Best Blu-ray players for 2023

In this article: Our list of best Blu-ray players …

1. Best high-end 4K Blu-ray player — Panasonic DP-UB820
2. Best budget 4K Blu-ray player — Sony UBP-X700/M
3. Best 1080p Blu-ray player — Sony BDP-BX370
4. Best 4K Blu-ray player for audiophiles — Panasonic DP-UB9000P1K

… with links to hundreds of customer reviews. We wrap things up with our Blu-ray player buying tips.

Blu-ray players are back in demand. The reason why? Well, after our customers purchase a 4K TV or projector, they tell us they want to see what their new TV can really do. And 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players offer the best possible picture available.

Plus, standard Blu-ray players are more affordable than ever. If you want to play your old DVDs, CDs, or Blu-ray discs — or you rent often from Redbox — they’re well worth the price.

Our top picks

Best high-end 4K Blu-ray player — Panasonic DP-UB820

Let me address the elephant in the room: Oppo left a huge void in this category when they stopped making their stellar UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player — our “best high-end player” for 2018. For a while, we struggled to fill this top spot with a replacement.

Then we got our hands on the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. It has arguably the best video processor ever available. That’s right, some reviewers prefer the picture quality over the legendary Oppo!

I’ve watched Jaws on standard (non-4K) Blu-ray with this player. You’ll find some beautiful cinematography in Jaws — those iconic, sweeping ocean and beach shots. But I’ve never thought of this vintage film as the “gold standard’ for picture quality. I have to say, watching on the DP-UB820, I saw a sharpness and richness that I hadn’t seen before.

Want to put this player to the test? Check out this list of the best 4K Blu-rays, chosen by our home theater and speaker expert, Kramer.

Panasonic’s DP-UB820 delivers first-rate audio, too. It features a premium built-in DAC and several analog and digital outputs for connecting to a receiver, preamp, or amplifier.

Here’s our former TV writer and retired Crutchfield legend Steve to explain Panasonic’s special tone-mapping technology, and other advanced features. These help their players provide the best picture for Ultra-HD Blu-ray with high-dynamic range (HDR) — no matter what 4K TV or projector you use:

Video and audio details

• full 4K resolution video for use with Ultra HD TVs
• plays Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, 3D and standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable discs
• HDR types: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG
• built-in audio decoding for Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, and DTS-HD Master Audio
• supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X passthrough when output is set to “bitstream”
• supports high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/384kHz resolution (PCM)

Connections

• two HDMI outputs for separating audio and video signals
• Toslink optical digital audio output
• 7.1-channel analog RCA audio output
• two USB ports (front and rear-panel)
• dual-band Wi-Fi and ethernet port for streaming video

This player presents a beautiful picture. CDs surprised me with how they sounded.”

– Crutchfield customer from San Jose, CA

Read all of the Crutchfield customer reviews

Sony UBP-X700/M

The Sony UBP-X700/M isn’t quite as loaded as the Panasonic, but for the money there’s a lot of value here. In fact, this is the player I actually own. It was an impulse buy — I couldn’t pass it up for the price!

And on movie nights, I’m more than happy with my purchase. The UBP-X700 player delivers an excellent 4K picture and serves up the vivid color array that make Sony 4K TVs pop. It even offers up the two most popular HDR formats, both HDR-10 and Dolby Vision.

This player also has dual-band Wi-Fi and can stream Netflix and Amazon Prime video in 4K.

Video and audio details

• full 4K resolution video for use with Ultra HD TVs
• plays Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, 3D and standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable discs
• HDR types: HDR10 and Dolby Vision
• built-in audio decoding for Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, and DTS-HD Master Audio
• 59″ HDMI cable included
• supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X passthrough when output is set to “bitstream”

Connections

• two HDMI outputs for separating audio and video signals
• coaxial digital audio output
• front-panel USB port
• built-in Wi-Fi and ethernet port for streaming video

This Sony UBP-X700 is a great 4k player, it loads very fast the colors are sharp & clean.

– Terry, Crutchfield Customer from Columbia, MO

Read all of the Crutchfield customer reviews

Best 1080p Blu-ray player — Sony BDP-BX370

Haven’t gone 4K yet? Still want a great picture for your HDTV?

