Best Blu-Ray Player of 2023
The best Blu-ray players deliver an unbeatable movie-watching experience in either HD or 4K.
- 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.
Why You Can Trust CNET
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 an 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 such as 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 for a 4K model will let you play both kinds of Blu-rays and give you access to Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, DTS: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.
Best Dolby Vision 4K Blu-ray player
Sony UBP-X700
- The Sony UBP-X700 is a compact powerhouse that offers similar performance and better features than the X800 for a $50 discount. The player includes a host of streaming options, and Dolby Vision support is forthcoming.The time it takes for the player to load Netflix is insanely fast.
- Only supports streaming 4K HDR from YouTube. Both cheaper competitors and Sony's own X800 offer better DVD performance.
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.
Best 1080p Blu-ray player
Sony BDP-S3700
- The Sony BDP-S3700 Blu-ray player demonstrates good features and performance for the money. The number of streaming apps is solid, and disc loading times are fairly respectable.
- Entering text in apps is laggy and frustrating. The implementation of the PlayStation Now gaming app is relatively poor.
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.
Best Xbox for Blu-ray movies
Microsoft Xbox Series X
- Least expensive new Xbox since the Xbox 360
- Easy app-based setup
- Wide-ranging ecosystem, from cloud gaming to Game Pass
- Media can stream at 4K
- Game resolution tops out at 1440p
- Loses the optical audio output
- Limited next-gen game library at launch
- User interface remains cluttered
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.
Best PlayStation for Blu-ray movies
Sony PlayStation 5
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.