September 2021
Blu-ray Players: Aggregated Ranking Report
This report contains an aggregate consensus of Blu-ray Player rankings posted by key online experts, as of September 2021.
At a glance - September 2021 Ranking
| Rank | Change | Price | Blu-ray Player |
What Hi-Fi
|
IndieWire
|
AnxietyTech
|
The Techlounge
|
Digital Trends
|
Wirecutter
|
Crutchfield
|
TopTenReviews
|
Fix the Photo
|
The Master Switch
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
- | $298 |
Sony UBP-X800M2
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
2
|
2
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
2
|
7
|
|
2
|
- | $473 |
Panasonic DP-UB820-K
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
8
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
-
|
12
|
|
3
|
- | $179 |
Sony UBP-X700
|
2
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
7
|
6
|
|
4
|
- | $113 |
Sony BDP-S6700
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
8
|
2
|
|
5
|
- | $1300 |
Panasonic DP-UB9000
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
1
|
9
|
|
6
|
- | $43 |
Sony BDP-S3700
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
5
|
3
|
|
7
|
- | $71 |
LG BP175
|
-
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
-
|
|
8
|
- | $318 |
LG UBKM9
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
3
|
-
|
|
9
|
- | $607 |
Xbox One S
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
-
|
-
|
8
|
10
|
-
|
|
10
|
- | $912 |
PlayStation 5
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
7
|
11
|
8
|
|
11
|
- | Check price |
Samsung UBD-M8500
|
-
|
-
|
9
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
12
|
- | $197 |
Panasonic DP-UB420
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
|
13
|
- | $197 |
LG UBK80
|
-
|
-
|
2
|
3
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
14
|
- | $875 |
XBox Series X
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
5
|
We ranked Sony UBP-X800M2 #1 in September 2021 because:
- 8 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
What Hi-Fi
A great 4K Blu-ray player for the money,despite a couple of peculiar traits.
|
Pros
Crisp, detailed picture
Rhythmic, musical sound
Supports SACD and DVD-A
|
Cons
Lacks HDR10+
Odd Dolby Vision execution
Could be more vibrant
|
AnxietyTech
|
Pros
Dolby Vision
HDR10
Anti-vibration construction
4K upscaling
Dolby Atmos & DSEE HX audio output
Backwards disc compatibility
|
Cons
Some people find the Dolby Vision playback to overly bright
|
The Techlounge
Amazing Video And Audio In One
|
Pros
Amazing picture quality
Support for 4K Netflix and Amazon
Great sound quality
|
Cons
There is no analog stereo output
|
TopTenReviews
Best value 4K Blu-ray player
|
Pros
4K and HDR
Good value
|
Cons
Lacks advanced features
|
Fix the Photo
Virtually Silent
|
Pros
Dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support
High video quality
Good sound quality
Supports rare formats
|
Cons
No Dolby Vision support
No analog audio output
|
The Master Switch
Best of the Rest
|
Pros
Added support for Dolby Vision
|
Cons
Increased price doesn’t really match the feature set
|
We ranked Panasonic DP-UB820-K #2 in September 2021 because:
- 6 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
- Out of those, 2 experts ranked Panasonic DP-UB820-K as #1.
AnxietyTech
This is our top pick when it comes to 4K Blu ray players
|
Pros
HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
Amazing visual and audio performance
Dual HDMI outputs
Fantastic build quality
|
Cons
Doesn’t have XLR outputs
|
The Techlounge
A Great Value For The Money
|
Pros
Super-clear image and audio
Excellent compatibility and support
Great value for the price
|
Cons
Streaming services lack 4K and HDR
Average build quality
Not that user-friendly
|
TopTenReviews
Best premium Blu-ray player
|
Pros
4K compatible
HDR10 and Dolby Vision
Voice control enabled
|
Cons
Expensive
|
The Master Switch
|
Pros
Incredible audio and picture
|
Cons
Highly technical
Streaming options don’t have 4K or HDR
|
Methodology: combine opinions of key experts
Identify Experts
We identify key publishers and experts that consistently review and recommend Blu-ray Players.
Capture Rankings
For each publisher we find a currently recommended "top 10" list of Blu-ray Players, it must be updated in the last 9 months.
Aggregate Rankings
We put all those lists together and aggregate them. The more frequently a product is recommended, the higher it is in our ranking
Experts chosen for September 2021 ranking
What Hi-Fi
IndieWire
AnxietyTech
The Techlounge
Digital Trends
Wirecutter
Crutchfield
TopTenReviews
Fix the Photo
The Master Switch
We ranked Sony UBP-X700 #3 in September 2021 because:
- 6 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Sony UBP-X700 as #1.
What Hi-Fi
A brilliant 4K Blu-ray player,with an attractive price tag to boot.
|
Pros
Crisp, natural-looking picture
Excellent detail and colors
Dolby Vision support
|
Cons
Sound could be grander
No HDR10+ support
|
AnxietyTech
|
Pros
4K picture quality
Upscaling
Smart functionality allows for streaming services
Dual HDMI outputs
|
Cons
No support for HDR10+
|
Fix the Photo
Easy to use remote
|
Pros
HDR 10 and Dolby Vision support
Perfect sound rendering
Compact form-factor
Small size
|
Cons
Can’t be used for streaming
A limited number of features
|
The Master Switch
Perfect for 4K Dolby Vision
|
Pros
HDR support
Great picture
|
Cons
Sound quality feels middling
|
We ranked Sony BDP-S6700 #4 in September 2021 because:
- 5 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
The Techlounge
A Cheap,But Super-Efficient Blu-Ray Player Packed With Features
|
Pros
Great access to streaming services
Cheap
Strong image quality
|
Cons
It lacks the HDR support
Poor design
No UHD disks support
|
TopTenReviews
Best HD Blu-ray player
|
Pros
Bluetooth compatibility
More than 300 apps
|
Cons
No native 4K
No display
|
Fix the Photo
Control by smartphone
|
Pros
Powerful Wi-Fi chip
Quick streaming
High-res audio format support
Wireless sound transfer
|
Cons
Doesn’t support Bluetooth
|
The Master Switch
Best Budget Blu-ray Player Under $100
|
Pros
Strong feature set
Solid picture quality
|
Cons
Poor design
App implementation
|
We ranked Panasonic DP-UB9000 #5 in September 2021 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Panasonic DP-UB9000 as #1.
