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Best Blu-ray Player of 2023

The best Blu-ray players deliver an unbeatable movie-watching experience in either HD or 4K.

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Ty_Pendlebury.jpg
Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Ty Pendlebury
3 min read
$189 at Walmart
Sony UBP-X700
Sony UBP-X700
Best Dolby Vision 4K Blu-ray player
$189 at Walmart
$80 at Walmart
sony-bdp-s3700-08.jpg
Sony BDP-S3700
Best 1080p Blu-ray player
$80 at Walmart
$500 at Best Buy
xbox-series-x-s-console-hoyle-studio-promo-23
Microsoft Xbox Series X
Best Xbox for Blu-ray movies
$499 at Amazon
sony-ps5-full-price-and-release-date-reveal-with-games-mp4-00-00-39-22-still001
Sony PlayStation 5
Best PlayStation for Blu-ray movies
$499 at Amazon

Streaming is a convenient way to enjoy your favorite movies and TV shows, but nothing beats the picture quality and audio fidelity you get from a Blu-ray disc. The best Blu-ray players provide a exemplary movie-watching experience in the comfort of your own home. And without being constrained by internet speeds and bandwidth, you never need to deal with buffering like you may on services like Netflix.

Currently, there are two types of Blu-ray player available: 4K UHD Blu-ray and 1080p Blu-ray. Both are a step up from a traditional DVD player, though opting a 4K model will let you play both kinds of Blu-rays and give you access to Dolby AtmosDolby VisionDTS:X and HDR10 formats for top-rate image quality. If you're a real collector, all Blu-ray players will work with your old DVD and CD collections, too. The problems you encounter with streaming apps, like dropouts, bandwidth caps and buffering, are nonexistent. But if you miss those glitches, the vast majority of the best Blu-ray players can accommodate your streaming service of choice, including Netflix (some even in 4K), Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

Current gaming consoles like the high-end PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X can play both types of Blu-ray in addition to 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-S3700. 

Are you ready to make the most of your 4K content? Grab an HDMI cable and get ready to enjoy the excellent playback and top-notch viewing experience that Blu-ray players have to offer. This curated list of the best Blu-ray player options should help you find the right setup for your needs.

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 app services, and this Sony Blu-ray player rewards you with a solid performance at a reasonable price.

Read our Sony UBP-X700 review.

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Sarah Tew/CNET

Sony BDP-S3700

Best 1080p Blu-ray player

If you want to spend the bare minimum on a Blu-ray player, then the Sony BDP-S3700 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 resolution picture quality and Dolby Vision.

Read our Sony BDP-S3700 review.

The Xbox Series X is the only current Xbox model that accepts optical discs. It can play DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Blu-rays, in addition to Xbox game discs. It can also be used with standard IR remotes, unlike the PS5. Note that the cheaper Xbox Series S does not have a disc slot.

Read our Xbox Series X review.

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James Phelan/CNET

The high-end PS5 (the $500 model) includes an optical drive that accepts DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Blu-rays, in addition to PS4 and PS5 game discs. The cheaper PS5 Digital Edition does not have a disc slot.

Read our PS5 review.

Blu-ray player FAQs

Can I play normal DVDs in a Blu-ray player?

All Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray players are designed to be backward compatible with your existing DVDs. Most will also upscale DVD to 1080p (or 4K), which will mean a boost in image quality when played on a flatscreen TV. 

If you have DVDs from other regions -- e.g., you live in the UK and have Japanese DVDs -- you will need to check with the manufacturer to make sure your player is compatible.

Does Blu-ray work on all TVs?

Blu-ray will work on virtually any TV made since 2004; and if it's a flatscreen, it's compatible. There are exceptions -- rear projection, for example -- and so what you will need is an HD resolution (720/1080p) and an HDMI port. Sadly, no current Blu-ray players under $1,500 support the analog connections (component and composite) that are used by older TVs.

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