutes mark, issues came back and it was basically impossible to get past that point, we had to switch to the 1080p disc.

The disc was brand new, I tried to clean it but that didn't helped much.

I'm already on my second X700 unit, I sent the first one back to Amazon because it was doing the same things (if not worse, I remember that the first one even powered itself off one day) but as I just explained this one isn't perfect either.

I have time until the end of January to send it back.

What should I do?
Keep it? Send it back and buy something else?

If yes, which one? Is the 800M2 any better?

From what I read the Panasonic 820 is the best of the best, but it's really expensive.

The 420 doesn't have Dolby Vision... I noticed that there's also a 450 model with Dolby Vision instead.

Could it be the best compromise?

My TV is a 65" Sony A80J.

Thank you!

[CreasyBear]

The Sony 800M2 is the best bang for your buck if you don't care about the HDR Optimizer on the Panasonic. I've had mine for three months and haven't had any problems with any disc.

[Deadend45]

Get a refund or exchange for a different model.

[D00mM4r1n3]

Update the firmware.

[bhampton]

I exchanged mine only to throw the second out so no one else would get the frustration of a bad design.

Get the X800 if you want more of the same at a higher price.

Sony for some reason has no clue how to make a UHD BD player.
They were the best at CD, DVD, and Blu Ray players in my opinion.

[steferrari]

Yeah, I'd like to stay with Sony since I also have a Sony TV but I read some reviews and even the 800M2 seems affected by the same issue, so I would be a bit scared to get that one.

Today I made another attempt, I disconnected the X700 from the Internet (some said that this worked for them) and played the movie, but when it reached the 1 hour and 45 minutes mark the skipping problems started again.

For the user who asked me: the player already has the newest firmware.

At this point maybe the best compromise would be the Panasonic 450.

I understand that the 820 is the king but almost €400 for a Blu-Ray player is a bit too much for me, we don't buy Blu-Ray discs so often like we used to.

The 420 lacks Dolby Vision and that would be a pity considering that my TV has it.

The 450 has it, so I might try with that one.

[slimdude]

If you were having problem with your first Sony UBP-X700, why did you get the same exact player? I would have chosen a different brand the second time. Any brand would do, but just don't get another Sony.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by steferrari

Yeah, I'd like to stay with Sony since I also have a Sony TV but I read some reviews and even the 800M2 seems affected by the same issue, so I would be a bit scared to get that one.

Why do you still want to buy another Sony after you've already had two bad Sony Blu-ray players? That doesn't make sense! You're jumping out the frying pan into the fire. Any Blu-ray player can be connected to a Sony TV. The Blu-ray player doesn't necessarily need to be a Sony. If you buy another Sony Blu-ray player and have the same problems you've had before with your two previous players (or worse), you can't blame nobody but yourself.

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by slimdude

If you were having problem with your first Sony UBP-X700, why did you get the same exact player? I would have chosen a different brand the second time. Any brand would do, but just don't get another Sony.

I think because the first one was just so bad that I think it had to be extra defective and my experience with Sony in previous players was 100% reliability.

I always steered people towards Sony with Blu Ray players.

The FW update did help my second X700 and I definitely recommend trying that.

[steferrari]

Originally Posted by slimdude

If you were having problem with your first Sony UBP-X700, why did you get the same exact player? I would have chosen a different brand the second time. Any brand would do, but just don't get another Sony.

I thought that the first one might have been defective and since Amazon has an excellent customer service I decided to try with a second unit.

Originally Posted by slimdude

Why do you still want to buy another Sony after you've already had two bad Sony Blu-ray players? That doesn't make sense! You're jumping out the frying pan into the fire. Any Blu-ray player can be connected to a Sony TV. The Blu-ray player doesn't necessarily need to be a Sony. If you buy another Sony Blu-ray player and have the same problems you've had before with your two previous players (or worse), you can't blame nobody but yourself.

I will order a Panasonic DP-UB450 in the coming days, let's hope that things will be ok with that one!

I'll let you guys know.