What Hi-Fi
A seriously capable 4K Blu-ray player for home cinema enthusiasts.
|
Pros
Crisp, insightful picture
Dynamic expressive sound
Good selection of features
|
Cons
Very little at this price
|
Fix the Photo
Our Choice
|
Pros
Four types of HDR support
Powerful display optimizer
New-generation processor
High-quality components
|
Cons
None
|
The Master Switch
|
Pros
Unbelievable picture quality
|
Cons
Can be tough to find in the US - you'll need to order from overseas
|
We ranked Sony BDP-S3700 #6 in September 2021 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
AnxietyTech
With full HD playback capabilities,the multimedia player works with a 1080p video resolution.
|
Pros
Region free
HD 1080P
1080p upscaling
HDMI output
Ethernet connection
|
Cons
Setup can be confusing for some
|
Fix the Photo
Compact design
|
Pros
Direct access to servers
Quick performance
Simple to navigate interface
High-quality sound
|
Cons
No video indexing
No RCA outputs
|
The Master Switch
Best Blu-ray Player for Streaming
|
Pros
An intuitive
Accessible way to get digital streaming
|
Cons
You definitely miss out on some options
|
We ranked LG BP175 #7 in September 2021 because:
- 4 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
AnxietyTech
|
Pros
Region free
HDMI output included
1080P quality
DVD up-scaling
|
Cons
No output for surround sound audio systems
|
The Techlounge
It Just Works!
|
Pros
Good image quality
Well implemented 1080p upscaling
Easy to use
Versatile player
Amazing value for money
|
Cons
None
|
TopTenReviews
Best cheap Blu-ray player
|
Pros
Cheap
Full HD
Streaming apps
|
Cons
No 4K or HDR
|
We ranked LG UBKM9 #8 in September 2021 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
The Techlounge
Solid Blu-Ray For The Money
|
Pros
Feature-rich
Dolby Vision
HDR10 compatible
Streaming ready
Good value for money
Solid Ultra HD 4K image quality
|
Cons
None really at this price
|
Fix the Photo
4K Content Streaming
|
Pros
Supports many audio formats
Backward compatibility
Low price
Multi-HDR support
|
Cons
Doesn’t support DTS: X
Dated design
|
We ranked Xbox One S #9 in September 2021 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
TopTenReviews
Best cheap games console with Blu-ray player
|
Pros
Diverse Multimedia Options
4K Blu-ray Player
Xbox Game Pass
|
Cons
Lacking in power
Weakest exclusive lineup
|
Fix the Photo
Direct access to 4K Netflix
|
Pros
HDR streaming
An IR blaster
Small chip
No frame rate drops
|
Cons
Subpar GPU performance
Console interface
|
We ranked PlayStation 5 #10 in September 2021 because:
- 3 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
TopTenReviews
Best PlayStation with Blu-ray player
|
Pros
Powerhouse games console
Controller battery life and features are top-notch
A strong selection of titles
Nearly silent
|
Cons
Divisive appearance
Rubbish UI
|
Fix the Photo
Stylish
|
Pros
Impressive RAM
High-speed drive
Powerful CPU
A lot of accessories
|
Cons
Expensive
Weighs too much
|
The Master Switch
|
Pros
Solid picture quality
|
Cons
Lack of Dolby Vision features make this a poor choice
|
We ranked Samsung UBD-M8500 #11 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Samsung UBD-M8500 as #1.
AnxietyTech
|
Pros
4K ultra HD movies
Wi-Fi included
Streaming
HDR
USB ports
|
Cons
No digital display on the player
|
The Techlounge
A Basic,But Affordable 4K Blu-Ray Player
|
Pros
Great 4K HDR image quality
Support for 4K Netflix and Amazon
Fast loading times
|
Cons
Noisy
Boring design
Not the best audio
|
We ranked Panasonic DP-UB420 #12 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
- Out of those, 1 expert ranked Panasonic DP-UB420 as #1.
The Master Switch
A Great Player for Listening to Music
|
Pros
High-res audio support
Excellent audio quality
|
Cons
Build quality issues
|
We ranked LG UBK80 #13 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
AnxietyTech
This is our second best 4K blu ray device.
|
Pros
Ultra HD picture quality
3D playback
4K upscaling
Ethernet input and USB port
|
Cons
Does not have smart features
|
The Techlounge
A Simple And Efficient Blu-Ray Player At An Affordable Price
|
Pros
Good value for the money
Great versatility
Excellent picture quality
|
Cons
No support for Netflix and other streaming services
No Wi-Fi
|
We ranked XBox Series X #14 in September 2021 because:
- 2 independent experts mentioned it in their “best Blu-ray Players” rankings.
TopTenReviews
Best Xbox with Blu-ray player
|
Pros
4K Blu-ray player
Affordable
Comes with free games console
|
Cons
Traditional remote is extra
|
The Master Switch
Best Blu-ray Player for Gamers
|
Pros
Dolby Vision compatibility puts this console over the top
|
Cons
Launch-day issues and missing features
|