Streaming may be how most people consume movies these days, but there's a lot to be said for the humble Blu-ray player. A hardware player offers the best image and sound quality available, thanks to the enhanced storage capacities of Blu-ray discs. There are two types of discs available: 1080p Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray. Getting a 4K player will enable you to play both kinds and give you access to formats like Dolby Vision, HDR10, DTS:X and Dolby Atmos. No need to worry about streaming problems like buffering, dropout or bandwidth caps. But if you somehow want those, most Blu-ray players can also stream Netflix (some even in 4K), while all of them will play your DVD and CD collections, too. Others -- specifically the Xbox One S -- will also play the latest games. If you don't have a 4K TV, and a library of only regular Blu-rays, you can save money by buying a 1080p-only player like the Sony BDP-3700.
The Sony UBP-X700 is at the cutting edge of 4K Blu-ray technology, thanks in part to its Dolby Vision compatibility. Throw in a bunch of streaming services and the Sony rewards you with a solid performance at a reasonable price. Read our Sony UBP-X700 review.
If you want to spend the bare minimum on a Blu-ray player, then the Sony BDP-S3700 Blu-ray player should be your choice. It offers a lot of features for little money, but as it's only 1080p you'll miss out on advanced features like 4K and Dolby Vision. Read our Sony BDP-S3700 review.
If you want 4K Blu-ray compatibility but can live without 4K gaming, the Xbox One S splits the difference along those lines and saves you a few bucks in the process. Now that the One X has officially been discontinued, the One S is a bit easier to find -- look to pay about $299 with a bundled game included. Read our Microsoft Xbox One S review.
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