Best Blu-Ray Players
There is one big decision you have to make before you buy a Blu-ray player. Do you want a player that can play 4K Ultra HD discs or just standard HD Blu-ray discs?
The newer 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players, which can still play the standard HD Blu-ray discs while upscaling the content to 4K, are starting to dominate the market and are great for a home theater. Very few standard Blu-ray players are still being made if any.
For this article we will be focusing on models that play standard Blu-ray discs that may or may not be capable of up-scaling content to 4K to take advantage of 4K Ultra HD TVs. If you want 4K players then see our list of the best 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players.
Some important features to consider for when shopping for a player include image quality, 3D capabilities, Wi-Fi, streaming services and other apps, HDMI ports, USB ports, and audio outputs.
Below is our list of the top 5 best Blu-ray players. Below these Blu-ray player reviews you will also find a comparison chart with all the important specs of each model to easily compare one player versus another.
9
Sony BDP-S6700
The standard features inlcude 4K upscaling, Wi-Fi, 300+ streaming sources, and USB port. The unique features include multi-room streaming and Bluetooth connectivity with LDAC which lets you use wireless headphones and game controllers.
As for negatives, the Sony BDP-S6700 does lack an digital optical output and there are a few small bugs when using or switching between some of the apps. Some people have also complained that their Bluetooth devices have compatibility issues with this unit.
8.6
LG BP550
One unique feature is the Private Sound Mode which lets you send audio (only from a disc) to your compatible smart phone over Wi-Fi and then you can listen through head phones.
Overall the LG BP550 is a decent player, but there are better or cheaper options.
8.5
Sony BDP-S3700
Playback of Blu-ray discs is great, while the interface is easy to use and not laggy. Wi-Fi and your favorite streaming services are included as well.
The downsides to the BDP-S3700 are that there is no 3d playback or 4k upscaling – if you want those features go for the BDP-S7500. However, if you have a 4k TV it will probably already have upscaling built-in.
8.4
Samsung BD-J5100 (renewed)
The reason it is cheap is due to a lack of features. It does not upscale to 4K, nor is it 3D compatible. Plus the biggest thing missing is Wi-Fi, but you can connect to the internet via an ethernet cable to have access to streaming services like Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, and Netflix.
We recommend the Samsung BD-J5100 for those of you who just need a cheap, basic Blu-ray player that will only be used to play standard Blu-ray discs.
8.3
Sony BDP-S1700 (renewed)
However, there is no wi-fi or screen mirroring, 3d, or 4k upscaling. The interface can also be a bit lagging at times.
Blu-ray Player Comparison Chart
| Blu-ray Player | Rating | Best Price | 4K Capable |
4K Upscaling |
3D Capable |
Web Browsing |
Wi-Fi | HDMI Inputs |
HDMI Outputs |
USB Ports |
Optical Digital Audio Out |
Coaxial Digital Audio Out |
Memory Card Slot |
Streaming Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony BDP-S6700 | 9 | $89.88 | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 0 | 1 | 1 | No | Yes | No | PlayStation Video, PlaystationNow, Amazon, YouTube, Crackle, Slacker radio, Feelin, NetFlix, VUDU, hulu Plus MLB.TV, More |
| LG BP550 | 8.6 | $89.95 | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | 0 | 1 | 1 | No | Yes | No | Vudu, Netflix, CinemaNow, Hulu plus, Amazon, Pandora, Youtube, Spotify, Rhapsody, MLB, Viewster |
| Sony BDP-S3700 | 8.5 | $78.00 | No | No | No | No | Yes | 0 | 1 | 1 | No | Yes | No | PlayStation Video, PlaystationNow, Amazon, YouTube, Crackle, Slacker radio, Feelin, NetFlix, VUDU, Hulu Plus MLB.TV, iheart radio, More |
| Samsung BD-J5100 (renewed) | 8.4 | $38.97 | No | No | No | No | No | 0 | 1 | 1 | No | Yes | No | Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, VUDU, CinemaNow, HotList, YuppTV, Netflix, Pandora, Rhapsody, AccuWeather, OperaTv |
| Sony BDP-S1700 (renewed) | 8.3 | $54.99 | No | No | No | No | No | 0 | 1 | 1 | No | Yes | No | PlayStation Video, PlaystationNow, Amazon, YouTube, Crackle, Slacker radio, Feelin, NetFlix, VUDU, Hulu Plus MLB.TV, iheart radio, More |