Amazon is coming Friday to pick up the Sony.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by bhampton

I think because the first one was just so bad that I think it had to be extra defective and my experience with Sony in previous players was 100% reliability.

I always steered people towards Sony with Blu Ray players.

The FW update did help my second X700 and I definitely recommend trying that.

Well I hope this is case for the OP.

[halloween5309]

watch dvd or bd hence no freeze up

[MrHT]

I bought the Sony UBP-X700 last November during a BF sale and returned it for that very reason... freezing issues. Not sure if freezing is a global issues with all UHD players, but it certainly was with the UBP-X700.

[cochon]

Originally Posted by bhampton

Sony for some reason has no clue how to make a UHD BD player.

It is one of the very few makers left offering players that keep selling like hotcakes, if they were that bad or expensive as some people have claimed, nobody would buy them.

Sony have now discontinued in the US their top model the UBP-X1100. In Australia the 1000s nor the 800s have been available for a while. We were left only with the 700, in other countries the same story is likely repeated.

I am sure the same people who complain now, will also complain once Sony stops making cheap players.

[cochon]

Originally Posted by steferrari

I thought that the first one might have been defective and since Amazon has an excellent customer service I decided to try with a second unit.



I will order a Panasonic DP-UB450 in the coming days, let's hope that things will be ok with that one!

I'll let you guys know.

Amazon is coming Friday to pick up the Sony.

I wish you good luck with it but keep in mind that nothing last forever, mechanical bits and the lasers are notorious for going bad.

Even if the player performs well for a few years it is unlikely to be your last player. Unless you go 100% streaming eventually you'll need to get it repaired or get another. Every time there are less options. If you have an important quantity of discs you might want to have a spare player for the future.

[steferrari]

I finally found a Panasonic 450!

It seems that this model gets sold a lot.
It was out of stock, on Amazon, for a good couple of weeks...

Yesterday afternoon, out of nowhere, the page was finally saying: "1 AVAILABLE" so I immediately bought it!

In the evening I noticed that they must have received some more of them because it was saying: "7 available" but this morning all of them were gone once again!

I still have to try it with a BD100 disc, I hope that it won't have the same problems of the Sony X700 that I had before.

[Canada]

I have a UB-820 and I hate to burst your bubble, but the UB-820 has its own problems with freezing.

[steferrari]

Update: Today I finally tested the Panasonic UB450 with the 4K Blu-Ray of No Time To Die (the only BD100 movie that I own) and contrary to what was happening with the Sony X700, the disc was played with no issues, no freezings at all.

So far so good!

[BijouMan]

Originally Posted by steferrari

I finally found a Panasonic 450!

It seems that this model gets sold a lot.
It was out of stock, on Amazon, for a good couple of weeks...

Yesterday afternoon, out of nowhere, the page was finally saying: "1 AVAILABLE" so I immediately bought it!

In the evening I noticed that they must have received some more of them because it was saying: "7 available" but this morning all of them were gone once again!

I still have to try it with a BD100 disc, I hope that it won't have the same problems of the Sony X700 that I had before.

Originally Posted by Canada

I have a UB-820 and I hate to burst your bubble, but the UB-820 has its own problems with freezing.

Non ho mai avuto un blocco del disco sul mio ad eccezione di un paio di brevi blocchi su Thor: Ragnarok (un disco BD-66) ma penso che potrebbe essere solo il mio disco. Tutte queste macchine appartengono alla stessa famiglia e utilizzano lo stesso processore.

I have never had a disc freeze on mine except for a couple of brief freezes on Thor: Ragnarok (a BD-66 disc) but I think it might just be my disc. All of these machines belong to the same family and use the same processor.

[helliot666]

I'll look up for your recommendations, as mine seems to freeze just with random titles. One day I'm able to go thru the Dawn of the Dead and Scream discs with no issues, and the while watching Ghostbusters Afterlife, it freezes at the scene where a legacy character first shows up... I haven't attempt to watch Venom LTBC because of that, and afraid when the new Scream arrives as it's only the 4K disc without a standard one.