Sony UBP-X800 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player

We purchased our LG OLED TV when we did our remodel of our house back in late 2015 but chose the EF9500 as it could handle UHD both streaming and via an external blueray player where the other models at the time couldn't. We never purchased a blueray player since then as the Samsung came out first and it didn't get great reviews (but if you HAD to be the first one with a 4K blueray player your options were very limited other than one that upscales). We chose to wait. A lot of people were thinking that 4K was a flash in the pan and would be like 3D on LED tv's where people snapped them up but then realized they never used the 3D feature. Fast forward about a year and a half. In the last 6-8 months, there are now more choices for 4K blueray players and a lot more content in 4K both on disc and streaming. We have this setup paired with our Marantz SR7010 and a nicely appointed Def Tech surround system with 2 powerful subs and ATMOS up firing speakers. I have recently prior to purchasing this player streamed some movies in 4K and it's a great picture (how could it not be on an OLED screen). But, watching on this Sony X800 player is an upgrade over the quality of steaming in 4K. First off, even the audio is amazing. Normally you hear things above and behind you but this player combined with an action paced 4K blueray is AMAZING. Really, it's like being at the theater in my family room. Picture is great, brightness levels are great. Now, one other thing we DID have done was a tech come out and set the ISF level standard when we first purchased this TV. If you aren't aware of what this is just Google ISF tuning. Now, I have read reviews on the OPPO 203 and it might be slightly better and have more fine tuning features but for us it was not worth twice the price. Some people have commented on the lack of a display on the front of the unit. I am using mine with a Harmony Elite remote (which is EXCELLENT by the way) and all you have to do is push INFO button and it's displayed on screen. I like the way the whole front door opens (like the Panasonic 900) as it's a clean looking machine. Some reviews have complained that there isn't a display on the front of the player. This really isn't a problem as it does display time/information on the tv screen. I actually never even opened up the factory Sony remote (went straight with the Harmony). The only thing I would say that could possibly be a negative (which it really isn't too bad) was that there are a LOT of options in the setup screen and you need to know which ones to adjust and which ones to just leave on AUTO. Like for instance, the 4K Upscale setting to Auto 1 or Auto 2 depending if you want it to upscale ALL discs to 4K (then Auto 2 should be selected). By default, it comes on Auto 1 assuming you are hooking it up to a Sony TV. Also, the BD Audio Mix setting needs to be addressed---this is to change the way the audio is handled. In ON, both primary and secondary audio handled by disc player. In OFF, primary by disc player and secondary audio all handled by the audio player (receiver). All in all, this player is a bargain for the $300 price. It even feels like it's constructed very well. It doesn't include an HDMI cable but you will want to buy a high quality one capable of high speed to go along with this machine. I personally went with the Audioquest Cinnamon. Not sure if it makes a difference but I am using the same cables for my tv hookup to my Marantz receiver and they seem to work well. I also purchased the Square Trade extended warranty as for 3 years it's only about $25 and this warranty company has come through for us a few times over the years. Hope this review is helpful to those on the fence about whether to purchase or not.

I sold my old Blu-ray player to help pay for this 4K upgrade (because that's what you do when you want the latest and greatest).— DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION —This is a solidly built machine. Once you lift it you know there are some premium material in this. One of the reasons for this is to prevent micro-vibrations from spinning, as well as electrical shielding. The design is a simple rectangular box and matches other Sony home theater electronics.— 4K —This plays 4K discs well and quickly. It can also play my 3D and regular Blu-ray discs. And if I wanted, it could play high-res audio discs.— AUDIO OUTPUT —I wish they had an optical output instead of the coaxial connection. One way around this is to connect via HDMI to your TV, and have your TV output optically to your receiver. Luckily I had that option so this doesn't bother me, but be aware for yourself if you have a preference.— INTERFACE & FEATURES —The interface and UI was easy to understand intuitively and use. In regards to features, times have changed and even though I'm pretty techy, there were a lot of settings and options which I was not familiar with which I had to look up. There are *a lot* of settings and it can be very confusing, even for someone like me. Certain "features" are annoying to have and I just want settings off and have a straight signal from my disc to my TV without visual "enhancements." Be aware of the default settings, especially if you know how you want your image to look.— WIFI —This can connect with WiFi to access its Smart features, or you can plug in a LAN cable. Since my main Smart device is an Apple TV 4K with a hard line connected to it, I use WiFi for this 4K player and use it solely as that.— SUMMARY —I got the one year old model because it became cheaper. I think the design, features, and construction make this a worthwhile purchase. If you have an Apple TV 4K and prefer digital movies, that's all you need. For those that prefer physical discs, this Sony 4K player plays solidly. Recommended.*** NOTE ***I was aware of complaints about lockup during playback before I bought this. This has not happened to me yet, and from what I gathered it only seems to be happening for certain discs. Fingers crossed that it doesn't happen to me.