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For WindowsFor MacFor MacFor WindowsFor MacWhy buy 4k Blu-ray Discs? 4k Blu-ray players can play Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs that feature the latest home theater technologies including HDR (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+) for expanded color range and audio in object-based, 7-channel formats including Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. 4k Blu-ray video plays at a higher bitrate than streaming and offers lossless audio. Here’s a list of the best 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray players available in 2021 that includes models released in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Please keep in mind prices and availability may change after article publish date.
We rank this the best 4k Blu-ray player of the year. The $499 Panasonic DP-UB820 supports HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG for HDR via digital, 4k Blu-ray, and live broadcast applications. For audio, the player’s 192-kHz/32-bit 4-DAC supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. And, the UB820 works with Alexa. Buy on Amazon
The Sony X1100ES is the company’s premium 4k Blu-ray player with Dolby Vision/HDR10, Dolby Atmos/DTS:X, and DSEE HX for MP3 audio enhancement. It’s a standard 19″ width for typical rack systems. The only caveats? All of the Sony 4k players require manually selecting Dolby Vision even if the previous disc played with DV. There still is no update for HDR10+. And, maybe the $599 price tag. Buy on Amazon
The upgraded LG UBK90 (Price: $299) supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, making it compatible with all Ultra HD Blu-ray discs regardless of HDR spec (although an HDR10+ firmware update TBD). And, while the UBK80 only has one HDMI port and only Ethernet (no WiFi), the UBK90 features two HDMI outputs (1 for video, 1 for audio) and built-in WiFi. High Resolution Audio is supported in Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio, and FLAC formats. It’s a 16.9″ x 8.1″ unit (2″ wider than the Sony X700) that’s just shy of wider 19″ standard rack sizes. List: $299 On Sale $243.51 Buy on Amazon
It took a while for this Panasonic model to make it to the US, but the UB9000 was well worth the wait for the home theater guru who only buys the highest quality components. The UB9000 is a solid aluminum build compared to the UB820, and because of that construction has less vibration and is much quieter than its inferior, plastic competitors. The reference-class player features a 2nd-gen HCX (Hollywood Cinema Experience) processing engine and supports all the HDR and audio formats you could possibly need. This 4k Blu-ray was previously ranked #1 and #2 but is currently not available.
The older, LG UBK80 is priced lower than the UBKM9, but you should know it does not support Dolby Vision or DTS:X audio. However, HDR10 is supported as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master audio. It’s missing a couple features of the Sony X700, but it’s a 16.9″ width component (2″ wider than the Sony X700) that fits nicely into standard audio/video racks. Price: $179 (Currently not available)