The Sony BDP-BX370 provides a great 1080p picture. It will even play — and upconvert — your old DVD collection. It also offers access to Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube.

This player is much more compact than the others on this list — Sony didn’t even include a front-panel display. Also, the plastic disc tray is not nearly as sturdy as the higher-end players. But you do get a lot of bang for your buck.

Video and audio details

• video resolution up to 1080p HD
• plays Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable CDs
• not 4K or HDR compatible
• will work with a 4K TV, but will not display full 4K resolution picture
• 58″ HDMI cable included
• built-in audio decoding for Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, and DTS-HD Master Audio
• supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X passthrough when output is set to “bitstream”

Connections

• one HDMI output
• coaxial digital audio output
• front-panel USB port
• built-in Wi-Fi and ethernet port for streaming video

This is a wonderful product. Small, compact, and the Blu-ray picture is spectacular for the low cost. I am very satisfied.

– Bill, Crutchfield Customer from Meza, AZ

Read all of the Crutchfield customer reviews

Best 4K Blu-ray player for audiophiles — Panasonic DP-UB9000P1K

Panasonic’s top-of-the-line DP-UB90001K player includes the same video processor as their DP-UB820. But it takes the sonic features up another level.

Want the best of the best for audio? Look inside:

This update to the popular DP-UB9000 is one of the very few is one of the very few Blu-ray players you’ll find with a vibration-reducing metal chassis, and the disc drive is rock solid. Panasonic’s engineers separated the power for the audio DAC and analog output circuit, greatly reducing noise generated by the optical drive and video signal processing.

When it comes to music, the player delivers rich, detailed sound for your CDs, and its high-performance DAC can handle high-res PCM and DSD audio files.

As a Blu-ray player, it is currently without peer.

Video and audio details

• full 4K resolution video for use with Ultra HD TVs
• plays Ultra HD Blu-ray discs, 3D and standard Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CDs and rewriteable discs
• HDR types: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG
• aluminum front and side panels reduce vibration for superior sound quality
• built-in audio decoding for Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, and DTS-HD Master Audio
• supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X passthrough when output is set to “bitstream”
• high-grade digital-to-analog converter for precise playback of digital music files
• supports high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/384kHz resolution (PCM)

Connections

• two HDMI outputs for separating audio and video signals
• coaxial and Toslink optical digital audio output
• 7.1-channel analog RCA audio output
• unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR stereo analog audio outputs
• two USB ports (front and rear-panel)
• dual-band Wi-Fi and ethernet port for streaming video

The separation and clarity of surround sound surpasses my expectations. I wish everyone could see and hear the difference that the DP-UB9000 can make in their home theater experience.

– Robert, Crutchfield customer from Wasilla, AK

Read all of the Crutchfield customer reviews

Blu-ray player buying tips

Do you have a 4K or OLED TV? You DEFINITELY want a 4K Blu-ray player – as I said, it gives you the best picture.

Planning on getting one soon? It is worth purchasing a 4K player now. A 4K player can display DVD and standard Blu-ray discs on a 1080p screen.

The compact Sony BDP-X370 player shown on top of a full-size player.

Form factor

Larger players work well in serious home theater setups, but there are also extremely compact Blu-ray players. They can fit neatly into tight places, like a bedroom or smaller TV setup.

Want to stream movies, shows, and music?

You can play Netflix or Amazon Prime video on most new TVs. But if you need a way to stream to your projector (or older TV), many Blu-ray players will do the trick.

Some players require a wired Ethernet connection, while others work over Wi-Fi®. The streaming services vary. Check the product descriptions for details.

Connections

All Blu-ray players have an HDMI output to connect the player to your TV or receiver. But if you’re going to connect it to an audio system without HDMI connections, look for a player with dedicated audio outputs.

The Panasonic UB-9000 offers both digital and analog audio outputs for connecting to high-performance or professional audio gear.

We can help you choose

Have Blu-ray questions? Contact us today.

Our expert Advisors know the gear inside and out. Your Advisor can send specific Crutchfield pages to your screen, saving you a lot of browsing time. You’ll get a shopping cart loaded up with everything you need for your new home theater.

Free lifetime tech support is included with your Crutchfield purchase.