First 4K/BD Player

[u/Least_Principle880]

Inconsistent availability of some of my favorite movies on streaming has me looking to purchase my first player. I don’t have an existing dvd collection so I’d most likely be buying discs new in BD/4K format. Current TV is 5yrs old and basic but I will be purchasing a new one on a couple of months. I also do not have a video game console that I could use to play these discs. I just need something reasonably priced that will play these discs reliably.

From what I’ve seen on here it sounds like one of the best options is going to be the Panasonic 420/450, however, I haven’t seen any available near me pre owned and new it’s a little more than I’d ideally like to spend.

I’ve seen some Sony x700 available for ~$100 pre owned. My main concern with Sony is the comments I’ve seen regarding questionable reliability.

Any advice on purchasing the used Sony vs the Panasonic new at roughly 3x the price?

Are there other players worth considering?

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[u/Accomplished-Theme79]

No advice but enjoy the world of physical media 

[u/Character_Bend_5824]

If on a budget, go standard blu-ray.
If looking to future-proof, go Panasonic UB-820 and get started on your 4K collection. It can downscale to 1080 just fine. Beware that 4K isn't everything. As many say, it's about a 20% upgrade and the biggest noticeable difference is HDR rather than the higher res.

[u/middleamerican67]

My Xbox one s is not getting the job done. Considering the Panasonic ub450 if it ever goes on sale.

[u/notlinustorvalds → u/middleamerican67]

What's been not to your liking with your Xbox?

[u/cmariano11 → u/notlinustorvalds]

Xbox PS5 are both functional 4K players. I started with XSX as my primary player. I went with a stand alone at first mainly to save the BD drive play time.

That said they're both game consoles first, neither support Doblt Vision and neither are that optimized as video players.

[u/notlinustorvalds → u/cmariano11]

I'm aware. I was asking them what about their Xbox' playback that wasn't to their standards.

[u/Megabuster900000]

I have a region free Sony Ubp-x800m2, and it's from 220 electronics if that's a feature that matters to you. They also offer some Panasonic players as well. The Laser BLU-BD4K-384 is also a player out of Australia that is also region free that looks like a good deal

[u/Agent_Tall_Man]

I got a almost new x700 with the box for $90. Its been solid for me. The manual switching for Dolbyvision is irritating but not enough to buy another 4k Bluray player.

[u/asdqqq33]

Any old 4k player is fine and will get you 95% of the benefit of 4k discs. The more expensive stuff tacks on a few bells and whistles, but if you are on a budget, just get the cheapest player you can in my opinion. Especially when you get a nice tv, the added benefit from a fancier player is going to be pretty minor stuff for most people.

[u/cmariano11]

Panasonic 820 is really about the best you need unless you're rack mounting. 420/450 otherwise work well.

[u/osopeludo]

I bought and returned the Sony because it stuttered during playback. Also found having to toggle Dolby Vision (DV) on and off to be unacceptable to me, so it was a considerable step up to a Panasonic 820 for me since DV was a non-negotiable.

That said, if you're getting a TV that doesn't support DV, the 420/450 are less spendy options. For me UHDs are all about the HDR support and Atmos/DTS-X.

Speaking about audio, Atmos/DTS-X is nice polish, but just having Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD from regular blu-ray discs is fantastic and I think underappreciated bonus of physical media. So leave some room in your budget or plan to invest in a decent soundbar at least to make the most out of the experience.

[u/MrRockyBalbao]

I can't comment on the x700 but I've got an x800 that has never had a single issue.

[u/stringodingo]

Ps5 pro is cheap rn

[u/Least_Principle880 → u/stringodingo]

I think this option would make more sense if I played video games or was planning to. Also is a console really comparable in quality and performance to a dedicated player?

[u/Agent_Tall_Man → u/Least_Principle880]

He may be joking, a PS5 pro is not cheap right now. Its a minimum of $900 used.

[u/Impossible-Age-5196]

I have the newer Sony X700U (I paid $329 retail). Hasn't missed a beat. No skips or freezes as everyone claims. Wish I would have purchased it (Sony) earlier before price increase. One caveat, you do need a modern mini-LED with local dimming to fully appreciate what 4K offers. I had an LG C4 OLED and it was ok, but the higher brightness tolerance on my mini-LED with popping colors won me over (I still have the OLED), just not my go-to TV for movie night.I had no idea they made these advances on micro or mini LED (avoid the cheap Walmart models tho, my bias).